new hotel-conference center

Yesterday, we noted that the groundbreaking for UCLA’s Grand Hotel would be on September 10.  We have also noted that after blocking off the Ackerman bus turnaround and parking structure #6 on July 8, nothing much seems to have happened in the way of actual work on the site.Lest you think no one has been inconvenienced by the no-work blocking off, comes this from the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus on its off-hour service:New transit hub: Ackerman Terminal is closed for construction so BBB will use a new transit hub located on Charles E. Young Dr. and Manning Ave. Weekdays…

We have been posting pictures of working not being done at the (former) Ackerman bus turnaround and parking structure #6 since the area was closed off on July 8.  Yesterday was no exception as the photos below show.  No workers could be seen.  But the riddle of no-work can now be partly explained.  We are waiting for a grand groundbreaking for the Grand Hotel on Sept. 10, as indicated on the invitation towards the bottom. (Scroll down): A clearer version of the invitation can be viewed at the link below: Exactly why the bus turnaround and parking structure had to…

Yours truly went by the “work” site of the UCLA Grand Hotel at the former Ackerman bus turnaround.  Seems like the main accomplishment since it was closed off July 8 was putting a fence around it (gradually) and digging up some landscaping dirt. I didn’t see anyone actually doing anything at the site when I went by yesterday.  Last week I hypothesized that maybe everyone was taking an extended lunch.  I was a little later yesterday so maybe it was an early dinner. But come to think of it, I did hear some voices from inside the site:[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GMZPek0ABs?feature=player_detailpage]

Yours truly ambled by the site of the UCLA Grand Hotel yesterday afternoon.  The only difference I saw from last week is that the construction cones blocking off the entrance to the Ackerman bus turnaround are now supplemented by a makeshift fence.(!)  There was a pile of dug up landscape but that was there last week. And there was the usual dearth of any sign of work activity.  However, it was 3 pm so maybe everyone was on an extended lunch.Anyway, no need to rush:

We noted in an earlier post that after blocking off the Ackerman bus turnaround and parking structure 6 – the site of the planned UCLA Grand Hotel – not much had been done other than messing up some landscaping in the area.  It appeared that the intent was really to mark the territory in the face of pending litigation.In any case, yours truly went by the site late last Thursday to see if anything visible had been accomplished on the site.  As the photos below indicate, it’s still much as it was earlier.  Messed up landscaping at some locations but…

Yours truly went past the Ackerman bus turnaround that UCLA closed on July 8 to make way for the grand hotel.  He expected to find lots of demolition work going on.  Instead he found a few construction cones blocking the area and some dug up landscaping.  No one was working in mid-afternoon.  So what we appear to have here so far is a marking of the territory rather than actual work.  Seems like it’s the “facts-on-the-ground” approach. Of course, marking the territory is a natural tendency and there are many ways to do it: