Downtown Los Angeles completes its sports and entertainment complex

(AFP PHOTO / Robyn BECK)

In an effort to create a complete state-of-the-art one-stop sports and entertainment district in downtown Los Angeles, L.A. LIVE has been built around the 10-year-old Staples Center Arena during the last few years. The campus now features music venues, nightclubs, restaurants, a bowling alley, and the Grammy Museum.

On October 27, as part of the last phase, the 14-screen Regal Cinemas opened with the special advanced premieres of fourteen screenings of Michael Jackson's This Is It.

The 140,000 square feet (13,000 square meters) at Regal Cinemas Stadium 14 at L.A. LIVE provides an ultimate experience with stadium seating in every auditorium, reclining seats, digital projection and sound in all auditoriums.

This first of three phases of development opened with the Nokia Theatre, a 7,100-seat concert and awards show venue, a 40,000-square-foot (3,700 square meter) outdoor Nokia Plaza, and now the 2,300-seat Club Nokia venue for more intimate music concerts and events.

The Conga Room, co-owned by singer Jennifer Lopez, actor Jimmy Smits, comedian Paul Rodriguez, and musicians Sheila E and will.i.am, became part of the complex.

The sports cable channels of ESPN opened studios for live broadcasts from the ESPN West Coast Broadcast Center at L.A. LIVE. The LA Kings hockey team and LA Clippers basketball team play at LA Live.

Several restaurants are now open including the sports bar ESPN Zone, Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill, Starbucks, and others

Finally, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences and 54-storey architecturally distinctive JW Marriott Hotel high-rise will open in early 2010 as the final phase of the L.A. LIVE complex.

It is located at the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street. Parking on site accommodates all patrons and public transportation facilities are close by.

http://www.lalive.com

RC