Design
Was Monday's Fire in Downtown L.A. an 'Architectural Hate Crime'?
The destroyed building was to be the latest mega-complex by a detested local developer.
"I’m not saying I think someone burned down Geoff Palmer’s building on purpose. All I’m saying is I wouldn’t be surprised."
That's how Stephen Corwin, creator of CityGrows and self-proclaimed "urban development nerd" responded to the fire that engulfed a 1.3 million square-foot apartment building in downtown Los Angeles early Monday morning. While flames were extinguished within 90 minutes and no injuries were reported, two nearby city administrative buildings and freeway signage suffered damage. And the wood and stucco mega-complex, still under construction, was completely destroyed.