A few days ago, while doing what most Angelenos do best, i.e., drive the LA freeways, I was struck by this scene. Because I was crawling along at the speed of typical LA traffic, I was able to easily snap this shot of what I found so compelling: the amount of construction going on right now in “DTLA” – the heart of the downtown LA area.
It’s becoming a more familiar scene to us locals, but I’d like the world to know that DTLA is undergoing a major transformation right now. Long ridiculed for the void where most metropolitan areas boast a thriving downtown scene, that is simply no longer the case in Los Angeles. It’s an exciting time to be working in the area and to witness the resurgence of a thriving city hub. It makes for an ever-changing city-scape, wonderful new projects for Giroux – as well as fun new places to check out after work hours.
Yes, part of it is a reflection of the upbeat economic times, but part of it reflects the healthy state of the construction industry in general. Dodge Data & Analytics (2014) reported that nonresidential building this year will climb 14%, helped by the additional growth for commercial building and a surge of energy-related manufacturing plants, along with an increase in institutional construction contributing to the growth of the nonresidential sector. Better yet, Dodge forecasts that total 
construction will climb 9% overall, with a surge of 8% growth for nonresidential building and 13 % for residential construction. (source: “2015 Dodge Construction Outlook,” Copyright 2014 Dodge Data & Analytics.)
It’s wonderful to read such optimistic reports –they certainly validate my suspicions of this surge. I consider myself more a visual than a numbers person, however, and believe that every picture tells a story. The story here is that building is booming, and I’m thrilled to see it with my own eyes, all around me, and in the neighborhood where Giroux Glass is located.
ANSWER: A close look at the photo reveals a total of six cranes, all within a few blocks of one another.