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LOS ANGELES-Greenland USA has completed and revealed the phase I plans and renderings of the Metropolis site, a $1 billion skyscraper in Downtown Los Angeles. The phase I plans include a 19-floor, 350-room hotel and a 38-floor residential tower with studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments. Construction is expected to launch within the next few months and will be complete in mid-2016.

The phase 1 renderings were revealed at a ground breaking ceremony on Friday. Los Angeles-based architecture and design firm Gensler designed the building exterior, while SPAN Architecture will design the interior space for the first phase. AECOM affiliate Tishman Construction is leading the construction of the development with Turner Construction as the general contractor. Take a look at the unveiled renderings below.

The Greenland Group is the largest diversified real estate company in China and a globally ranked Fortune 500 company. This project marks the company's first US investment. "Greenland USA is pleased to join the Downtown Los Angeles community and to make one of the largest investments in Downtown in recent history," says Ifei Chang, Greenland US Holding president and CEO. "Our company has the experience, expertise and leadership to promote the dynamic, urban lifestyle that is growing in Downtown Los Angeles. We look forward to making an immediate impact on its continued revitalization."

As GlobeSt.com reported in an earlier story, Greenland purchased the Metropolis site from a joint venture between IDS Real Estate Group and an institutional pension fund for an undisclosed amount in a deal that closed on January 31. The site is on 6.33 acres in the Central Business District that is entitled for 1.65 million square feet of development space. Once complete, it will be one of the largest mixed-use complexes on the West Coast. The final project will include retail and office space in addition to the hotel and multifamily plans revealed.

In December, Greenland USA made its second US development, a 22-acre mixed-use project in Brooklyn, NY called Atlantic Yards.

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