Joining the rush to develop hotels around L.A. Live and the Convention Center, L.A. city officials on Friday announced a request for proposals for another hotel at the corner of Pico Boulevard and Figueroa Street.

The proposal sent out on Thursday calls for a four-star or boutique hotel on city-owned parcels across from the Convention Center and next to a Metro Blue Line transit station.

“A developer with vision for downtown’s ongoing revitalization and a demonstrated ability to deliver large-scale hotel projects has an excellent opportunity here,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember José Huizar, whose district includes the site in downtown’s South Park neighborhood.

Huizar said a new convention hotel on the site will also help the city get closer to the 5,000 additional hotel rooms needed downtown to entice organizations to book some of the large conventions that now go to Las Vegas, San Diego and other cities.

About 1,685 hotel rooms are within half a mile of the center. In comparison, the San Francisco Convention Center area has more than 19,000 rooms and the San Diego Convention Center area has more than 8,000 rooms.

There are several hotels already being developed downtown. American Life Inc. of Seattle and Williams/Dame & Associates of Portland, Ore., are developing dual 23-story Courtyard and Residence Inn hotels. The $172 million complex will feature nearly 400 rooms and be operated by Marriott International Inc.

Boutique operator Ace Hotel also has plans to open a 180-room hotel in the United Artists Theater building at Broadway and Ninth Street. And the closed Wilshire Grand Hotel is being demolished and replaced with a 900-room tower.