The Westside Pavilion shopping mall has yet to complete its highly-anticipated transformation into office space, but its developers have already secured a tenant for the property.
Hudson Pacific Properties and Macerich announced today that Google, Inc. has leased the entirety of the 584,000-square-foot office campus, which is to be called One Westside. The 14-year lease is to commence upon the completion of construction and tenant improvement in 2022.
Victor Coleman, Chairman and CEO of Hudson Pacific Properties, said in a statement, “We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Google, and are proud to support this significant phase of their growth. Google’s selection of One Westside demonstrates the strength of the Los Angeles tech and media industries, and exemplifies the type of creative office space that is in demand from large tech and media tenants.”
The project, designed by Gensler, repurposes the landmark shopping center’s high ceilings and multi-level atrium to create a light-filled interior. The three-story structure features up to 150,000-square-foot floor plates, with spaces that open onto large outdoor terraces through folding glass walls. Plans also call for a rooftop amenity deck with a garden deck. Project costs have previously been stated as being between $425 million and $475 million.
One Westside will retain access to the remaining retail space at the Westside Pavilion, including the Landmark Theatre, through an existing pedestrian bridge over Westwood Boulevard.
The project at Pico Boulevard and Westwood is targeting LEED Silver Certification. It is located a short walk north of the Expo Line’s Westwood/Rancho Park Station.
Hudson Pacific Properties and Macerich announced a joint venture to redevelop the Westside Pavilion in March 2018, following the nadir of the shopping center’s decline. After Nordstrom’s and Macy’s relocated and shuttered their stores respectively, leaving the mall without an anchor tenant, Hudson Pacific bought a 75 percent ownership stake from Macerich and put forth plans to convert the property to office space. The two companies will retain a smaller 96,000 square feet of shops and restaurants across from One Westside, located at 10850 Pico Boulevard.
The lease also underscores Google’s bold expansion plans in the Los Angeles area. The Mountain View-based company recently completed a nearly 300,000-square-foot office at the historic Spruce Goose hangar in Playa Vista, where its subsidiary YouTube has long had a footprint, and also owns 12 acres of adjoining land. While plans have yet to be announced for that currently vacant site, the property is currently entitled for the construction of approximately 900,000 square feet of office space.
Other tech giants, including Amazon and Apple, have taken substantial leases in the Culver City area to house the operations of their studio and content divisions.
Source: Urbanize LA