Downtown LA’s Arts District is experiencing a real estate boom.
“This is one of the hottest development markets in the country,” said Nick Griffin, executive director of the Downtown Center Business Improvement District.
“There are many sites that are surface parking lots or single-story warehouses, which can easily be developed,” he said.
The mixed-use Row DTLA is an example of a thriving mix of offices, retail stores and restaurants. “It’s a real success story right there,” Griffin said. “It anchors the southern part of the Arts District in a way that will continue to shape the future of the Arts District.
Today, as you will see on the following pages, a wide variety of properties are being developed in the area, from multi-family to office to studio spaces.
— Michael Aushenker
Within this Section:
5 Questions With Lowe’s Tom Wulf
BY THE NUMBERS-Arts District
office
- INVENTORY: 2.4 million square feet
- CHILD in vacancy: 22%
- ASKING RENT: $3.60 per square foot
- UNDER CONSTRUCTION: 168,000 square feet
- YEAR TO PRESENT BURNING POINT: -30,000 square feet
- PROPOSED: 2.5 million square feet
BIG FAMILY
- INVENTORY: 2,166 units
- Vacancy CHILD: 5.5%
- ASKING RENT: $3,028 per unit
- UNDER CONSTRUCTION: 475
- YEAR TO CURRENT UNITS AWARDED: 0
- YEAR TO PRESENT UNITS OPERATED: – 48
- PROPOSED: 4,357 units
GOOD PROJECT
ALMOST 
location: 520 Mateo St.
DESCRIPTION: When completed, Alloy will be the first high-rise in the Arts District. The mixed-use, 35-story tower will have 475 apartment units, 105,000 square feet of office space and more than 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.
DEVELOPER: Carmel Partners
ARCHITECT: Hunter Kerhart
ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: 2027
AVA ARTS DISTRICT 
LOCATION: 668 S. Alameda St.
DESCRIPTION: AVA will be a seven-story, low-rise residential building with 475 apartments over 61,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.
DEVELOPER: Avalon Bay Communities
ARCHITECT: AC Martin
ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: Q3 2023
ON TRACTION 
LOCATION: 800-810 Traction Ave.
DESCRIPTION: A $20 million historic property on Traction Avenue has been repurposed to create a creative office building. The project will include 63,100 square feet of office space and 16 apartment units.
DEVELOPER: Livrk Kotzer
watched COMPLETION DATE: Q2 2023
EAST END STUDIOS – ADLA CAMPUS 
LOCATION: 1338 E. 6th St. and 1321 Wholesale St.
DESCRIPTION: The $800 million project will create 321,250 square feet of studio space on 16 soundstages, 292,310 square feet of office space and 106,570 square feet of production support facilities.
DEVELOPER: East End Studios
ARCHITECT: Grimshaw
COMPLETION DATE: that
