New details for proposed Arts District office tower at 1811 E. Sacramento Street

An initial study published late last month by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning sheds more light on plans from Skanska USA for a new office tower just north of the I-10 Freeway in the Downtown Arts District.

The project at 1811 E. Sacramento Street, announced in late 2022, would rise from an approximately 1.84-acre property located one block to the east of Alameda Street, replacing three existing warehouses. Plans call for the construction of a new 15-story building which would feature roughly 277,700 square feet of offices - including 232,500 square feet of interior space and 45,200 square feet of exterior covered space - above 13,200 square feet of combined retail and restaurant space and podium parking for 582 vehicles.

Perkins&Will is designing 1811 Sacramento Street, which is depicted in renderings as a modern high-rise structure incorporating with interior courtyards and terrace decks. Magenta-colored aluminum louvers would wrap the exterior of the structure, which would stand approximately 232 feet in height.

The project, per the initial study, is being designed as one of the city's first net zero carbon office buildings, employing natural ventilation and exterior shading to minimize energy use.

Construction of the tower is expected to occur over a roughly 31-month period, although a precise start date is not stated. Work on 1811 Sacramento would first require the approval of entitlements including a general plan amendment and a zone change.

While the overall office market in Los Angeles has struggled in the aftermath of the pandemic, marquee companies such as Warner Music Group and Spotify have raised the profile of the Arts District among media and entertainment firms. Several similar projects have already been planned or approved nearby in the Arts District, including new developments from Onni Group, Jade Enterprises, Tishman Speyer, and Hines. Likewise, the neighborhood has attracted interest from developers of soundstages and production facilities, with three projects planned along Alameda Street's intersections with 6th, 7th, and 8th Streets.

Skanska, which better known for its construction business, has already made investments in L.A. area office buildings, including a recently-completed project at 9000 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, and another proposed down the street at 8633 Wilshire.

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• 1811 E. Sacramento Street (Urbanize LA)