Across the street from the sprawling Chevron oil refinery in El Segundo, construction is underway for the initial component of a new office campus in the Smoky Hollow District.
The project, called the Standard Works Campus, spans roughly six-acre block bounded by El Segundo Boulevard, Franklin Avenue, and Oregon Street. Current construction on the campus is confined to the intersection of Franklin and Oregon, where the steel frame of a new three-story office building is now taking shape. Plans call for 60,000 square feet of offices and research space on its upper floors, with 20,000 square feet of retail at its ground level.
Construction at Oregon and FranklinUrbanize LA
Balian Architects is designing the under construction building, as well as the surrounding campus, which will retain the exteriors of several brick industrial buildings dating to the 1950s. The additions to the complex are all depicted in conceptual renderings as contemporary steel-frame structures.
The Standard Works Campus is being developed as a joint venture between Smoky Hollow Industries and LIMO, LP, which had originally sought to complete construction of the new building in mid-2020. A full buildout of their project would ultimately consist of roughly 200,000 square feet of offices and commercial space - including a 30,000-square-foot building facing El Segundo Boulevard which has already opened.
The project is the result of a recent move by the City of El Segundo to rezone the surrounding area - known as Smoky Hollow - to promote the construction of new offices and retail uses, while retaining many of its existing brick structures. The neighborhood, which was named for the smoke that once billowed into the area from the neighboring oil refinery, was originally developed with businesses that support the operations of the refinery, and later evolved to host companies in the aerospace industry.
Aerial view of the Standard Works CampusBalian Architects
"This mix of unique old and new eclectic buildings is enticing to prospective creative and knowledge-based businesses across many industries," reads a description of the Standard Works campus from the Balian Architects website. "The lively and pedestrian friendly creative atmosphere of Standard Works will contribute to the ongoing Smoky Hollow transformation to an incubator district and major economic force in the city."
Even as the Standard Works Campus expands, at least one tenant is departing for another part of El Segundo. Earlier this year, it was announced that Beyond Meat has signed a 280,000-square-foot lease at Hackman Capital's 888 Douglas campus, increasing the company's footprint from its existing home in the Smoky Hollow District.
