California population rebound, L.A. state of the city, and more

Co-working took a beating after the onset of the pandemic, but it seems to be bouncing back on L.A.'s Westside.

Watt Plaza announced this week that Industrious has leased a full floor at its north tower at 1875 Century Park East in Century City, accounting for 19,000 square feet of new space. That is in addition to Industrious' existing two-floor, 40,000-square-foot footprint within the building, which is billed as one of its most successful locations in the United States.

The expansion is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Industrious is also setting up new outposts at two other locations on the Westside. Commercial Observer reports that the New York-based company has leased 44,000 square feet from Douglas Emmett in Westwood and Santa Monica.

Farmshop, a market and restaurant concept which began nearly 15 years ago at the Brentwood Country Mart, is coming to Downtown Los Angeles.

Row DTLA announced this week that Farmshop has leased 20,000 square feet of space at 7th and Alameda Streets, including 15,000 square feet for a bakery and 5,000 square feet of offices.

Do you live in Hollywood but can't afford an Equinox membership? Good news - you'll soon have a cheaper option across the street.

An empty retail space at 1535 N. Vine Street which was most recently occupied by Kabuki is being converted into a 12,746-square-foot Planet Fitness, according to an application submitted to the L.A. Department of City Planning.

Here's what we're reading this week:

L.A. cuts tentative deal to provide $15 million to spare Chinatown tenants from steep rent hikes "The new agreement would effectively scuttle efforts by tenant advocates to have the city acquire Hillside Villa using eminent domain, the legal process used by government agencies to force property owners to sell." (LA Times)

Will Downtown LA Make A Comeback? A Longtime Resident Is Betting On It "One longtime resident and business owner of downtown is betting on that revitalization — and trying to do his part, one small business (block) at a time." (LAist)

Dodgers fans react to LA ART gondola proposal "But by the year 2028, Barrera could potentially get to Chavez Ravine by air. That’s if the LA Aerial Rapid Transit project, also known as the Dodger Stadium Gondola system, is approved for construction....The project is currently stalled in City Hall, as council members wait to consider the results of a Dodger Stadium traffic study, before taking the project up for a vote." (Spectrum)

How do we get there from here "What happened to 28 by 28 is what's happening to a lot of LA's Olympic-related goals at the moment: a flashy announcement got a lot of attention yet had no strategy to actually make it happen" (Torched LA)

Controversial landlord wants to buy six more troubled Skid Row properties "A half dozen properties that are owned by a failed Skid Row landlord should be sold to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the court-ordered receiver overseeing the buildings said, despite the Hollywood-based nonprofit’s problematic history of operating low-income housing." (LA Times)

Mayor Bass says L.A. ‘cannot afford to accept’ homelessness crisis, during State of the City address "The Mayor touched on several issues impacting the story, including the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics. Bass also spoke about the homelessness crisis, the tragic accident on the 101 Freeway that claimed the life of a Los Angeles Fire Department recruit, and more." (KTLA)

LAX’s People Mover Is Delayed Yet Again. We Looked Into The Reasons Why "The report from Fitch says the current delay stems from disagreements between Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and the contractor building the train, LINXS." (LAist)

Column: California’s population is on the rise. So much for the claims of the state’s demise "The new data will show that California’s population, as of Jan. 1, has again climbed above 39 million, Schwarm said." (LA Times)

Automated Enforcement Coming Soon to a Bus Lane Near You "Metro is already installing on-bus cameras. Soon comes testing, outreach, then warning tickets. Wilshire/5th/6th and La Brea will be the first bus routes in the bus lane enforcement program." (Streetsblog LA)

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