Adaptive Reuse: Can It Save Post-Pandemic Los Angeles?

7:45 am – 9:30 am
7:45 am – Registration & Light Breakfast
8:15 am – Panel Discussion

Four years after the onset of the pandemic and the resulting work-from-home trend, the office market in Los Angeles continues to experience significant challenges with increased vacancy, sluggish leasing, and financially burdened ownership. This market disruption has hollowed out many commercial centers that were traditionally reliant on office workers, resulting in decreased foot traffic and the shuttering of restaurant and retail establishments. Many policy experts have suggested that the rejuvenation of commercial centers requires the reinvention of office centers into mixed-use districts with round-the-clock activation.

In order to achieve this, it has been suggested that lightly used office buildings could be converted into residential space, providing a much-needed boost in activity. In response, the City of Los Angeles has released a proposed Adaptive Reuse Ordinance that is intended to encourage these conversions. A similar measure was adopted in Downtown Los Angeles and helped to usher in the boom of residential development that occurred in the neighborhood in the ensuing two decades. However, few office-to-residential conversions have been successfully executed in recent years, and experts in the field have commented that there are significant financial, engineering, and policy challenges that stand in the way of a meaningful wave of residential conversions.

Does the City’s proposed ordinance do enough to overcome these challenges? Are there other converted uses that have a higher chance of success? And how does the environmental benefit of preserving the embodied carbon in existing office buildings come into play?

Join the Westside Urban Forum as a panel of experts in the development, design, and public policy fields break down these complex issues. This event aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities of office conversion while discussing the path forward for conversion.

Moderator
Adrian Scott Fine – President and CEO, Los Angeles Conservancy

Panelists
Holly Harper, AIA – Planning Assistant, Urban Design Studio, Los Angeles City Planning
Matthew Wister – Studio Director/Senior Associate, Studio One Eleven
Rachelle Habchi, M.S., P.E. – Project Engineer & Director of Sustainability, Glotman Simpson Structural Engineers

Registration Fees
$50 Members
$65 Non-Members
$10 Student Members & Retired Members
$15 Student Non-Members & Retired Non-Members

Pre-registration closes on Wednesday, May 15th. After Wednesday, May 15th, onsite registration will be available at the cost of an additional $10. No refunds or credits will be provided after this day.

Directions
Avoid the stress of rush hour and skip traffic! The Helms Design Center at 8745 Washington Blvd in Culver City is conveniently located a short, pleasant walk from a number of transit lines, including:

Metro Rail “E” (Expo) Line Culver City Station (1 block west at Washington and National Blvds), and

Culver City Bus “1” and “1C1” lines (at the adjacent Washington Blvd/Helms Avenue street corner).

Protected bike lanes along Washington Blvd. connecting to Culver City’s larger bike lane network also provide a convenient, safe way to get to the Design Center.

For those who choose to drive, parking is available throughout the Helms Bakery complex. Please note that the garage at 8711 Washington is no longer available for use.

Click Here for the Helms Bakery District Parking Map

Sponsor Provided Tickets
Thanks to the generosity of our annual Sponsors, WUF has a small number of free tickets available to members of the community. If you are not able to join as a member or purchase a ticket for this month’s panel presentation, but would like to join us, please write us at info@westsideurbanforum to inquire if we have any remaining sponsor provided tickets.