We have exciting news for West Los Angeles, Rancho Park and Cheviot Hills especially! UCLA has purchased the old Westside Pavilion mall property and will develop it into a research park. 

The acquisition includes the west side of the property that used to house The Landmark movie theater and the Westside Tavern restaurant. It's wonderful news for the neighborhood and we anticipate it will make homes in the area even more valuable.

The location is 2 miles from the Westwood campus and 700,000 square feet. The research park will house the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy at UCLA and the UCLA Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, as well as other programs.

What about Google?

We're not sure what this means for Google - whether the tech giant will now lease office space from UCLA or if Google has gotten out of its lease or if Google is donating its lease. We'll let you know as soon as we do.

According to a press release from UCLA, Google — which previously leased part of the property — helped enable and support UCLA’s acquisition. Favorable real estate market conditions helped create the historic opportunity for the university as well.

“We’re delighted that UCLA will be further developing this state-of-the-art facility to help accelerate transformative research and innovation,” said Scott Foster, Google’s vice president of real estate and workplace services. “Google has called the greater Los Angeles area home for over 20 years, and we saw an opportunity for the space to be better utilized in a way that benefits the broader community.”

photo courtesy of the office of Governor Gavin Newsom

Governor Gavin Newson announced a $500 million investment from the state of California, with $200 million already allocated, during a press conference yesterday.

“California is the epicenter of global innovation — from the creation of the internet to the dominance of artificial intelligence, humanity’s future happens here first,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “Leveraging the next waves of technology and science — quantum computing and the immense potential of immunology — the UCLA Research Park will cement California’s global economic, scientific and technological dominance into the 22nd century, and beyond.”

The California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy is also supported by a group of founding donors led by Meyer Luskin, Dr. Gary Michelson, Dr. Eric Esrailian, Dr. Arie Belldegrun, Sean Parker and Michael Milken, according to a UCLA press release.

“The California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy has the potential to reshape the future of science and medicine,” said the institute’s founding donors. “We are proud to join UCLA, UC President Drake, Gov. Newsom and the state Legislature in helping make California a world leader in decoding the still-mysterious workings of the human immune system and translating breakthrough discoveries into lifesaving immunotherapies. Launching a research park that joins biosciences with quantum science and engineering — as well as other emerging technologies, like next-generation artificial intelligence — is a once-in-a-generation event, and we are honored to be a part of it all.”

The acquisition caps a multiyear effort by Dr. John Mazziotta, vice chancellor for health sciences and CEO of UCLA Health, to establish the institute at UCLA and provide it with leading-edge facilities.

“UCLA’s goal is to build the immunology equivalent of Silicon Valley in Los Angeles,” said Mazziotta. “Given the university’s expertise and state-of-the-art facilities, we are expecting to attract the world’s best scientists in immunology and immunotherapy, as well as top students.”

The institute will draw on the expertise of UCLA faculty members, scholars from different higher education institutions, and other leading scientists and practitioners in clinical and biomedical scientific research, including human genetics, genomics, computer science, engineering and information science. Researchers will pursue new tools, treatments and vaccines for cancer, autoimmune and immune deficiency disorders, infectious diseases, allergies, heart conditions, solid organ transplantation and other major health-related issues.

“This acquisition will be absolutely transformative for UCLA, our great city and the world. Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Legislature helped make this possible through a generous state investment, and we are deeply thankful for their support,” said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block. “We will remake the empty former mall into a state-of-the-art hub of research and innovation that will bring scholars from different higher education institutions, corporate partners, government agencies and startups together to explore new areas of inquiry and achieve breakthroughs that will serve our global society.”

The Westside Pavilion's decline and rebirth

The Westside Pavilion was a hub for shoppers, a popular filming location for television and movies, and a hangout for teenagers since it opened in  1985. Neighbors will remember buying books at the three-level Barnes and Noble, catching an art film at the popular Landmark Theatre and having a special family dinner at the Westside Tavern. Over the past decade, the Westside Pavilion suffered from a decline alongside other indoor malls across the country, leaving storefronts largely empty.

“We recognize the former Westside Pavilion’s place in L.A.’s history and are grateful for the chance to turn the empty former mall into the future home of discoveries that will change the world,” Block said.

UCLA acquired the property and the attached multiplex theater — occupying 10800, 10830 and 10850 W. Pico Blvd. — from Hudson Pacific Properties and Macerich. The companies redeveloped a significant portion of the former mall, updating building systems infrastructure and conducting a major seismic retrofit, as well as adding a new window wall, concrete building facades, courtyards, terraces and patio areas. Hudson Pacific Properties and Macerich also worked closely with Google on converting part of the property to flexible office space.

“With its acquisition and exciting plans for a research park, UCLA will continue to transform this incredible property in ways that serve Los Angeles and the world,” said Victor Coleman, chairman and CEO of Hudson Pacific. “We look forward to working together post-acquisition on the continued redevelopment of the property to help UCLA realize its full vision for the site.”

The property is easily accessible by a number of public transportation lines, including the Westwood/Rancho Park Metro station, which connects directly to downtown. It is also minutes away from UCLA’s Westwood campus by bus, which will help facilitate travel to and from the site by faculty, staff and students.

What does UCLA buying the old Westside Pavilion mean for the surrounding neighborhood?

Sean answers this question in the video below. The short answer is that it's great news for West LA.

All quotes and some text were provided by a UCLA Newsroom press release. If you'd like more information about the neighborhood, please feel free to give us a call at 310-470-2030 or email [email protected].