Lendlease JV Tops Out LA Mixed-Use Project

Joint venture partners Lendlease and Aware Super have topped out Habitat, a two-building mixed-use development in Los Angeles. The project features a 12-story multifamily building with 260 units and a six-story office building with retail space.

The transit-oriented development has been under construction since 2023. Lendlease and Aware paid $92 million for the 3.5-acre development site in 2020. At the time, the project was estimated at $600 million. The developers secured $316 million in construction financing in August from Barings and Counterpointe Sustainable Real Estate, including C-PACE financing for Habitat’s sustainable elements, according to Commercial Property Executive.

Located at 3401 S. La Cienega Blvd., Habitat is next to the LA Metro’s La Cienega/Jefferson Station in Baldwin Hills. The 454,000-square-foot project, situated on a 3.5-acre site, will have 253,000 square feet of creative office space, 2,900 square feet of retail and restaurant space and parking for more than 700 vehicles.

Habitat, which is expected to be net zero carbon in construction and operations, will include 64 electric vehicle parking spots and 222 bike parking spaces.

Residential component highlights

The luxury residential building is slated for completion in early 2026 and will have a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom layouts. It will have 22 units of low-income affordable housing and seven workforce units, according to Urbanize Los Angeles.

Habitat’s residential design will focus on healthy and sustainable living with ample access to outdoor space along with hospitality- and wellness-inspired amenities. The all-electric building will have an onsite 124kW solar array. It will have no gas service for heating, cooking or other activities in the residences or office space. The buildings will also feature natural ventilation and lower-carbon concrete.

Lendlease is targeting LEED Gold for the residential building. It also is aiming to make the commercial building the first new-construction creative office development in Los Angeles to achieve LEED Platinum.

Creative office details

Located on the eastern side of the campus, the creative office building will cater to entertainment and media businesses in the area near Culver City. Designed by  SHoP Architects, with commercial interiors by A+I and Steinberg Hart as executive architect, Habitat’s 50,000-square-foot floor plates will have 14-foot floor-to-ceiling heights. It will feature abundant natural light and allow for the construction of outdoor terraces for tenant use.

The Habitat office space design will also include biophilic elements such as folding glass wall on the outdoor terraces to enhance the indoor-outdoor connection and expand meeting and gathering spaces. Other office amenities will include a lobby with niches for gathering, a fitness center and locker rooms with showers for cyclist commuters.

Downtown Los Angeles is about 8 miles northeast from the development and Los Angeles International Airport is 7 miles southwest.

NY sustainable project

Lendlease and Aware Super, one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, have teamed together on another sustainable multifamily development. In September, the joint venture partners topped out 1 Java St., a two-tower, 834-unit, mixed-income property in Brooklyn, N.Y. Completion of the $865 million development is expected in 2026.

The property will have two towers—one with 36 stories and the second with 20 stories. It will offer a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and townhouses and include approximately 13,000 square feet of retail space. About 30 percent of the units will be affordable.

Upon completion, 1 Java St. is expected to be the largest residential geothermal building in the State of New York, as well as one of the largest in the U.S. Both the Los Angeles and New York properties align with Lendlease’s’ Mission Zero, aiming to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2025 and absolute zero by 2040 through green building practices.