Expanding Horizons: Exploring UCLA's South Bay Villas and Strategic Growth
UCLA's strategic vision for growth and community engagement is rapidly taking shape, marked by significant acquisitions and expansions throughout the Los Angeles area. Among these key developments are the UCLA South Bay campus in Rancho Palos Verdes and the UCLA South Bay Villas in San Pedro. These acquisitions, along with the establishment of UCLA Downtown, signify a monumental shift for the university, addressing its land constraints and paving the way for future success.
Strategic Acquisitions: UCLA South Bay and Beyond
In a move to deepen its engagement with Los Angeles and expand access to education, UCLA has strategically acquired several properties in recent years. These include the UCLA South Bay campus in Rancho Palos Verdes and the UCLA South Bay Villas in San Pedro, acquired in September 2022, as well as the UCLA Downtown through the acquisition of the landmark Trust Building in June 2023.
The Acquisition of Marymount California University Properties
On Sept. 22, the University of California Regents approved UCLA’s proposal to acquire two properties from Marymount California University (MCU): the 24.5-acre main campus in Rancho Palos Verdes and an 11-acre residential site, The Villas, in San Pedro. This $80 million land acquisition, the largest in UCLA history, is poised to significantly expand UCLA’s presence and impact throughout Los Angeles County. Marymount California University ceased operations due to rising costs and declining enrollments, paving the way for UCLA to become the steward of this site and extend the tradition of teaching and learning there.
UCLA South Bay Villas: A Closer Look
The Villas, a fully operable student housing complex in San Pedro, features 86 townhouse-style units, offering more than 350 beds on approximately 11 acres of land. Each townhouse includes an attached garage and a private balcony. Community amenities include a guarded gate entry, a basketball court, a sand volleyball court, a swimming pool, a central pavilion, and a fitness center.
Academic Focus and Implementation
Inspired by the campus’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean and major port complexes, UCLA has established an academic focus on sustainability for the South Bay campus. This decision aligns with recommendations from the 2022-23 Joint Task Force on the Academic Mission of UCLA Campus Expansion. To advance this vision, a UCLA South Bay Implementation Committee has been charged with designing academic programs and ensuring the physical spaces are ready for use. This committee works alongside an academic implementation subcommittee comprising faculty, staff, students, and administrators.
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Integrating with Existing Infrastructure
The expansion strategy extends beyond acquiring new properties. UCLA is also focused on enhancing its existing infrastructure and optimizing space utilization. The Southwest Campus Apartments project exemplifies this approach. Incorporating more than 2600 students in 358 apartments, the Southwest Campus Apartments translates the Mission Revival tradition of Los Angeles’ Westwood and Brentwood areas to sensitively allow a dense grouping of three new mid-rise buildings on UCLA’s campus. By connecting to the existing student housing spaces further south, the Southwest Apartments provide enhanced student access to and from the main campus. The two and four-bedroom units are also uniquely able to flex between graduates and undergraduates with a simple furniture change.
Warren Plaza: The Heart of the Southwest Campus Apartments
The heart of the project is Warren Plaza: a series of interlinking courtyards, arcades, and paseos, including a 7,500 SF multipurpose room with a kitchen. The project replaced several outdated classroom and apartment spaces.
Innovative Construction and Site Management
Construction of the Southwest Campus Apartments presented unique challenges due to the tight site surface area and considerable project height. PCL utilized a variety of technological innovations including drones, 4D tower crane-mounted 360-degree cameras, and C-Below subsurface imaging to provide extant progress photos to the client. Drones continually calibrated survey data. 4D tower crane cameras were used to review field conditions by accessing a live 360-degree field of vision progress data. Site Logistics was also challenging due to the tight space. The solution called for a more traditional approach.
Real Estate Services and Management
UCLA Real Estate provides cost-effective professional real estate services for UCLA entities, continually improved to exceed customer expectations and fulfill fiduciary responsibilities to the University. The department assists campus users with off-campus leasing and real estate license agreements, third-party agreements for on-campus space, and coordinates purchases and sales of real property. In coordination with the Office of the President, the Real Estate Department is responsible for all acquisitions and dispositions for the campus.
Facility Use Agreements and Lease Administration
The Facility Use Agreement (FUA) is a short form real estate license agreement, a contract with specific terms and conditions for very limited use of a facility. A real estate license agreement gives the permission of the owner to an individual or an entity to use real property for a specific purpose. The Lease Administration team manages UCLA’s commercial leases and agreements, processing rent, operating expenses, tenant improvements, and miscellaneous payments.
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UCLA Downtown and the Trust Building
UCLA Downtown, anchored by the historic Trust Building, represents another significant expansion. UCLA teams are actively planning to determine office, meeting, classroom, and event space needs within the building. The UCLA Downtown Programming Board, commissioned by the EVCP’s Office and chaired by Professor Eric Avila, is guiding the use of building space. In November, the board initiated a Request for Proposals for space use in the UCLA Downtown building.
The UCLA Research Park and Westside Pavilion
UCLA is transforming the former Westside Pavilion into a state-of-the-art hub of innovation, the UCLA Research Park. This park will bring together academics, corporate partners, government agencies, and startups to explore new areas of inquiry and achieve breakthroughs that will serve society. It will house the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy at UCLA and UCLA’s Center for Quantum Science and Engineering.
Real Estate Transactions and Berkadia's Role
Berkadia played a key role in the sale of Marymount California University’s campus in Rancho Palos Verdes and The Villas in San Pedro to UCLA. Senior Managing Director Adrienne Barr of Berkadia Los Angeles and Senior Director Steffan Braunlich of Berkadia El Segundo completed the $80 million sale on behalf of MCU.
Strategic Plan Alignment
These acquisitions align with the goals outlined in UCLA’s 2023-28 Strategic Plan, particularly the objective of deepening engagement with Los Angeles. By establishing a more expansive presence within L.A., UCLA is positioning itself for continued success and growth.
Immediate Use and Future Plans
While long-term plans for the South Bay properties are still underway, UCLA has already utilized the spaces to host a summer Student Leadership Academy and other events. This immediate use demonstrates UCLA’s commitment to maximizing the value of these new assets.
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