CULVER CITY CA (November 30, 2020) — Hackman Capital Partners announced today that two beloved West Coast brands are celebrating new locations in time for the holidays at The Culver Steps, the real estate company’s transformative mixed-used development in downtown Culver City. Salt & Straw debuted its 1,250-square-foot ice cream shop at a Grand Opening on Thursday, November 19. Mendocino Farms will open its 3,000-square-foot sandwich shop on Wednesday, December 9.
“We’re thrilled to see these openings. Both retailers are best in class and are amazing additions to a remarkable project.”
Mike RacineHackman Capital’s Senior Vice President of Asset Management
The Culver Steps development features approximately 40,000 square feet of curated retail space, 80,000 square feet of creative office occupied by entertainment giant Amazon Studios, a 40,000-square-foot public plaza and two levels of underground parking—all in the Heart of Screenland, Los Angeles’ historic hub of television, movie and media production.
“Culver City is booming, especially now that the industry’s streaming platforms are scaling up,” said Racine. “More than a million square feet of new office development is nearly complete, including new campuses for HBO and Apple’s content division, both within blocks of The Culver Steps, as well as Amazon Studios at The Culver Studios which is right across the way.”
“The Culver Steps is at the center of the City’s unprecedented business growth, which means our retailers will be able to attract thousands of new daytime employees, in addition to existing residents, who will want new places to eat, shop and just hang out,” Racine continued.
The Culver Steps’ central downtown location—and the growth of Culver City, itself—have been big selling points of the mixed-use development. So has its unique park-like plaza.
“We have nearly an acre of outdoor space in the plaza, plus landscaped terraces with tables and chairs and lots of grassy areas, where people can throw down a blanket and enjoy the sunny LA weather,” said Racine.
Outdoor space is a big advantage to eateries, like Salt & Straw and Mendocino Farms—especially now, in a Covid-conscious world, where people are looking for open spaces to safely gather in small groups.
Mendocino also will offer a dedicated outdoor dining area with beer and wine, in addition to taking advantage of the public plaza. Both retailers will be following strict social distancing and sanitizing protocols.
“The Culver Steps is the perfect place for family and friends to plan an at-a-distance outing, and with Mendocino Farms and Salt & Straw, those outings can now include lunch, dinner and ice cream,” said Racine.
Salt & Straw and Mendocino Farms are on the tenant roster with Sephora, open since July; Philz Coffee, which anticipates opening the first quarter of next year; Core Power Yoga, which is offering outdoor classes on the elevated plaza, and Amazon Studios, which moved into its office space in June of 2019.
Despite pandemic-related challenges, The Culver Steps is continuing to garner strong interest from new tenants. “The activity is a testament to the strength of the project and the brands already located here. We look forward to more exciting announcement coming soon,” said Racine.
About The Culver Steps
Owned by an affiliate of Hackman Capital Partners, The Culver Steps is a dynamic 120,000-square-foot mixed-used development in downtown Culver City, located across from The Culver Studios, also a Hackman Capital property. The Culver Steps development features approximately 40,000 square feet of retail space, 80,000 square feet of creative office occupied by entertainment giant Amazon Studios, a 40,000-square-foot public plaza and two levels of underground parking.
The Culver Steps, which takes its name from the grand staircase that connects the ground-level plaza to an elevated pavilion, was designed by EYRC Architects. The landscaped stairs also double as amphitheater seating for outdoor events. SWA Group was the project’s landscape architect, and KPRS Construction served as the general contractor. IDS Real Estate Group is The Culver Steps’ property management firm, and Kennedy Wilson’s Lee Shapiro and Christine Deschaine continue to drive the project’s retail leasing efforts. For more information about The Culver Step, visit www.theculversteps.com.
