Construction giant Skanska has long been known for its work on infrastructure projects across the world - including the Metro's Expo and Purple Line extension.  Now, the company is expanding into Los Angeles area real estate.

Yesterday, Skanska announced the start of construction of a 46,000-square-foot office building at 9000 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.  The project, which the Swedish-based company acquired in late 2019, is its first development in the Los Angeles area.

“Demand for newly developed offices in Beverly Hills far outpaces available space," said Skanska Executive Vice President Clare De Briere in a prepared statement.  "9000 Wilshire will provide an opportunity for a tenant to find its new home in this storied neighborhood, among a diverse cluster of global companies across technology, entertainment, media, finance and more.”    

The $65-million project, which replaces two small commercial buildings, is being designed by architect Neil M. Denari and HLW.  Plans call for a four-story building which would include floor-to-ceiling glass on its exterior, as well as a 11,000-square-foot rooftop deck which feeds into a penthouse level.  The building's exterior will also include a green wall on its second level, as well as a mural.

The building is being designed to obtained LEED Platinum Certification, and will incorporate additional safety features such as elevator dispatching and interior airflow controls to account for the risks of COVID-19.

Completion is expected in the third quarter of 2022, according to a news release distributed by Skanska.

The project site will be located midway between new Metro stations now under construction at Wilshire's intersections with La Cienega and Rodeo Drive, as well as a new condo development taking shape at 9200 Wilshire and a proposed hotel at Gibraltar Square office complex.

Skanska recently acquired a second property in Downtown's Arts District - a 76,000-square-foot site at 1811 Sacramento Street - which it hopes ot develop with a 13-story office building.  Construction for that project is set to occur between 2023 and 2025.