Com2us, the company behind mobile games such as Summoners War and MLB 9 Innings, is on the move.
View of the Sunset Media Center in HollywoodCoStar via Cushman & Wakefield
This week, Cushman & Wakefield announced that Com2us is decamping from its home in El Segundo for the past decade to Kilroy Realty's Sunset Media Center, located at 6255 W. Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. The 12,000-square-foot space will house 150 employees.
Cushman & Wakefield executive managing director Greg Lovett represented Com2uS in the transaction, and indicated that Com2us will be just the second large game developer to set up shop in the Hollywood area, in lieu of cities such as Santa Monica, Culver City, or El Segundo.
California PlazaWikimedia Commons
Late last year, CIM Group announced that Sheppard Mullin would relocate to a nearly 120,000-square-foot space at California Plaza (a.k.a. City National 2CAL). Washington, D.C.-based architecture firm Studio Alliance announced this week that it will be designing the space, which will house nearly 500 employees, and was the largest Downtown Los Angeles office lease of 2023.
Passengers on an A Line train crossing the 101 Freeway in Downtown Los AngelesMetro
Despite what seems to be the general sentiment of some of the louder voices commenting on our Facebook page, Metro's ridership continues to rebound.
This week, the agency announced that it recorded nearly 285 million boardings on its buses and trains in 2023, an 11.6 percent increase over 2022 figures. That's the highest numbers since the pandemic, with some weekend days even exceeding pre-pandemic ridership figures.
Metro cites improved safety, due part to the Metro Ambassador program, for helping riders return to the system, as well as new programs which have capped fares and provided free rides for students. The agency also points to improved cleanliness and more frequent service across its rail lines for the increase in ridership.
“We’ve been working hard over the last couple of years to put people first and make our system cleaner, safer, more reliable and easier to use than ever before,” said Metro chief executive officer Stephanie Wiggins in a news release. “Because of all our improvements, Angelenos are increasingly making Metro their mode of choice to get to their favorite destinations, especially on weekends. We look forward to building on the success of 2023 and making 2024 an even better year for Angelenos and our agency.”
Rendering of hydrogen-powered trainsetCaltrans
This week, Caltrans announced a $127 million agreement with Stadler Rail, Inc. for for an additional six hydrogen-powered passenger trainsets, adding to an earlier order for four trainsets.
These trains, scheduled to enter revenue service in 2027, would be the first of their kind in North America.
Reactions on Twitter focused largely pointed out that there is a different type of electrification for rail which is already in widespread use throughout California.
Here's what we're reading this week:
Aerial view of Beverly Hills in 2017Urbanize LA
Beverly Hills in Crisis as Judge Mandates New Affordable Housing: “People Are Furious” "Beverly Hills’ ongoing failure to deliver a viable Housing Element blueprint has given hawkish real estate developers looking to build there, and build big, a rare opportunity. Without a housing blueprint blessed by the state, officials have unlocked the HAA’s full legal power and given developers a window to propose at least 14 tall residential buildings — structures widely loathed in Beverly Hills, where detached single-family homes and the well-to-do people living inside are the norm. Because these proposals reserve the required 20 percent of their units for lower income renters, the leadership in the city of Beverly Hills — aware of the optics of the situation and likely eager to appear compliant with state mandates — now seem to have little choice but to give these projects a green light." (Hollywood Reporter)
Firefighters launch campaign against Measure HLA, saying ‘road diets’ threaten safety "Measure HLA would mandate the installation of 200 miles of bus lanes — some operating 24 hours a day, others running only during rush hour — and more than 600 miles of bicycle lanes. If city crews conduct repairs over one-eighth of a mile on a particular street, then any Mobility Plan project envisioned for that stretch would need to be incorporated into the road work." (LA Times)
Oceanwide Plaza prior to the stop of constructionHunter Kerhart Architectural Photography
People ‘parachuting off' downtown LA graffiti-covered skyscraper, Mayor Bass says "Social media video shows at least one person paragliding from the vacant towers in Downtown LA." (NBC 4)
The Rise and Fall of Sugar Hill, Los Angeles "Formerly the wealthiest Black neighborhood in Los Angeles, construction of the 10 cut Sugar Hill in half in the 1960s." (Segregation by Design - YouTube)
Metro Report: MacArthur Park Station Music is Almost Loud Enough to Harm Employee Hearing "Metro measured MacArthur Park anti-homeless music at 79 decibels - roughly as loud as standing close to passing trucks and motorcycles" (Streetsblog LA)
A labor-Lyft brawl over e-bikes "The Los Angeles County Democratic Party, unionized bike share workers and the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor are lobbying to delay L.A. Metro’s proposal to transfer the county’s bike-share contract from current operator Bicycle Transit Systems to Lyft." (Politico)
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