Creating An Urban Lifestyle In Culver City

Increasing walkability and new transit-oriented developments are helping shape the future of Culver City.

The city has helped spur economic development, but redevelopment can take a long time, according to Culver Community Development Director Sol Blumenfeld.

Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects partner Patti Rhee said her firm is enhancing the existing pedestrian traffic that is already downtown as part of the Culver Steps project.

The Culver Steps is a 115K SF project at 9300 Culver Blvd. It will include office, retail and a grand staircase leading up to a restaurant pavilion and a landscaped elevated plaza.

The firm is also looking to pay homage to monuments that are important to Culver City's history, including Culver Studios and the Culver Hotel.

Rhee said Culver City attracts a wide variety of people, including content creators and tech workers.

"It's a maker culture here with a lot of creatives," she said. "All of these things make Culver City a balanced place."

Runyon Group Chief Operating Officer Erin Mavian said her company has a unique approach to the retail it brings in by making the last 10% to 15% of its properties available for short-term leases.

"It gives us a great opportunity to bring in continually fresh brands and gives businesses the platform to try a new market or part of the world," Mavian said.

As far as housing in Culver City is concerned, Blumenfeld said the city is trying to encourage, wherever possible, tying in housing to transit because the city has found it does well where density is concerned.

Greystar's Access Culver City is one such development.

Just steps from the Metro Expo Line, it features studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments and three-bedroom townhouses.

It also has 31K SF of retail, according to Greystar Managing Director Perry Pound.