Exclusive Q&A: Mar Ventures' Director Of Acquisitions & Development On Silicon Beach
The popularity of Silicon Beach continues to pull in tech companies, but what is next for Silicon Beach? Mar Ventures director of acquisitions and development Lionel Uhry recently talked to Bisnow about what he thinks Silicon Beach is lacking.
Here's Uhry with his daughter, Jules, and his wife, Stacey (and Sandy, the family dog).
Bisnow: What types of developments are you looking forward to Silicon Beach getting in the future?
Lionel Uhry: I’d like to see Silicon Beach continue to get more high-density residential. Bringing down housing costs in high-demand coastal areas will continue to be key in attracting and retaining employees that major creative tenants compete for. There are already starting to be alternatives like downtown LA that are beginning to offer culture and housing.
Bisnow: What do you think is missing in Silicon Beach?
Uhry: As crazy as it might sound, I think it needs more housing. As mentioned previously, housing costs in the area are getting very high. The higher they get, the more danger there is of companies choosing other locations to meet employee needs.
Bisnow: Why do you think companies are so attracted to Silicon Beach and what it has to offer?
Uhry: Silicon Beach is attractive because it is a community at the vanguard of culture, and that has real value to companies. The difference between MySpace and Facebook, or Snapchat and Twitter, is based in part on the “cool” factor. It’s important to be on the cutting edge of innovation and the popular zeitgeist if you want to grow quickly and stay on top, and the culture of Silicon Beach is the perfect place to do it. The beach, the arts, the youth, the money, the glamour; it’s all been mixed together into a perfectly blended artisanal cocktail that is hard to resist.
Bisnow: What current/new projects are you excited about or happy to see on Silicon Beach?
Uhry: I am clearly excited about our own Del Rey Crossing project. It will feature 155k SF of creative office space in three two-story buildings situated around an amenity rich, approximately 1.5-acre outdoor common area that provides for intimate indoor-outdoor work environments and collaborative spaces.
Bisnow: What do you like to do outside of the office in your spare time?
Uhry: I enjoy going to art galleries, traveling with my family and spending some quality time with a glass of bourbon and SportsCenter.
Join Uhry and our other panelists starting at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 31 for the Bisnow Evolution of Silicon Beach event at the Univision Group Building.
