With a fast-growing and dynamic economy, the city of Los Angeles is attractive for businesses and for residents. L.A.’s indisputable draw has led to the growing popularity of projects that combine residential and commercial uses to accommodate both sectors and maximize space. Thus the need for professional and experienced mixed-use contractors who can efficiently combine more than one market in a building has increased. Successful mixed-use projects need careful planning and execution to ensure that these buildings will accommodate the needs of clients and deliver the best results.
We searched hundreds of contractors to come up with this list of the best mixed-use contractors in Los Angeles. These contractors have built some of the most notable mixed-use buildings that successfully incorporate two or more sectors in one establishment. We evaluated these builders based on the industry awards they have received, the number of projects they have built in the area, their affiliations, and the outstanding projects they have constructed in Los Angeles.
AECOM
1999 Avenue of the Stars Suite #2600, Los Angeles, CA 90067
One of the nation’s leading infrastructure firms, AECOM is a Los Angeles-based global company established in 1990. The company was founded by a handful of employees from design and engineering companies who shared a dream of creating an industry-leading firm dedicated to making the world a better place. This Fortune 500 firm employs 87,000 professionals across seven continents. AECOM earned revenues of approximately $20.2 billion during the fiscal year 2018, as well as a laundry list of awards, including the Institution of Structural Engineers Supreme Award, the Environmental Business Journal Industry Leadership Award, and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) LA Design Award.
In partnership with Lowe , AECOM-Canyon Partners Capital constructed Ivy Station, a large-scale mixed-use development located in Culver City. The 5.2-acre development will feature 200 apartments, 50,000 square feet of ground floor retail and restaurant space, two acres of publicly accessible outdoor space, and 1,500 below-grade parking spaces, 300 of which will be dedicated for use by Metro transit riders. This property is adjacent to the Los Angeles Metro Expo Line of Culver City, which connects to the Westside by rail to Downtown LA, Hollywood, the South Bay, Long Beach, and Pasadena.
Bernards
555 First St., San Fernando, CA 91340
Founded in 1974, Los Angeles-based Bernards was established by Doug, Greg, and Jeff Bernards. Driven by a passion for building, these three brothers combined their knowledge and expertise to form the company. Since then the firm has built a vast portfolio of projects in various markets including education, retail, multifamily, mixed-use, entertainment, healthcare, hospitality, and civic sectors. The company is currently staffed by over 300 employees, including 50 LEED Accredited Professionals across the company’s five California offices. The firm has received numerous awards and recognitions from organizations like the Engineering-News Record (ENR), AIA Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Business Council, the Los Angeles Business Journal, Cal-OSHA, the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), the City of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles Conservancy.
One of the firm’s notable mixed-use projects is 8500 Burton Way. This residential project has 87 luxury rental units on five levels and four levels of parking. It also features a stone and smooth-plaster façade, a rooftop amenity deck, a spa, and a 600-square-foot saltwater pool. This project received the Superior Achievement in Design and Imaging Award from the NREI Awards, the Best Mixed-Use Project by the LABC Architectural Awards, the ENR California Best Projects in Residential/Hospitality category, the Commercial Real Estate Gold Award, the Mixed-Use Project by the Los Angeles Business Journal, and the Residential Project of the Year by the PCBC Gold Nugget Grand Award.
Build Group
700 S Flower St. Suite #575, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Since 2007, Build Group has provided excellent design-build services to clients throughout San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Silicon Valley. Build Group’s Founding partners took risks in various market niches. From prefabricated bathrooms to solar carports and cable car kiosks, the company has grown, amassing a vast portfolio of projects in a number of markets. Today, the firm works in multiple sectors including residential, commercial, high-end retail, restaurants, hospitality, and institutional. In 2014, the firm was named 19th Largest Commercial Contractor in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times.
Among the firm’s mixed-use projects is 1075 Market St – Stage 1075. Completed in 2018, this LEED Gold Certified 94,000-square-foot residential building features 29 studios, 50 one-bedroom units and eleven two-bedroom units constructed above a restaurant and a retail space.
Charles Pankow Builders
1 Sutter St. Suite #200, San Francisco, CA 94109
Established in 1963, Charles Pankow Builders has provided design-build services throughout California. Charles Pankow, the company founder, established the firm with the goal of finding a better way to achieve the client’s goals. Eleven firms, including Pankow, organized the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), an organization that promotes the value of design-build project delivery and teaches the effective integration of design and construction services. For over 50 years, the firm has constructed education campuses, healthcare institutes, hospitality buildings, mixed-use properties, offices, parking structures, residential buildings, and retail spaces and has won a number of impressive industry awards.
Among those awards is the 2008 National Design-Build Excellence Award given to its Sunset + Vine project. Located in the heart of Hollywood, this project includes 300 urban loft-style residential units placed above high-end retail shops and restaurants. It also features two levels of subterranean and six levels above grade structured parking.
Clark Construction
18201 Von Karman Ave. Suite #800, Irvine, CA 92612
For over a century, Clark Construction Group has been one of the most experienced and reputable building and civil construction firms in the country. Established in 1906, the firm has grown from being a small local excavator into one of the most trusted construction service providers. The company is committed to providing world-class services to its clients. Among the awards the firm has received are 15 Sustainability Awards, 28 Alliant Build America Awards by the Associated General Contractors of America, eight National Excellence Construction Eagle Awards by the Associated Builders and Contractors, five Best of the Best Awards by ENR, and 19 Design-Build Institute of America Awards. The firm also ranked #11 Top Contractor and #2 Green General Contractor by ENR.
Clark served as the general contractor on several components of the L.A. LIVE and Nokia Theater: a retail, entertainment, and sports development located in LA’s South Park district. This $281,300,000-million project received the Q Award from the Alliance for Quality Construction, the Excellence in Concrete Award by the American Concrete Institute Southern California Chapter, the Best Performing Arts Project Award of Merit by the California Construction Magazine, the “Best of” 2009 Retail Award of Merit by the California Construction Magazine, and the Los Angeles Architectural Awards from the Los Angeles Business Council.
C.W. Driver Companies
468 N Rosemead Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107
C.W. Driver Companies provides general contracting, construction management, and design-build services throughout Southern California. The firm was originally founded in Los Angeles by Clarence Wike and John MacDonald in 1919, making the firm the oldest active licensed builder located in Southern California. Over the years, the firm has constructed numerous commercial facilities, community colleges, education campuses, entertainment and sports venues, healthcare institutions, hospitality and gaming facilities, residential properties, retail spaces, and more. And the firm has been listed in numerous national lists, including being ranked #44 in BIM Construction by the Giants 300 Building Design + Construction, #138 Top 400 Contractors by the ENR National, and #68 Top Contractors by the Giants 300 Building Design + Construction.
One of the firm’s mixed-use projects is the Wilshire Boulevard, a 16-story mixed-use high-rise which will include residential housing, retail space, and above-grade parking. It will feature 9,115 square feet of restaurant and retail spaces as well as nine floors containing 140 residential housing units.
Hathaway Dinwiddie
811 Wilshire Blvd. Suite #1500, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Founded in 1911, Hathaway Dinwiddie is a San Francisco-based construction company with offices in Santa Clara and Los Angeles. Specializing in a variety of project delivery methods, the firm has built an impressive portfolio of projects in different sectors, ranging from 1,000-square-foot interior build-outs and renovations to over 1,000,000-square-foot ground-up core-shell structures. The firm has built numerous commercial buildings, education campuses, healthcare facilities and medical offices, hospitality buildings, and more. With over 35 percent of LEED Accredited Professionals, the company has been awarded the Top 20 Overall Green Contractor by ENR.
The University of Southern California (USC) Village is among the company’s most impressive mixed-use projects. This 1,200,000-square-foot residential and retail development encompasses six distinct buildings on a 15-acre urban site. The project was designed in the collegiate gothic architectural style with a trademark USC red brick façade.
Ketter Construction
12650 Riverside Drive Suite 100, Studio City, CA 91607
Co-founded in 2003 by Boaz Miodovsky and Yaniv Malka, and later joined by David Levy, the Ketter Group is a comprehensive real estate development, design and Construction Company that combines industry know-how with dedication, creativity and precision. The firm’s in house architects and interior designers all speak to their successful fulfillment of this mission. Among the firm’s mixed-use projects is a 174-unit Mix Use apartment building located at 6569 Van Nuys Blvd.
Matt Construction
261 S Figueroa St. Suite #120, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Founded by Paul, Al, and Steve Matt in 1991, Matt Construction offers general contracting services throughout Los Angeles. Building in the sectors of mixed-use, hospitality, education, cultural, multifamily, sports, and healthcare, Matt Construction continues to be one of the industry leaders in the business. The firm puts a premium on quality construction, with its process incorporating key principles from ISO 9000, lean construction, Six Sigma, and the QA/QC process formalized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For its quality building services, the firm has received multiple industry awards such as the ENR Regional Best Project Award of Merit in 2018 and it is the 2017 AIA Los Angeles Presidential Honoree, among many others.
One of Matt’s notable projects is the 8th and Hope located at the southwestern quarter of downtown LA. The mixed-use project features a 22-story tower with 290 one- and two-bedroom apartments, six floors of parking, a 5,000-square-foot retail space, and even a helipad. The building also features an all-glass facade with floor-to-ceiling windows as well as a 10,000-square-foot pool deck, a spa, a fountain, a fire pit, a garden retreat, all with 5,000-square-foot retail space on the ground floor.
McCormick Construction
2507 Empire Ave., Burbank, CA 91504
Burbank-based McCormick Construction provides construction and consultation services throughout California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, and Washington. George McCormick, the founder of the firm, established McCormick in 1914. Today, the firm is operated by brothers Michael and Steve who continue the legacy of quality craftsmanship the firm has consistently delivered for over a century. Throughout the years the firm has been a leader in adopting progressive construction techniques including sustainable construction practices and green building strategies. The firm has constructed numerous entertainment facilities, museums, retail spaces, places of worship, healthcare facilities, education campuses, hotels, and more.
Wallace on Sunset, one of the firm’s mixed-use projects, features a seven-story, 200-unit apartment building above two levels of subterranean parking with 6,000 square feet of recreation/amenity space and sits adjacent to the historical Earl Carroll theatre. For more information on McCormick Construction or this project, you can visit their website here. Rendering courtesy TCA Architects and Essex Property Trust. HED is also involved with project design.
Morley Builders
3330 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405
Since 1947, Morley Builders has constructed numerous major civic structures, hospitality institutions, medical and healthcare facilities, industrial facilities, luxury and mixed-use buildings, education campuses, sports and entertainment venues, parking structures, and commercial buildings. Morley Benjamin, the founder of the firm, started building a few single-family homes in Pacoima in 1947. He was later joined by Sherman Given. With LEED Gold headquarters in Santa Monica and offices in Orange County and San Diego, the company has built a reputation for quality building services throughout the area. In 2017, Morley was recognized as one of ENR’s Top 400 Contractors.
Blossom Plaza, one of Morley’s mixed-use projects, is a 237-unit multifamily residential/mixed-use project located in the heart of Chinatown. The Type I and V buildings feature 184 market-rate and 53 low-income apartments in two, five-story structures with retail spaces over three levels of parking for 453 cars. Although modern in design, the project also features touches inspired by traditional Chinese influences. This LEED Gold Certified project received the Commercial Real Estate Award by the Los Angeles Business Journal, the Award of Merit by the International Parking Institute, the Downtowners of Distinction by the Downtown News, and the Best Mixed-Use Project by the PCBC Gold Nugget Award.
Sinanian Development
18980 Ventura Blvd. Suite #200, Tarzana, CA 91356
Founded in 1983, Sinanian Development is a multi-residential, commercial, and public works contractor specializing in general construction, construction management, and design-build services. Based in Tarzana, the family-owned firm specializes in the construction of education campuses, retail and commercial spaces, multi-residential facilities, entertainment venues, laboratory and research facilities, municipal and government buildings, as well as healthcare institutions. Throughout their many years in service, the firm has received various awards and recognitions. ENR ranked the firm #52 in 2018 California’s Top 100 Contractors and #393 in the United States’ Top 400 Contractors in 2015.
Onyx East Apartments, one of the firm’s mixed-use projects, features a mix of entertainment, commercial, and multi-family residential spaces. This 145,339-square-foot mixed-use building will consist of 13,200 square feet of commercial space for retail uses and six levels of apartment units. Other amenities featured are the pool, spa, and deck seating area located on the second floor.
Swinerton
865 S Figueroa St. Suite #3000, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Established in 1888, Swinerton has been a preferred builder in the various markets it serves including aviation, education, government, healthcare, hospitality, interiors, mass timber, multifamily residential, office, and parking structures. As a 100 percent employee-owned company, Swinerton takes pride in its shared values. Company founder Alfred Birmingham Swinerton, a young Swedish immigrant, formed a brick masonry and contracting business in Los Angeles during the post-Gold Rush building boom. Today Swinerton has over 3,500 employees coast to coast. Over the years, the firm has been a recipient of numerous industry awards including the Associated General Contractors of California Safety Excellence Award, the CEA Award for Excellence in Safety, the ENR California Best Project Awards, and the AIA Award of Honor for Excellence in Design and Execution. The firm was also ranked #1 General Contractor by the ENR for four consecutive years.
One of the firm’s impressive mixed-use projects is the Nabisco Lofts. Constructed in 1925 as the west coast headquarters of the National Biscuit Company, the seven-story historic building was renovated into beautiful lofts that preserved the building’s history and architecture.
Turner Construction Company
555 S Flower St. Suite #4220, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Since 1902, Turner Construction Company has been one of the leading builders in multiple sectors both nationally and internationally. Based in North America, but with 57 offices around the world, the company has constructed many aviation and transportation facilities, commercial, cultural, and entertainment buildings, data centers, education campuses, healthcare facilities, industrial buildings, religious buildings, hotels and restaurants, and more, amassing numerous industry awards over the years. In 2016, the firm ranked #1 Green Builder in the country by the ENR, the #1 General Contractor in the U.S., and was recognized as a top builder in the sectors of healthcare, university, hotel, office, and green building by the 2016 Building Design + Construction Giants 300 Report.
One of the firm’s notable mixed-use projects, the 73-story Wilshire Grand Center, is the tallest building in America. The building features 900 luxury hotel rooms and 20 floors of class A offices, 45,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space, a 70th-floor sky-lobby with a signature observation deck and pool, and below-ground parking for 1,250 cars.
Webcor Construction
550 S Hope St. Suite #2100, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Founded in 1971, Webcor Construction started as a low-to-mid-rise office building contractor in San Mateo, and, shortly thereafter, the firm started to construct high-rise and public-works projects. Headquartered in San Francisco and with offices in Los Angeles, Alameda, San Jose, and Honolulu, Webcor has completed numerous projects and has received a multitude of accolades. Webcor ranked ninth on 2018 ENR’s list of Top Green Contractors, #43 on 2017 ENR Top 400 Contractors, and it was ranked #5 2016 Top California Contractor by the ENR. In 2013, Webcor became the only California-based General Contractor to receive the ISO 9001 Certification.
Among the firm’s mixed-use projects is the LEED Silver Certified Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences and JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE. This 2,032,000-square-foot ground-up mixed-use project features a combination of a four-star JW Marriott hotel and a five-star Ritz-Carlton boutique hotel with 24 different guest room types, and, to top it all off, 212 Ritz-branded condominium residences on the top 25 floors, complete with 12 luxury penthouses.
