The Grand, Eighth & Figueroa, and 945 W. 8th (Related, Johnson Fain, L.A. Department of City Planning, Getty)
Like central business districts around the world last year, Downtown Los Angeles got hammered by the pandemic, its streets emptied, offices and stores cleared out.
In its year-end market report, the Downtown Center Business Improvement District tallied those grim numbers, which showed DTLA real estate activity slowed across the board. Major projects, however, did push ahead.
Occupancy rates declined in all types of real estate, with hotels the hardest hit given lack of long-term leases. Residential rents fell, with average effective rent per unit dropping from $2,737 at the end of 2019 to $2,402 by December 2020. Hotel room rates also tumbled, from $216 a day to $138, while office and retail rents only showed modest declines.