New life and leases for mid-century building on Larchmont
All’s well at the spiffed up, two-story mid-century modern office building at 444 N. Larchmont Blvd.
When we last reported on the building, things were not going so well for the building or the tenants.
UNITS are leasing in the newly renovated building.
But a year and a half of renovations later, the building is open for business in a much more open and expansive scope than in its previous life.
Visitors are greeted with refurbished original Terrazzo floors and wall tiles, a restored ironwork stairway and dark walnut doors.
The owner, Leeor Maciborski of Rom Investments, said he bought the 1963 building at Larchmont and Rosewood Avenue to be closer to his home in Hancock Park.
Soon after he took over, the air conditioning broke and plumbing issues surfaced, which led to a full “soup-to-nuts” renovation, he said.
All but one of the disgruntled tenants left; they have stayed in the building the entire time.
The mostly empty building made the remodel easier.
Improvements included raising the ceilings (they had been below code), replacing single-pane aluminum windows with modern black metal ones, and sandblasting the facade to reveal original red brick underneath.
The sale of the corner 1962 building built by Walter Leimert Jr. closed in April 2024, for $5 million, according to earlier reports.
Maciborski moved his business from Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood to the second floor of the Larchmont property.
He has leased a few of the units so far at $6 a square foot for full-service gross, which includes electricity and other amenities, except the internet, and there is parking behind the building. Attorneys, therapists, and creatives such as writers have shown interest, Maciborski said.
“I’m very pleased, and the reception has been amazing. I’m ready to do another one,” he added. (Maciborski also purchased a bungalow next door, at 434 Larchmont, which is being leased.)
When fully leased, the 10,500-square-foot office building at 444 N. Larchmont will include seven to 12 units; they can be reconfigured in size depending on tenants needs.
It was a rough start, he acknowledged, “but all’s well that ends well.”
Category: Real Estate
