Higgins Development Partners LLC has broken ground on 2300 Empire Center, a seven-story 363,000-square-foot office building in Burbank, Calif. The $130 million project is the last phase of Empire Center, a mixed-use retail, office and hotel development.
“2300 Empire Center, the last infill and entitled site in the North Burbank Media District, will provide the market with much needed additional office space,” says Nader Shah, senior vice president with Higgins Development Partners. “Large tenants will have the opportunity to customize and personalize each office space to cater to work groups and departments.”
2300 Empire Center is designed to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’s (LEED) Silver certification for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
Located at 2300 West Empire Boulevard and Buena Vista, the project is situated on 6.35 acres and is in close proximity to Interstate 5. The project is adjacent to the Marriot Courtyard and Extended Stay America. Nearby amenities include the Burbank Empire Shopping Center, which is home to tenants such as Best Buy, Lowe’s, Target, the Great Indoors and several restaurants. Completion of the project is scheduled for the first quarter of 2009.
According to recent market reports, the Burbank Media District’s office vacancy stands at 4%, the lowest rate out of all of Los Angeles. Companies such as Paycheck and Employers Compensation Insurance have recently relocated to the city, due to the close proximity of entertainment industry giants such as Touchstone and NBC Studios.
Chicago-based Walton Street Capital, LLC serves as an equity partner, with Irvine-based Ware Malcomb providing the architectural design for the building. The general contractor is Burbank-based McCormick Construction. Leasing will be handled by CB Richard Ellis’ Patrick Church and Anneke Greco.