The former beachfront HQ of Snapchat is for sale, along with a lovely themed apartment court turned into commercial space.
Immediately following the massive program to house the hundreds of homeless folks on the Venice Beach boardwalk, the property that formerly housed Snapchat, along with its darling gingerbread-themed neighbor, has been put up for sale. It was previously listed, at the same price, in 2012.
Usually, the apparently empty and rarely used cute little blue house has several people sleeping on the front steps or raging out at the sky. At one point, reputedly, Snap had wanted to develop the large flat parking lot to the south into a corporate highrise, but some or many public agencies said no. Apparently, this rejection led to an angry move-out and left the house in its current state.
I really hope no one threads the needle and finds a way to demolish and replace these buildings. The "Blu" house is nothing special, but the Gingerbread Court is pretty cool.
517 Ocean Front Walk (Gingerbread Court) Leverage the property history, timeless architecture, trade area identity, courtyard, and other unique features to create a "destination" retail / office or food hall project with an emphasis on "place-making" and "experiential retail".
523 Ocean Front Walk (The Blu House) Leverage the property's identity as a Venice Beach Landmark to execute a flagship space for either creative office, retail, or restaurant use (the property has a restaurant permit in place). The property's prominent placement in front of 10,000,000 + visitors per year makes it an unmatched branding / marketing opportunity in addition to a tremendous real estate location.
COMBINATION REPOSITION OPTION | (CHANGE OF USE)
517 Ocean Front Walk & 523 Ocean Front Walk (Combined Reposition – Boutique Hotel)
Famed for its easy-going atmosphere, pristine sun-drenched beaches, and buzzing boardwalks, it's easy to see why thousands of visitors to Los Angeles flock to Venice Beach. Venice Beach is home to a selection of cultural curiosities, from modern murals to maverick stores and from select street performers to famous skate parks. With that individuality in mind, it's surprising that there are not more prominent boutique hotels in Venice Beach, CA.
The 517 and 523 Ocean Front Walk properties are configured such that tremendous synergy and flow between the two assets can easily be achieved. The configuration of the site could be as follows:
• 523 Ocean Front Walk – Lobby / Restaurant & Bar (Property already has restaurant permit in place.)
• 517 Ocean Front Walk – Boutique Bungalow Rooms
