Sundance Institute to Relocate Los Angeles Office to 5900 Wilshire in the Iconic Miracle Mile District

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ratkovich Company announced today that the Los Angeles office of Sundance Institute, a global non-profit organization founded by Robert Redford that seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists, will soon operate from 5900 Wilshire, the iconic, 31-story building in the Miracle Mile also known as the Variety building. The 10-year lease deal allows the organization to occupy the entire eighth floor, a total of 14,279 square feet of space.

"5900 Wilshire is home to several of Los Angeles' most notable media and entertainment businesses, and we are honored to have such a creative and world-changing organization as Sundance Institute join our 5900 community," said Wayne Ratkovich, founder and president of The Ratkovich Company. "For every one of our properties we strive to create an environment that makes our tenants feel like they are part of our family. We are proud that Sundance Institute will soon call 5900 Wilshire home."

"As our year-round programs continue to grow, we needed more space and an open, creative environment that could adapt to our needs," said Keri Putnam, executive director of Sundance Institute. "Prominently located where the city's cultural institutions and media businesses intersect, 5900 Wilshire will allow us to better host and serve the artists we support. We appreciate The Ratkovich Company working with us to make the move a smooth undertaking for us."

Renovations to the new space will begin immediately. Wolcott Interiors, a well-known Los Angeles-based architecture and interior design firm, is redesigning the office space to be a mix of environmentally friendly materials and contemporary design in an open, sunlight-filled office. The space features a panoramic view spanning the Pacific Ocean, Century City, the Hollywood Hills and Downtown.  

Sundance Institute is expected to complete its move from its current Beverly Hills location to 5900 Wilshire this winter. Jeff Pion with CBRichard Ellis (CBRE) represented The Ratkovich Company with Michael Shuken and Mark Sullivan with Studley serving as the tenant representative.

About 5900 Wilshire

5900 Wilshire, also known as the Variety building, is a 31-story tower with 360 degree views of the city located in Los Angeles' Miracle Mile district. Designed by the legendary William Pereira in the late 1960s, 5900 Wilshire was acquired by The Ratkovich Company, in partnership with an institutional investor, in December 2005. In December 2008, venerable Hollywood trade paper Variety moved its West Coast headquarters and operations to 5900 Wilshire, and took the place as the building's marquee tenant, placing its recognizable name in red lighting atop the tower. Following a successful $34 million renovation in 2008, 5900 Wilshire is the new headquarters for innovative, successful entertainment and media companies in the Miracle Mile.  5900 Wilshire is the recipient of both the Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater Los Angeles Office Building of the Year award and the 2009 Renovated Building of the Year from the Los Angeles Architectural Awards. For more information, visit www.5900wilshire.net.

About The Ratkovich Company

The Ratkovich Company is a Los Angeles development company that engages in both new development and the imaginative reuse of existing buildings. The company has completed, or has under development, more than 13 million square feet of office, retail and industrial properties in Los Angeles County. The company is completing the repositioning and development of The Alhambra, a 45-acre mixed-use urban community in the city of Alhambra. The Ratkovich Company recently purchased The Hercules Campus at Playa Vista, a landmark property comprised of 11 historic buildings, including the hangar where Howard Hughes' legendary Spruce Goose was built.  The purchase included 537,130 square feet of building space on over 1.2 million square feet of land.  The company has won numerous awards for its restoration of historic landmarks, including the art deco Wiltern Theatre and adjacent Pellissier building, Chapman Market and the city of Glendale's Alex Theatre. The James Oviatt and Fine Arts buildings were also both awarded national landmark status after successful renovations by The Ratkovich Company. For more information, visit http://www.ratkovich.net.

About Sundance Institute

Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, Sundance Institute is a global non-profit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover, support, and inspire independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America. www.sundance.org

Media Contact:

Meg Lewis | Edelman for The Ratkovich Company | P: 323-761-6505 | E: [email protected]

SOURCE The Ratkovich Company