Chinatown Office Plan Adds 225,000 Square Feet
Nearby residents and workers should watch for construction and traffic changes as the five-story building moves ahead.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Commercial
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The Los Angeles City Planning Commission approved a plan from the Riboli family for a five-story office building at 130 West College Street in Chinatown. The site, currently a bus storage lot, would hold 225,000 square feet of offices and 8,200 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.
Why it matters
The approval moves a long-idle lot in Chinatown toward new office and commercial use, which could affect nearby foot traffic, parking and small-business activity for residents and workers in the neighborhood. It also arrives as office space across Los Angeles sits emptier than usual, with direct vacancy at 16.4 percent in the third quarter of 2026.
The approved five-story building at 130 West College Street would include 225,000 square feet of offices, 8,200 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and a parking garage. A related joint venture covers the 8-acre site at 1251 South Spring Street, planned for 920 apartments, 17 live/work lofts and 21,000 square feet of commercial space.
The players
Los Angeles City Planning Commission
The city body that reviews and approves major land-use and development plans within Los Angeles.
Riboli family
The owners of the 130 West College Street site and restorers of the Capitol Milling Building on North Spring Street.
S&R Partners
A development firm that entered a joint venture to build on the 8-acre South Spring Street site.
Lincoln Property Company
A large real estate developer whose subsidiary LPC West joined the South Spring Street venture.
Grimshaw Architects
The architecture firm that designed the proposed five-story office building in Chinatown.
The details
The Riboli family owns the 130 West College Street site, which is currently used as a bus storage lot. The Grimshaw Architects-designed plan includes landscaped outdoor areas alongside the office floors and parking. Separately, S&R Partners entered a joint venture with LPC West, a subsidiary of Lincoln Property Company, to develop the South Spring Street property. The Riboli family has also restored the Capitol Milling Building at 1231 North Spring Street.
Timeline
Third quarter of 2026: direct office vacancy across the area measured at 16.4 percent.
November 2, 2026: report published on the approval of the 130 West College Street plan.
The Home Front
The approval adds new office supply to a Los Angeles market where direct vacancy stood at 16.4 percent in the third quarter of 2026, while Downtown ran higher at 23.3 percent last quarter. Mixed-use projects like the South Spring Street venture, which pairs apartments with commercial space, reflect how developers are pairing office plans with housing in the city's core.
If you live or work near Chinatown or Spring Street, watch for construction notices and parking or traffic changes as these projects move forward. Owners of nearby commercial property may want to track how the rise in new supply affects lease rates over the coming year.
The takeaway
New office and mixed-use supply is arriving in Los Angeles while vacancy remains high, so the effect on rents and neighborhood activity will depend on how quickly the projects are built. If you own or rent commercial space nearby, keep your lease documents and any notices from the city on file for reference.
Further reading
For more on how office and commercial projects are reshaping neighborhoods, explore Commercial coverage across the city.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Real Deal New York.
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