El Segundo Rises as Alternative for Westside Office Tenants

Media marketing agency Canvas Worldwide is moving its West Coast headquarters to another part of the Westside.

The firm is relocating from Playa Vista to El Segundo, L.A. Business First reported. The lease expands the agency’s office space by 48 percent, from 36,000 square feet to 68,300 square feet.

It is moving to 2330 Utah Avenue, which was designed by architect Frank Gehry and is owned by NSB Associates. The structure features 24-foot ceilings, large windows, skylights and private outdoor space. The company plans to move into the property from 12015 Bluff Creek Drive by the middle of next year, according to JLL broker Jason Fine, who represented Canvas in the lease.

NSB Associates developed the property in El Segundo in 2018. The building spans 87,000 square feet across two stories.

The tenant’s business is growing, and it was looking for a distinctive space and incentives to draw employees to the office, such as walking distance to retail and proximity to the beach, plus freeway access, Fine said.

As companies flock to Silicon Beach on Los Angeles’ Westside, El Segundo is becoming an increasingly attractive option for firms looking to plant a flag in an affordable space. Food robotics startup Shinkei Systems signed on this month to double its headquarters space in the city with a 15,000-square-foot lease at the Standard Works industrial campus.

KPMG leased 50,000 square feet at the Plaza at Continental Park office complex at 2101 Rosecrans Avenue in El Segundo as part of its office shakeup last month.

Canvas Worldwide launched a decade ago and divides its headquarters operations between Southern California and New York City. Other regional offices are in Chicago, Dallas, Denver and Atlanta. The company’s client portfolio includes brands like Zillow, McDonald’s, Hyundai, Kia and Amazon MGM Studios.

— Chris Malone Méndez