UCLA Approves $34M Start for Research Park at Former Westside Pavilion

• UCLA and the UC Board of Regents approved roughly $34 million in core and shell work at the UCLA Research Park, located at 10800 W. Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90064.

• Construction is expected to begin in October 2026, with the initial work scheduled for completion by the end of 2028.

• The former Westside Pavilion is being transformed into a major life sciences and research campus, with planned laboratories, offices, meeting areas and support space. UCLA acquired the broader property in 2023 for the project.

What UCLA Is Building

The former Westside Pavilion is moving deeper into its second life as a research and innovation campus, with UCLA preparing to advance core and shell construction in the eastern portion of the property. The university acquired the former mall in December 2023 and is converting the roughly 1.3 million-gross-square-foot property on 9.2 acres into UCLA Research Park. The project will be developed in stages, beginning with Research Park East. The newly approved work includes upgrades to mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, along with other building infrastructure. The initial construction package carries an estimated $34 million budget.

What The Research Space Will Include

The larger Research Park plan calls for a significant concentration of laboratory and office space, positioning the former retail property as a West Los Angeles life sciences and innovation hub. The eastern portion is planned to accommodate wet and dry laboratories, offices, meeting areas, common areas and food service. UCLA's current materials identify the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, UCLA Quantum Innovation Hub and research programs affiliated with the David Geffen School of Medicine among the initial occupants. The California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy is expected to be a major anchor. UCLA says the institute will bring together biomedical researchers working across areas including cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and other health conditions.

What The Former Mall Adds

The adaptive reuse strategy gives UCLA a large existing structure near its Westwood campus without having to build an entirely new research complex from the ground up. The former Westside Pavilion is less than two miles from UCLA's main campus and includes two buildings connected by an enclosed pedestrian bridge over Westwood Boulevard. Research Park West, which includes the former 12-screen movie theater, is planned for a later phase and could eventually accommodate additional laboratories, auditoriums and gathering spaces. UCLA originally acquired the property with support from a planned $500 million state investment, including $200 million already allocated at the time of the 2024 announcement. The university also cited private philanthropic support for the immunology institute.

What The Project Means For Los Angeles Life Sciences

For Los Angeles developers and investors, the project represents a major institution-backed conversion of obsolete retail real estate into research space. The transformation also adds another institutional life sciences cluster to West Los Angeles at a time when UCLA is expanding research capacity. The university has described Research Park as a place where researchers, industry partners, government agencies, startups and students can work together. The broader project is expected to roll out in phases through 2035, making the current $34 million construction package the beginning of a much larger redevelopment rather than the final buildout.