Patrick Sisson

Patrick Sisson is a contributor to Commercial Observer. A Chicago expat living in Los Angeles, he writes about real estate, development, urbanism, technology and the forces that shape our cities.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Nithya Raman makes a campaign stop at an empty lot in the Palisades Fire zone.
Residential · Development
California

Can Nithya Raman Make L.A. a City of Yes?

By Patrick Sisson
A view of the so-called Graffiti Towers, where graffiti writers tagged 40 floors of an unfinished luxury skyscraper development in March 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Construction of the $1 billion Oceanwide Plaza luxury real estate development stalled in 2019 after a China-based developer ran out of funding, leaving the three-tower project unfinished amid a housing crisis in the city. The project is located across the street from the Crypto.com Arena.
Residential · Finance
California

Oceanwide Plaza Sale Set to Advance After L.A. Drops Objections

By Patrick Sisson
A woman passes by Vista Terrace, a 102-unit, affordable and supportive housing apartment complex on Van Nuys Boulevard in Los Angeles.
Residential · Investments & Sales
California

Los Angeles’ Moribund Multifamily Market Shows Signs of Life

By Patrick Sisson
A rendering of the planned Fourth and Central project in Downtown Los Angeles.
Residential · Development
California

Can One Giant Project Change the Narrative Around Downtown Los Angeles?

By Patrick Sisson
Players for Spain head out for the second half of a FIFA World Cup Round Of 32 match against Austria at Los Angeles Stadium.
Industry · Development
California

Big Events Like the World Cup and the Olympics Are Reshaping Los Angeles

By Patrick Sisson
An illustration of a blue owl flying and carrying a pair of servers from a data center.
Industrial · Capital Markets
National

Once Down, Blue Owl Finds Its Wings Again

By Patrick Sisson
Pedestrians pass an HBO Max logo under a metro rail station in Culver City, Calif.
Residential · Development
California

Culver City’s Housing Strategy: Don’t Be L.A.

By Patrick Sisson
An illustration of percent signs embedded in containers in container stack.
Industrial · Features
National

Industrial Real Estate Has Entered Its Fixer-Upper Phase

By Patrick Sisson
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (left), Councilmember Nithya Raman (center), and Spencer Pratt.
Residential · Development
California

In L.A. Mayor’s Race, Housing Frustrations Take Center Stage

By Patrick Sisson
The historic 55-acre, 40-acre Radford Studio Center, formerly the CBS Studio Center. The studio was built in 1928 and was the site of famous TV shows such as Seinfeld, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Gilligans Island.
Industrial · Leases
California

Hollywood’s Production Slump Hitting L.A. Studio Owners

By Patrick Sisson
Tesla Diner & Drive-In along Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, Calif.
Hospitality · Leases
California

The Shrinking, Social Media-Obsessed, Menu-Slimming L.A. Restaurant Scene

By Patrick Sisson
Mayor Karen Bass, Veteran David Sinatra and Lourdes Castro Ramirez, president and CEO of Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, during a press conference on affordable housing at a construction project for affordable veteran housing on Barrington Avenue in West Los Angeles.
Residential · Development
California

Why Are L.A.’s Leaders Fighting State Law Incentivizing Transit-Oriented Housing?

By Patrick Sisson
Clockwise from top left: Los Angeles Convention Center, U.S. Bank Tower, Oceanwide Plaza, and Bank of America Plaza in Los Angeles.
Industry · Investments & Sales
California

Downtown L.A.’s Rebound: A Marathon, Not a Sprint

By Patrick Sisson
An aerial view of colorful graffiti spray-painted the abandoned real estate project in Downtown Los Angeles, California.
Residential · Finance
California

Oceanwide Plaza Bidder Has History as Colorful as the L.A. Towers He Wants to Rescue

By Patrick Sisson
A collage of images from Beverly Hills showing a palm-tree lined street, tourists, a Rodeo Drive sign, and shops.
Industry · Investments & Sales
California

Not My First Rodeo: Beverly Hills Sees Surging New Investment

By Patrick Sisson
THE FALLOUT: Fires rage at Iran’s Shahran oil depot following U.S. and Israeli air strikes in early March.
Industry · Investments & Sales
National

For Commercial Real Estate Investment, the Iran War Is Distant — So Far

By Patrick Sisson
An illustration of a giant outlet in the ground at an industrial outdoor storage site.
Industrial · Finance
National

Electrified Industrial Outdoor Storage Gains Fans Among Investors and Tenants

By Patrick Sisson