New Offices, Expansions : Moss Occupies First New Headquarters in 24 Years

After 24 years in its original offices, occupied since the firm was founded in 1960 and by now a virtual warren extending through an old residence and a former medical building, Moss & Co. has moved from Westwood to new and larger quarters--10,000 square feet, the entire second floor, of the Union Bank Building, 2444 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, across the street from Douglas Park.

The company, which owns and operates nearly 5,000 apartment units in the Los Angeles area as well as several commercial centers and office buildings, has built a 17,000-square-foot shopping center, Moss Plaza, on the site of its former headquarters, 1850 Westwood Blvd., which is 70% leased. Moss had bought lots on either side of its headquarters and, now that the street is turning into a retail area, wished to maximize its investment there.

Design Firm Moves

Norman Colburt Interior Design has moved from 8251 Waring Ave., Los Angeles, to larger quarters at 1625 17th St., Santa Monica. The firm designs and merchandises model home interiors from Hawaii to Florida.

Office Opened

The Travelers Companies has opened a real estate investment office at 550 S. Hill St. to handle commercial financing needs of Travelers real estate clients. The general manager is Daniel S. Fox; Travelers’ corporate offices are in Hartford, Conn.

Architects Move

Howard Needles Tammen & Bergendoff, architects, engineers and planners, has moved its Los Angeles office from 621 S. Westmoreland Ave. to Wiltern Center, 665 S. Oxford Ave. at Wilshire Boulevard.

Headquarters Changed

The architecture firm of Sheriff & Associates, including Garth Sheriff, William Bernstein, Joseph Panushka and Ruth Y. Prins, has moved within Los Angeles from 3020 S. Robertson Blvd. to 3440 Motor Ave., Floor 2.

Opens New Office

San Diego-based John Burnham and Co. Commercial Real Estate Division has opened a new office, its second in northern San Diego County, with 2,600 square feet in the Sea Pointe Business Park, 5411 Avenida Encinas, Carlsbad, under a $289,000, long-term lease. Ned Baumer will head the 20-member staff.

Branch Relocated

Daum Corp., a Southern California commercial and industrial real estate firm and a subsidiary of the Johnstown-American Companies, has relocated its South Bay office in 3,500 square feet in the new, four-story Harborgate Building, 1025 West 190th St., Gardena, from 22010 S. Wilmington Ave., Carson.

Consultants Move

Elfend & Associates Inc., a Newport Beach project processing, management and environmental analysis consulting firm, has moved within that city from 1601 Dove St., Suite 160, to larger quarters at 1151 Dove St., Suite 130.

Architecture Office

The San Francisco firm of Kaplan/McLaughlin/Diaz Architects has opened a new office at 1301 Dove St., Suite 950, Newport Beach.

Architect Opens Branch

Architect Robert Johnson, who established his practice in Santa Barbara in 1979 after being a project architect for several major architecture firms, has opened a branch office of Robert Johnson Architects at 405 Esplanade Drive, Oxnard.

New Company Formed

J. Blair Pence II of Westwood has founded Pence Investment Co. to locate and acquire under- and over-developed land parcels for commercial real estate developers and investors. The new firm has its office in the Los Angeles International Airport area at 10201 S. La Cienega Blvd.

Lens Maker Expands

The international optical lens company of Melles Griot Inc. has acquired an additional 12,180 square feet of manufacturing space at 14450 Chambers Road in the Tustin-Irvine industrial complex, which will house a new production division in partnership with Mike Bonin. The three-year lease was negotiated by Occidental Brokerage.