Completion of the new campus is targeted for end of summer, but SCI-Arc has already relocated to the Downtown site from its previous location in Marina del Rey.

The school will be housed in an 82,000-sf concrete industrial building, known as the Depot. Built in 1906, the former railroad freight terminal is 60-feet wide and nearly one-quarter mile long. Located in the Artists' Loft District, the building stands on Third Street and Santa Fe Avenue. It is the sole structure on the Freight Yard parcel, which encompasses more than 10 acres. While the renovation work is being completed, SCI-Arc classrooms are being housed in temporary modular units and a gigantic tent, which are adjacent to the Depot building. SCI-Arc faculty members and students are active in the renovation process, as they are heading up the design team.

The project, which is already months behind schedule, has already faced several obstacles. Beverly Hills-based SY Realty Investors had planned to purchase the Freight Yard parcel and develop housing and commercial space adjacent to the SCI-Arc campus. However, the deal fell through after SCI-Arc had already relocated to the site in September. The school plans to purchase the Depot building, but in the meantime, property owner Dynamic Builders has agreed to renovate the building and lease it to SCI-Arc for several years.