LOS ANGELES—Related California, the developer behind the luxury mixed-use Ocean Avenue South development in Santa Monica, has signed three culinary tenants. The three new tenants are gourmet grocer Joan's On Third, Starbucks Evening and restaurant Searsucker.

“Before we developed this site, it was a dead zone between the 3^rd Street Promenade and Main Street with little in between,” Gino Canori, EVP of Related California, tells GlobeSt.com. “We really were looking for neighborhood-serving uses that would support the community.” The Starbucks Evening will open its doors at the development by the end of the month and Joan's On Third and Searsucker will complete renovations by the end of the year with openings planned sometime during the first quarter of 2015.

Canori explains that it wasn't as simple finding community-serving tenants to fill these spaces. The luxury property—which consists of two multifamily condominium buildings and 20,000-square-feet of commercial space—required retail amenities to serve the area's high-end demographic. “We were always looking for an expanded coffee space, and the Starbucks Evening concept felt like the right fit given the serving of beer and wine,” says Canori. “We also wanted a market within the building and we were targeting Joan's On Third since we started, because they not only bring a market, but they bring full-service catering capabilities. Then, Searsucker is a fun, lively restaurant that will activate the street and bring a higher-level, sit-down dinner destination.”

There are two remaining commercial spaces available at Ocean Avenue South, and Related is in talks with two potential tenants. The lease transactions for those spaces are expected to close within the next 30 days.

The property is located one block from the ocean, just south of the Santa Monica pier. One of the property's multifamily condominium buildings, the Waverly, has completed construction and welcomed the first residents into the building, while sales for the second building, the Seychelle, are in progress. 

Residential units in the Santa Monica market are in high demand, as is office space. GlobeSt.com reported recently that Universal Music Group renewed a 200,000-square-foot lease for its headquarters offices in Santa Monica. The broker on the transaction, CBRE's Paul Stockwell, cited the prime location as the reason for the renewal.