LOS ANGELES—The Ratkovich Co., along with its partners National Real Estate Advisors and Blue Vista Capital, have begun to remove the roof from the Bloc, converting the retail property into an open-air center. The removal of the roof is a major milestone in the $180-million renovation of the property, which began in 2013. It will take a total of three weeks and will be removed in sections. The center will open at the end of this year.

“The roof removal signifies the beginning of the end of the renovations and ushers us into the final phase of the transformation of the Bloc,” Clare DeBriere, COO at the Ratkovich Co., tells GlobeSt.com. “From here, we'll remove the roof, complete the Square at the heart of the project, and start turning over spaces for our amazing tenants to build out. We're truly in the final stretch and we can't be more excited to welcome all Angelenos to The Bloc by the end of the year.”

In addition to the roof removal, the project also began underground construction on a passageway that will link the retail center to the 7^th Street Metro Station, which is the busiest station in the city. Once the roof removal and metro passage are complete, the project will move into its final phase, which will include putting “finishing touches” on the property to prepare for the grand opening.

The Bloc has already signed several tenants, including Macy's, Alamo Draft House Cinema, WingTip and an unnamed retail gallery collaboration between CNTRLgroup and Otto Design Group. It signed this first group of tenants in December of last year. Macy's already occupied space in the center, but is undergoing a massive transformation to become a 250,000-square-foot flagship store. All renovations to the property will also be completed in time for the opening of the center later this year. In addition to retail, the property will also offer creative office space with 12 units totaling 127,000 square feet. Nordstromrack.com | HauteLook and Keller Williams are among the office users to occupy space in the center.