about metro investments

Metro Investments, LLC, a California Limited Liability Company benefits from an entrepreneurial approach and has extensive experience in residential and commercial real estate projects.  It is a private-held real estate investment company that leverages its unique architectural and development experiences to create exceptional properties that provide superior investment returns to its partners and clients.  Its team of seasoned real estate investment, development, construction and design specialists focus on unique residential and commercial development opportunities, specifically in Southern California infill locations.

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about art simonian

Art Simonian is the founding principal of Metro Investments and is responsible for the acquisition, feasibility and planning of urban development projects in Southern California. Mr. Simonian graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Architecture and a minor in Urban and Regional Planning, and received his Master of Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California. He is a licensed architect and a licensed real estate broker in the state of California. Lastly, Mr. Simonian is a City Commissioner for the City of Glendale, California where he has been serving on the City’s design review board since 2006.

Prior to Metro Investments, Mr. Simonian served as Acquisition Officer with American Realty Advisors (“American”), which is a Southern California pension fund advisor. American has approximately $5.0 billion in assets under management, and provides investment solutions to public and corporate pension funds, endowments, foundations and Taft-Hartley trust funds. Mr. Simonian, originated equity real estate investments for separate client and commingled account portfolios for American. Mr. Simonian was responsible for deal procurement, analysis, market research, underwriting, negotiating, due diligence and closing of acquisitions for institutional grade multi-family, retail, office and industrial properties throughout the United States. In addition, Mr. Simonian provided investment strategy and managed the acquisition process by overseeing a team of acquisition analysts and support staff.

Prior to American, Mr. Simonian served as Investment Manager of Acquisitions for Madison Marquette, which is one of the nation’s premier life-style retail developers. As a member of Madison Marquette’s acquisition group, Mr. Simonian acquired value-add life-style retail centers, enclosed regional malls, and urban retail buildings to reposition into stabilized assets. Mr. Simonian Utilized his architectural background to target distressed assets that could be redeveloped and remerchandised while optimizing returns.

Prior to Madison Marquette, Mr. Simonian served as Project Manager for Altoon + Porter Architects, where he managed concurrent design teams in all phases of architectural services. Mr. Simonian completed numerous projects throughout the conceptual, schematic, design development and construction administrative phases in the United States.

in the news

  • long-vacant silver lake lot getting 8 little houses
    "Silver Lake/Echo Park continues to be a hot zone for little houses built under the the Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance, which allows several small houses to be built on a single parcel--developer METRO INVESTMENTS will be building eight little houses on a long-vacant, half-acre site in Silver Lake."

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    featured on curbed la
  • 11 little houses coming to long-barren gower/fountain lot
    "Back in 2008, an eight-unit apartment building and a single family house at the corner of Gower and Fountain in Hollywood were razed to make way for a 22-unit condo development that never got built. But now, after several lonely years, plans have been approved to bring something other than grass to the empty lot."

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    featured on curbed la
  • sparkletts-adjacent townhouse project proposed for Eagle Rock
    "Many real estate listings brag about city, canyon and mountain views. But a proposed 10-home development in Eagle Rock will offer its occupants a view of the large, green-and-white Sparkletts sign that looms over the water bottling plant across the street."

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    featured on eastsider la
  • 17 little houses with suburban feel headed for toluca lake
    "A 17-house project, built under LA’s small lot subdivision ordinance, is in the works in the Valley from developers Metro Investments (who are also behind the 11-house project on that newly re-activated lot on the northeast corner of Fountain and Gower)..."

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    featured on curbed la
  • chevy chase country club
    "Plans to nearly triple the size of the Chevy Chase Country Club and open some of its facilities to the general public were unanimously approved.... The 11,520-square-foot clubhouse was built in 1927 and has undergone several renovations, but the current owners and patrons say the structure is falling apart and a revamp is necessary to reinvigorate interest."

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    featured in glendale news-press
  • fountain and gower’s 11 tiny homes
    "Hereʼs our very first glimpse of the new 11-home development set to domesticate a lot at the corner of Fountain and Gower. Built under the small lot ordinance which allows for several small, detached houses on a single property—the houses will range in size from around 1,500 to 1,800 square feet."

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    featured on curbed la
  • a room with a view
    "Aptly called the Hillside Sanctuary, a poured-in-place concrete mid-century modern home nestles serenely into the side of a hill, providing unobstructed amazing views of Glendale’s rolling hills. Careful space planning allowed the architect, Art Simonian, to fit three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, and a home office into this concrete home."

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    featured in concrete homes
  • 10 little houses
    "The project from local developers Metro Investments will sit at the corner of Avenue 45 and Lincoln, where a parking lot currently resides. The dwellings will be well within walking distance to the coolness of Highland Park's rapidly fancifying York Boulevard, and not far from the amenities on Eagle Rock's Colorado Boulevard, either."

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    featured on curbed la