Sonnenblick Development

What Sonnenblick Development does

Sonnenblick Development LLC is a Los Angeles-based, family-owned real estate development firm specializing in office facilities for state, county, and municipal government agencies. Founded as a standalone operating entity in 2013 and tracing its lineage to Alexander Sonnenblick's 1893 Sonnenblick Goldman Corp., the firm is led by Chairman Robert Sonnenblick, a Wharton-trained, fourth-generation developer with $1.5B+ in career commercial real estate transactions. Its core product is purpose-built, government-tenanted office space delivered under innovative long-term, flat-rate lease and financing structures priced below prevailing market rates. The firm has developed nearly one million square feet of government space housing agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, LA County Sheriff's Department, and Social Security Administration. Flagship assets include Imperial Norwalk Centre (a 500,000 sq ft, 7-story DHS headquarters), County of Los Angeles Phase I/II/III (El Monte DPSS Campus and West LA), and the Monterey Park Government Center.

The business generates revenue through two primary streams: one-time development fees and gains on property sales (e.g., Loews Santa Monica Hotel built for $90M and sold for $125M), plus recurring rental income from long-term government leases. Beyond its government-office core, Sonnenblick Development has extended into retail (New Jersey Metro Mall, Flair Plaza), luxury hospitality (Boca Raton Resort – Waldorf Astoria Collection, Loews Santa Monica), and large-scale mixed-use redevelopment (Riviera Beach Marina Village, a $481M project approved in November 2025). Its go-to-market is direct enterprise and field sales to government entities and municipal authorities, supplemented by conference participation and earned media. The firm is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors and reports an investment profile of approximately $1.5B on the West Coast. There is no evidence of proprietary technology, AI/ML capability, or software products; the business is relationship- and execution-driven.

Name

Sonnenblick Development

Legal name

Sonnenblick Development LLC

Website

https://sonndev.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sonnenblick Development LLC is a Los Angeles-based, family-owned real estate development firm that builds government-tenanted office facilities under long-term, below-market lease structures for state, county, and municipal agencies, while also developing retail, hotel, and mixed-use projects across California, Florida, and New Jersey.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Real Estate Development

NAICS

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622)

SIC

Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532)

akta.pro primary industry

Office & Corporate Building Construction (IMAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Residential Land Development & Subdivision Homebuilding (Build-to-Sell Communities) (IMAFABAL)

Keywords

• Commercial real estate development
• Government office buildings
• Hotel resort development
• Retail center development
• Public-private partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Pacific Palisades

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Development: Develops office, retail, residential, and hotel properties for government and private sector clients. Generates revenue through development fees, property sales, and long-term leasing arrangements with government tenants.
2. Government Lease Revenue: Provides high-quality, state-of-the-art facilities at long-term flat rental rates significantly below prevailing market rates through innovative lease and financing structures for government agencies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sonnenblick Development LLC is a Los Angeles-based real estate development firm that develops office facilities for state, county, and municipal public agencies, providing high-quality, state-of-the-art buildings at long-term flat rental rates significantly below market rates through innovative lease and financing structures. The firm also develops major retail, residential, and hotel resort projects for private sector clients. Its portfolio includes government office buildings, shopping centers, hotel resorts, and mixed-use developments.

Product overview

Sonnenblick Development LLC is a Los Angeles-based real estate development firm that specializes in developing office facilities for state, county, and municipal public agencies. The company has developed major retail, residential, and hotel resort projects across the United States. Their portfolio includes government office buildings (County of Los Angeles Phases I-III, Imperial Norwalk Centre), shopping centers (New Jersey Metro Mall, Flair Plaza), hotel resorts (Loews Santa Monica, Boca Raton Resort), and mixed-use developments (Riviera Beach Marina Village). The company focuses on providing high-quality, state-of-the-art facilities at long-term rental rates, often significantly below market rates, for government clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Monterey Park Government Center An 86,000 square foot, 2-story government office building on 4 acres at 588 Atlas Avenue in Monterey Park, acquired for $37.5 million and pre-leased to the County of Los Angeles Social Services Department (GAIN, IHSS, and MIE divisions).
• County of Los Angeles Phase I (Department of Public Social Services) A 120,000 rentable square foot, six-story government office building with one subterranean floor, part of the El Monte DPSS Campus, serving the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Social Services.
• County of Los Angeles Phase II (Department of Children & Family Services) A 120,000 rentable square foot, six-story government office building with one subterranean floor adjacent to Phase I, featuring a 10,000 square foot daycare facility (2,500 interior and 7,500 exterior), serving the County of Los Angeles Department of Children & Family Services.
• County of Los Angeles Phase III A 70,000 rentable square foot, four-story government office structure located in West Los Angeles, CA, serving County of Los Angeles agencies.
• Imperial Norwalk Centre A 500,000 square foot, 7-story Los Angeles headquarters building for the Department of Homeland Security, housing tenants including the FBI, LA County Sheriff's Department, Social Security Administration, State of California Board of Equalization, and other federal and state agencies.
• New Jersey Metro Mall A 1.2 million square foot shopping center with 16 anchor stores located in New Jersey.
• Loews Santa Monica Hotel A 360-room beachfront hotel in Santa Monica, CA. Sonnenblick served as co-developer and equity investor; built for $90 million and sold for $125 million.
• Boca Raton Resort - The Waldorf Astoria Collection A 356-acre resort property in South Florida with 1,000 hotel rooms and 30 tennis courts, operating under Hilton's Waldorf Astoria Collection brand.
• Waldorf Astoria Collection (Hilton Corp) - Palm Beach County, Florida A proposed waterfront hotel in Palm Beach County, Florida with 325 rooms, valued at $100 million, operating under the Waldorf Astoria Collection (Hilton Corp) brand.
• Flair Plaza Shopping Center A 30,000 square foot shopping center in Los Angeles, CA, sold for $14 million.
• Riviera Beach Marina Village Redevelopment A $481 million mixed-use redevelopment project in Riviera Beach, FL involving new city facilities, housing, and sports complexes on publicly owned land, with Sonnenblick Development serving as the selected development partner working alongside APD Solutions (master developer) and Jimmy Buffett / Margaritaville (hospitality partner).

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Riviera Beach CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Sonnenblick Development was selected by Riviera Beach City Council as the development partner for a $481 million redevelopment project involving new city facilities, housing, and sports complexes on publicly owned land. The company is working with the city's CRA on the Marina Village redevelopment.
• APD SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023APD Solutions is the master developer of Riviera Beach's Marina Village project. Sonnenblick Development joined as a development partner alongside Jimmy Buffett/Margaritaville for the waterfront mixed-use development.
• Jimmy Buffett / MargaritavillecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023Margaritaville hospitality brand has partnered with APD Solutions and Sonnenblick Development to potentially anchor the Marina Village project with a five-story, 150-room hotel building and 875-space parking garage.
• Fresno Economic Development CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Fresno EDC for potential entertainment development projects including amusement parks, hotels, and arena revitalization in Fresno, CA. LeeAnn Eager, President and CEO, confirmed working with Sonnenblick Development.
• City of FresnominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiscussions with Mayor Jerry Dyer and city officials regarding potential purchase and improvement of city-owned venues including Selland Arena, Valdez Hall, and Saroyan Theatre.
• KPRS ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneral contractor for Monterey Park Government Center renovation project. Building architect is Langdon Wilson & Associates.
• Langdon Wilson & AssociatesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture firm for Monterey Park Government Center renovation project. KPRS Construction serves as general contractor.
• Bellingham MarineminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMarine construction company working on Panama City Marina project - building more than 230 boat slips for the marina development.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Trammell Crow Company: One of the largest commercial real estate developers in the U.S., delivering office, retail, residential, and mixed-use projects. Directly comparable to Sonnenblick on multi-sector development with a national footprint, though materially larger and more institutional.
• Hunt Companies: Real estate and infrastructure developer with a strong focus on public-sector and P3 projects, including military housing and government facilities. Closely comparable to Sonnenblick on government-tenant development and below-market-rate structured deals.
• The Related Companies: Large diversified developer of office, residential, retail, and mixed-use real estate including significant P3 and affordable housing work. Comparable to Sonnenblick in operating across multiple property types and engaging with public-sector partners.
• Skanska: International construction and real estate development firm with significant U.S. commercial building and public-sector work. Comparable to Sonnenblick in delivering office, retail, and mixed-use projects, particularly for institutional and government clients.
• Lendlease: Global real estate and infrastructure group with deep public-private partnership (P3) experience, particularly in government and civic projects. Directly comparable to Sonnenblick in mixing real estate development with public-sector delivery.

Others

• CBRE Group: World's largest commercial real estate services firm offering investment sales, leasing, and advisory. Not a developer, but a key counterpart and ecosystem player whose investment-sales platform complements Sonnenblick's development activity on government and commercial assets.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting and design firm with a real estate development practice serving public and private clients. Comparable to Sonnenblick in pursuing large public-sector facility work, though AECOM operates primarily as a design/PM consultant rather than principal developer.
• JLL: Global real estate services and investment management firm active in capital markets, leasing, and project development services. Adjacent to Sonnenblick's world as capital partner, broker, and project advisor rather than direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Brookfield Properties: Major global real estate operator and developer with extensive office, retail, multifamily, and logistics portfolios. A scaled incumbent that overlaps with Sonnenblick on office development and large mixed-use projects but operates at vastly greater scale and across geographies.

Emerging players

• Greystar Real Estate Partners: Largest U.S. operator and developer of multifamily and student housing, with growing mixed-use and P3 activity. Comparable to Sonnenblick on real estate development and public-sector-adjacent housing, though focused on rental residential rather than office.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sonnenblick-development-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sonnenblick Development