Competing brokerage reports measure vacancy differently, from 5.6 to 7.3 percent, but agree new retail construction has nearly stopped and investment sales are up sharply

Retail vacancy across the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the market that includes Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley, fell to 7.3 percent among multi-tenant properties in June as retailers moved into recently vacated big-box spaces and builders delivered the smallest first-half addition of new space in at least 19 years, according to a third-quarter report published Wednesday, Sept. 2, by commercial brokerage Marcus & Millichap.

The Tri-Cities submarket of Pasadena, Glendale and Burbank posted the lowest retail vacancy in the region, 4.6 percent, in the second quarter, according to a separate report by brokerage Matthews Real Estate Investment Services.

Multi-tenant vacancy declined 50 basis points, or half a percentage point, from a year earlier, Marcus & Millichap said. More than 600 lease commitments were signed at neighborhood and strip centers during the first half of 2026.

Retail inventory expanded by only 162,000 square feet in the first six months of the year, the lowest first-half total since at least 2007, the report said. Downtown Los Angeles, the Westside cities and the San Fernando Valley recorded no new supply.

“Los Angeles retail fundamentals are showing signs of improvement as limited new supply and active leasing help bring supply and demand into better balance,” said Tony Solomon, senior managing director and market leader for the firm, in a statement. “Shopping center vacancy has declined, and improving office and apartment occupancy could provide additional support for retail demand across urban corridors.”

Other brokerages put the region’s overall retail vacancy lower because they count all retail space rather than only multi-tenant centers. Kidder Mathews reported 5.6 percent vacancy in the second quarter, up 10 basis points from a year earlier and essentially flat from the prior quarter, based on CoStar data. Matthews reported 5.83 percent, which it called the highest level in more than a decade after three consecutive years of negative net absorption, though it said the pace of store closures has begun to slow as grocery, discount and fitness operators backfill vacant space.

All three firms describe a development pipeline that has nearly stopped. Matthews said projects under construction equal about 0.1 percent of existing inventory, with most activity focused on redevelopment. Kidder Mathews listed the 82,390-square-foot Rowland Town Center in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, scheduled to deliver in the third quarter of 2026, among the region’s few notable projects.

Rents remain under pressure, according to Marcus & Millichap. The firm forecasts the average asking rent will reach $32.35 per square foot per year by year-end, down 1.5 percent from a year earlier, and said shopping-center asking rents have declined by $3 per square foot over the past six quarters. Kidder Mathews put the second-quarter average at $2.76 per square foot per month, which works out to about $33 a year.

Investment activity is picking up. Marcus & Millichap said sales increased 18 percent year over year during the 12 months ended in June, and second-quarter transaction volume reached its highest level since summer 2022. Matthews reported retail sales volume of $4.9 billion over the trailing 12 months, up more than 40 percent, driven by demand for grocery-anchored centers.

“Investors are responding to improving market conditions, with transaction activity reaching its strongest quarterly level in several years,” Solomon said. He added that the migration of film and television production to competing markets “has created challenges for retailers in some entertainment-oriented districts,” and that investors are focusing on submarkets with strong residential density, neighborhood-serving retail demand and diverse employers.

The metro added 18,500 jobs during the first half of 2026 after losing 5,000 positions during the prior six months, with health services leading the gains, followed by hospitality and food services, according to the Marcus & Millichap report. Matthews pointed to the 2028 Olympic Games, the FIFA World Cup and continued rebuilding after the 2025 wildfires as expected sources of economic stimulus for the region.

The Marcus & Millichap report is available at https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.marcusmillichap.com/research/market-report/los-angeles/los-angeles-3q26-retail-market-report&source=gmail&ust=1788519021717000&sa=E.

The Altadena Chamber of Commerce & Civic Association holds its weekly Business Coffee Chat online at 9:30 a.m. Friday, an open session for Altadena business owners that carries updates from the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity.

The Friday session is the standing point of contact between the Chamber and a business community in the unincorporated community directly north of Pasadena that is still working through Eaton Fire recovery, and it now doubles as a regular channel for county information at a point when several of the county’s Altadena aid programs have closed.

The session runs Friday, Sept. 4. It is held on Zoom, with the link posted on the Chamber’s homepage at altadenachamber.org, and the meeting ID is 881 9070 5729.

The Chamber has described the Coffee Chat as a forum for owners and operators to raise concerns, share experiences and talk through recovery. “Let’s foster a supportive environment where we can learn from one another,” the Chamber said in its announcement of the series. Attendees are told to bring their coffee.

The Department of Economic Opportunity runs Altadena’s commercial recovery work through its Office of Small Business, which launched the Altadena Commercial Concierge Program under the direction of Supervisor Kathryn Barger. The program pairs businesses with a concierge representative and, through the Altadena SmallBiz Permit Express, offers what the department describes as permit turnaround up to 25 percent faster than the standard process. Eligibility is limited to businesses with fewer than 100 employees and $19 million or less in revenue averaged over the previous three tax years. Kelly LoBianco is the department’s director.

Several county funds are no longer taking applications. The Small Business Mobility Fund Launch Grants, the LA Region Small Business Relief Fund and the Marketing Lab+ marketing program are all listed as closed, and Phase I applications for the LA County Commercial Acquisition Fund closed June 30. The department’s guidance states that eligible applicants for individualized technical assistance are asked to schedule a meeting with a business consultant beginning in July 2026.

The Chamber is also pointing businesses to the county’s Altadena Commercial Recovery Survey, saying on its homepage that the county needs the information to continue providing support.

Incorporated in 1924, the Chamber is a nonprofit that relies on membership dues and volunteer labor to staff an office and provide services. It launched Back in Business in April 2025, a volunteer program that helped displaced Altadena businesses find space and obtain free legal, real estate and architectural help, and partnered with the county department, the City of Pasadena’s economic development department and the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce. The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce & Civic Association is the Altadena Chamber’s fiscal sponsor for wildfire-related donations.

In April the Chamber was named 2026 Business Nonprofit of the Year for the county’s 5th Supervisorial District in the BizFed Bizzi Awards. The Eaton Fire swept through Altadena on Jan. 7, 2025, destroying more than 9,000 structures and displacing tens of thousands of residents.

The Chamber’s next open session board meeting is set for 10 a.m. Sept. 8, also on Zoom.

Need to know: The Altadena Chamber of Commerce & Civic Association Business Coffee Chat is held online at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4. The Zoom link is on the Chamber homepage at altadenachamber.org and the meeting ID is 881 9070 5729. The Chamber office is in the Altadena Community Center Building at 730 E. Altadena Drive, Altadena, and can be reached at 626-794-3988 or office@altadenachamber.org.

El Patrón Mexican Food Restaurant will hold a grand re-opening celebration at noon Thursday at 2555 N. Lake Ave., 19 months after the Eaton Fire spared the building but emptied the neighborhood around it.

Those expected to attend include owner Margarita “Maggie” Cortez; Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district covers Altadena; Kelly LoBianco, director of the county Department of Economic Opportunity; Roberto Barragán, executive director of ICON CDC; and representatives of the Altadena Chamber of Commerce, according to the event announcement.

The celebration marks the restaurant’s return and the continuing recovery of Altadena’s business district.

El Patrón was supported in part by a grant from ICON CDC, which, working with the county, helped provide grants to 18 brick-and-mortar businesses in Altadena, according to the event announcement.

El Patrón’s building was not damaged in the January 2025 fire, but Cortez has said she lost 85 percent of her regular customers, many of whom were forced to relocate away after their homes burned. The restaurant closed immediately but reopened shortly afterward.

Cortez told the LA Public Press in January that it was hard to predict which days would be busy, and that “we are just trying to hang in there, and I’m trying to be strong.”

Residents rallied to the surviving restaurants. The Altadena Dining Club held its first outing at El Patrón in late June 2025, drawing about 20 people.

At noon on August 27, the reopening becomes official.

For more, call the restaurant’s listed number, (626) 296-2818, or visit elpatronaltadena.square.site.

A free program designed to help Los Angeles County entrepreneurs and small businesses pursue capital, reduce their debt and build long-term financial resilience launched Saturday.

The Los Angeles County Financial Clinic is the newest in a series of technical assistance programs and services available through the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity and the California Office of the Small Business Advocate.

Officials said the Clinic will help small businesses strengthen financial resilience through individualized coaching, financial education, capital readiness assistance and debt management support. Program components include financial assessments, educational workshops and in-depth one-on-one counseling. The program is delivered by the DEO’s Office of Small Business and regional partners as part of the Economic Mobility Initiative, launched by Supervisor Holly Mitchell and the LA County Board of Supervisors in 2024.

“When I introduced the motion to create the Economic Mobility Initiative, the goal was simple: ensure that every entrepreneur in LA County, regardless of zip code or banking relationship, has the tools, capital, and connections to grow,” Mitchell said. “These programs are that commitment in action, delivering hands-on support and real pathways to capital, critical guidance, and financial stability. Our small businesses are the heartbeat of our neighborhoods, and when they thrive, so do the communities they serve.”

Services are delivered by Managed Career Solutions and Money Management International. The Clinic joins another program launched this month, Shop Local Marketing Lab, a six-week virtual program that helps small businesses strengthen marketing strategies and reach more customers in an increasingly digital marketplace.

“Access to capital is one of the most significant barriers small businesses face, especially in today’s economic climate,” DEO Director said. “The LA County Financial Clinic and Marketing Lab programs are essential to ensuring entrepreneurs have the tools, guidance, and pathways they need to secure funding, increase cash flow, strengthen their financial foundation, and ultimately thrive and grow. When we help small businesses access capital, we’re not just supporting individual entrepreneurs — we’re investing in the long- term economic vitality of communities across Los Angeles County.”

Eligible businesses must be located in Los Angeles County and have 100 or fewer employees and $19 million or less in annual revenue, consistent with California Department of General Services small business standards.

Enrollment information is available at emi.lacounty.gov/FinancialClinic/.

Home prices declined in Los Angeles and Orange counties last month, while sales also pulled back from June levels, according to figures released Monday by the California Association of Realtors.

In Los Angeles County, the median price of an existing single-family home fell to $888,120 in July, down 2.4% from $910,370 in June and 2.6% from $911,360 in July 2025. Sales declined 8.7% from June and 0.9% from a year earlier.

Orange County’s median home price fell to $1.475 million in July, down 1% from $1.490 million in June but 5.4% higher than the $1.4 million median recorded in July 2025. Sales dropped 4.1% from June but edged up 0.6% from a year ago.

The Los Angeles metro area’s median price was $849,450 in July, virtually unchanged from $850,000 in June and up 0.5% from $845,500 a year earlier. Sales in the metro area fell 8.8% from June and 0.8% from July 2025.

Statewide, existing single-family home sales fell to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 263,170 units in July, down 6% from June but up 1.1% from a year earlier. Sales remained below the 300,000-unit benchmark for the 46th consecutive month.

California’s median home price also fell below $900,000 for the first time in four months, declining 1.9% from $904,640 in June to $887,680 in July. The median remained 0.3% higher than a year earlier.

“California’s housing market pulled back last month as mortgage rates remained elevated and briefly reached a 12-month high in recent weeks,” CAR President Tamara Suminski said in a statement. “Despite a slower start to the second half of 2026, improved supply conditions in July, combined with the recent decline in mortgage rates, could provide some relief to buyers and give them more options to choose from as the market transitions into the off-peak season.”

Mortgage rates averaged 6.54% in July, compared with 6.72% in July 2025, according to CAR.

Housing inventory increased statewide from June, with the Unsold Inventory Index rising from 3.1 months to 3.4 months. In Los Angeles County, the index remained at 3.5 months, while Orange County’s increased from 2.8 months in June to 3.1 months in July.

The median time to sell a home was 26 days in both Los Angeles and Orange counties in July.

“July’s housing market performance reflected the ongoing challenges under the current economic and lending environment, but the market continues to show signs of resilience,” CAR Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Jordan Levine said in a statement. “Higher mortgage rates and financial market volatility in the past two months weighed on buyer demand, resulting in softer sales activity and subdued price growth in July.”

Southern California’s median home price was $899,000 in July, down 0.1% from June but 2.7% higher than a year earlier. Sales across the region fell 8.5% from June and were essentially flat from a year ago, rising 0.1%.

Nominations were being accepted Friday for a back- to-school giveaway that will provide a Southern California teacher with a donation toward classroom supplies.

Rooter Hero Plumbing & Air will accept nominations through Aug. 23 from teachers in its service area.

One Southern California teacher is expected to be selected Aug. 24 and will receive a donation applied toward the teacher’s classroom wish list, according to the company. Rooter Hero did not specify the value of the donation.

Nominations can be submitted through the company’s website and must include an explanation of why the teacher should be selected and a link to the teacher’s classroom wish list.

“Teachers give so much to their students, often reaching into their own pockets to make sure their students have what they need in the classroom,” Katherine Conchas, the company’s brand marketing manager and Hero Helps coordinator, said in a statement. “Our goal was to recognize teachers in each of our service areas, showing them that their dedication does not go unseen or unappreciated.”

The giveaway is being supported in part by a donation from HomeGuru, a vendor that works with Rooter Hero, according to the company.

Rooter Hero provides services in Southern California and other areas.

Nomination information is available at https://www.rooterhero.com/back-to-school-giveaway/.

An attendee listens to Tia Orr, executive director of SEIU California, at the state Capitol in Sacramento on April 8, 2025. Photo by Louis Bryant III for CalMatters

California Uber and Lyft drivers, who won the right to unionize last year, on Tuesday celebrated the formation of what they say will be the biggest ride-hailing driver union in the world.

California is the second state to allow ride-hailing drivers to unionize after Massachusetts, and Illinois last week passed a law to allow its drivers to do the same. The milestone is notable because the companies treat their drivers as independent contractors, a worker classification that does not typically have the right to bargain collectively.

The Public Employment Relations Board notified the California Gig Workers Union last week that it had signed up at least 30% of active drivers, a threshold allowing it to represent ride-hailing drivers statewide.

Drivers and Service Employees International Union leaders spoke at a press conference in Los Angeles, saying they expect to bargain over issues such as drivers getting kicked off the apps, low pay and the effects of the companies’ algorithms on drivers’ work.

• Vikaas Shanker, a driver in Fresno who identified himself as a leader of the new union: “Uber and Lyft systems silo and separate us drivers from each other, right? As we’ve been engaging in conversations with drivers all across the state … I’ve realized that I’m not on my own in my struggles.”

California has about 350,000 ride-hailing drivers right now, according to Riko Mendez, chief elected officer of SEIU Local 521 in San José.

The drivers union has been preparing drivers for bargaining and hopes to begin bargaining with the ride-hailing companies by the end of the year, Mendez told CalMatters in an interview.

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Southern California Gas Co. announced Monday it is introducing updated employee uniforms intended to make it easier for customers to identify SoCalGas workers at homes and businesses.

The updated uniforms feature prominent company branding and employees’ first names embroidered on shirts and coveralls, according to the utility. Employees also carry company-issued photo identification badges and use marked SoCalGas vehicles.

Customers who have questions about whether someone is a SoCalGas employee can ask the worker to show a company-issued photo identification badge, officials said.

The uniforms will be phased into service throughout the company’s service territory beginning this month. Among the most visible changes will be a switch from SoCalGas’ traditional blue uniforms to gray.

“Our employees perform critical work every day to help safely deliver service to millions of customers across Southern California,” Rodger Schwecke, interim president of SoCalGas, said in a statement. “These updated uniforms provide enhanced safety features and functionality that support employees in the field, while also helping customers in identifying SoCalGas employees serving their communities.”

The uniforms are made with lightweight flame-resistant materials intended to provide additional protection while supporting mobility for employees working in various field conditions, according to the utility.

SoCalGas said the uniforms were selected following employee feedback and an evaluation of operational needs. The uniform program also includes expanded sizing options and changes to garment fits.

SoCalGas employees wearing the uniforms may be conducting inspections, maintenance, construction work, emergency response activities and other service-related work, officials said.

SoCalGas serves more than 21 million consumers across Central and Southern California.

[Eddie Rivera / Pasadena Now]

Supervisor Janice Hahn’s motion passed unanimously, but the new seat still needs approval from lawmakers in Sacramento

A Pasadena-based expert-witness firm says it has broadened a free consultation program to people recovering from last year’s Los Angeles wildfires.

ForensisGroup connects attorneys, insurers and other organizations with engineering and technical experts.

The firm said it traditionally offers one-hour consultations across all specialties to legal and institutional clients but extended the offer to wildfire survivors so locals could get technical guidance related to their recovery.

According to the firm, many of the technical questions tied to that kind of rebuilding — including structural integrity, fire damage, soil stability, environmental contamination, utility infrastructure, construction methods and insurance coverage only began to surface as reconstruction picked up pace.

In its statement, ForensisGroup said that construction disputes are frequently more complicated than they first appear and often require several engineering disciplines to determine what went wrong.

A claim that begins with a cracked foundation, water intrusion, structural movement, a code-compliance question or a material failure, the company said, can expand into an investigation drawing on structural, civil, geotechnical, mechanical, electrical or materials engineers, as well as architects, construction managers, building-code specialists and cost estimators.

The company also said construction problems often take months or years to become apparent, meaning litigation can require reconstructing events long after the original work was done. On that basis, it said, it urges attorneys to involve experts early during case evaluation rather than at discovery, mediation or trial preparation.

ForensisGroup describes itself as “The Expert of Experts.” It says it has maintained a network now spanning more than 3,000 areas of expertise, and has supported more than 20,000 clients in over 30,000 cases since it opened in 1991.

More information is available at https://www.forensisgroup.com/.

A restitution fund reaches eligible Pasadena and Altadena filers who used the company’s online preparation tools

The income figures, education credit claims, and health savings account details that Los Angeles County residents typed into H&R Block’s online tax software were, the County alleges, quietly passed to outside advertising companies through tracking code embedded in the company’s website.

H&R Block has now agreed to a pre-litigation settlement with the County of Los Angeles that bars the practice and sets aside a $367,540 fund to repay certain customers, according to a statement from the County. The deal resolves consumer protection claims against HRB Digital LLC and HRB Tax Group, Inc.

The settlement covers consumers across the county, extending to those in Pasadena and Altadena.

The County said the case grew out of H&R Block’s disclosure of confidential taxpayer information made without customers’ consent — to third-party advertisers through tracking devices such as Meta pixels placed on the company’s site.

The fund is limited to a specific group. According to the County, it covers customers who used H&R Block’s do-it-yourself online tax preparation website between November 16, 2019, and November 23, 2022, and who encountered certain screens tied to Education Credits or Health Savings Accounts while filing.

Any restitution money left unclaimed will go to the County’s Department of Consumer and Business Affairs.

In all, H&R Block will pay $515,000 in monetary relief, a figure the County said includes consumer restitution, civil penalties, and attorneys’ fees and costs. The settlement also imposes permanent injunctive relief barring the company from sharing taxpayer information and requiring it to comply with applicable consumer protection and privacy laws.

The agreement was reached by County Counsel Dawyn R. Harrison on behalf of the People of the State of California, the County said, and its benefits extend to consumers statewide. The County Counsel’s Affirmative Litigation and Consumer Protection Division investigated the alleged violations and negotiated the terms.

“Privacy is not a luxury. It is a fundamental consumer right,” said Los Angeles County Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis in the County’s statement. “No company should profit from sensitive taxpayer information without a consumer’s informed consent.”

Rafael Carbajal, director of the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, tied the case to the growing value of personal data.

“In an economy where personal data and consumer attention have become valuable commodities, protecting people’s privacy has never been more important,” he said in the statement.

Harrison said the outcome was meant to set an expectation for other companies. “My office is committed to protecting consumers and ensuring businesses comply with consumer protection laws,” she said. “This settlement sends a message to other businesses to safeguard consumers’ private information and take data privacy laws seriously.”

The department, known as DCBA, asks Los Angeles County residents including those in Pasadena and Altadena to report unfair, deceptive or illegal business practices by emailing dcba@dcba.lacounty.gov, filing a complaint at dcba.lacounty.gov, or calling 800?593?8222. The County said it has posted the fully executed stipulated settlement and the underlying complaint, People v. HRB Digital LLC et al., on its website.