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10/08/25
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Now in its 28th year, the NAIOP SoCal USC vs. UCLA Real Estate Challenge will be held on November 20 on the USC campus. Each year, this competitive event pits a five-member graduate student team from the Ziman Center of Real Estate at UCLA’s Anderson School of Business against a five-member graduate student team from the Lusk Center at USC’s Marshall School of Business and Price School of Public Policy in a head-to-head battle to determine the highest and best use for a unique parcel of land in Southern California. For 2025, the rivalry is once again at a peak as UCLA has claimed 14 wins while USC has 13 wins.
The competition site, owned by Optimus Property Group, is a 2.85-acre site in the City of Pico Rivera, centrally located within the Gateway Cities submarket of Los Angeles County. The site is on Washington Blvd, a major arterial road surrounded by industrial operations and neighborhood-serving commercial.
The parcel is at the crux of exciting innovation for Pico Rivera and the region. LA Metro announced plans for the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 project, which will extend the Metro E Line nine miles from the current terminus at Pomona Blvd and Atlantic Blvd in East Los Angeles through the cities of Pico Rivera and Whittier. There are also planned improvements for Bus Rapid Transit along the Rosemead/Lakewood corridor, increased freight and passenger use of the BNSF Railway, and City initiatives to maximize transit-oriented development, especially within the “downtown core” where these transit improvements are planned. This is why the challenge site’s location in Pico Rivera’s new downtown, at the intersection of several major transportation networks, positions it well for a variety of use options.
“The site will challenge the students to be creative and thoughtful as they look to satisfy the needs of an evolving City and solve for the highest and best use,” said Greg Brown, Chair, NAIOP SoCal USC vs. UCLA Real Estate Challenge and Senior Managing Director and co-head of the Orange County office of JLL Capital Markets, Americas. “I look forward to what each of the teams propose as this year’s challenge promises to be full of entertaining surprises as we watch this next generation share their ideas and competitive spirit.”
To claim victory and the sought-after Silver Shovel, the winning student team must accrue the most points during written and oral presentations from the judging panel that includes a diverse collection of high-profile real estate industry and public sector leaders.
The USC student team includes Desiree Bieber, Alex Blecksmith, Hugh Garvey, Matin Roshanand, and Paris Sato. The UCLA student team includes Isabelle Donatelli, Natalie Jones, Alexa Nourafchan, Sammi Weintraub, and Mark Yu.
The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 20. To learn more about the event, sponsorship, and tickets, visit the NAIOP SoCal website.
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