distinguished citizen program
Jonathan Club - Town Club (DTLA)
Friday, Jun 9, 2023 | 12:00 - 1:30 PM

This event is in-person only

Meet our Distinguished Citizen Honoree

WAYNE RATKOVICH is the founder and CEO of The Ratkovich Company (TRC), whose mission in its forty plus years as a Los Angeles development firm is “to profitably produce developments that improve the quality of urban life.” Throughout his career, Wayne has an uncanny ability to see opportunities others miss. TRC has a reputation for reimagining existing structures, reinventing their use, and revitalizing neighborhoods and communities that they work in. The firm’s urban developments include landmark properties brought back to life such as The Bloc, a dramatic $250 million transformation of the former Macy’s Plaza in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, and the Hercules Campus, an 11-building complex of historic former Hughes Aircraft Company Buildings now leased by Google and YouTube. In 1977, Wayne started TRC by purchasing the Oviatt Building, a 12th Story Art Deco gem in DTLA that became a landmark renovation success with the Rex il Ristorante in the former men’s haberdashery on the ground floor. Later, TRC would go on to reimagine seventeen landmark projects, including The Wiltern Center, The Fine Arts Building, Chapman Market, and 5900 Wilshire, a 30-story office tower across from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 23 years ago, Wayne purchased the 46-acre former CF Braun Engineering headquarters in his hometown and reinvented it into an education, health and wellness campus called The Alhambra. This 1 million sf, 40-acre office campus produces 75% of its own power using Bloom Energy Cells, a move that TRC pioneered, and operates on 85% reduced water consumption thanks to a drought-tolerant native landscape setting. The City of Los Angeles selected TRC to develop a 42-acre waterfront site on the LA waterfront in San Pedro called West Harbor. The Company is actively developing the site into world class mixed-use dining, recreation, and entertainment destination. Wayne helped bring the iconic Hollywood restaurant, Yamashiro to West Harbor. Wayne has developed over 18 million square feet of office, retail, industrial, and residential properties, with a value of over $2.7 billion since 1999. In 2011, the Urban Land Institute named Ratkovich a Life Trustee, an honor given to 15 members in the 80-year history of the 35,000-member organization. Wayne was a former member of the Urban Land Institute’s Global Board of Directors. He is also a Trustee Emeritus of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Locally, Ratkovich is co-chairing California Hospital Medical Center’s capital campaign and is board member of Homeboy Industries. Recently, Wayne received the Distinguished Business person Award from the USC Architectural Guild and the Design Advocate Develop Award from the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

And at this program, will be awarded the Distinguished Citizen honor from the Rotary Club of Los Angeles.