About the Building
Catalina stands at 12963 Runway Road, a four-story condominium building finished in 2004 during Playa Vista's first wave of for-sale housing. Listing aggregators count about 66 residences, nearly all of them two-bedroom or two-bedroom-plus-den plans arranged around interior landscaped courtyards. The organizing idea is the mews: instead of one lobby behind a porte cochere, homes address three streets and a pedestrian walkway, and many ground-floor residences are entered from their own stoops and porches, the way rowhouses meet a sidewalk in older cities.
Sales-era material described the architecture as neoclassical European, loosely modeled on the pedestrian quarters of Paris, and the building still reads that way: regular window rhythms, homes turned outward toward the street rather than inward toward corridors, and fourth-floor units distinguished by arched windows and taller ceilings. The courtyards handle arrival and light rather than recreation; the heavy amenities live elsewhere in the community. Privacy was a stated design goal, with residences oriented so that windows face streets and walkways rather than one another across a common core.
Inside, the plans are compact and consistent. Aggregator records put most homes at roughly 900 to 1,300 square feet, in single-level and two-story configurations, with open living-dining rooms, gas fireplaces, kitchens set behind breakfast bars, and primary suites with walk-in closets and dual-sink baths. The plus-den layouts add a room that works as an office or nursery without the cost of a true third bedroom. For buyers comparing Playa Vista buildings, Catalina's floor plans sit at the smaller end of the neighborhood's for-sale stock, which is exactly the appeal for some.
The location does much of the work. Runway Playa Vista, the district's main street of shops, restaurants, a Whole Foods Market and a Cinemark theater, is a short walk along the same road, and Concert Park with its weekend farmers market is a few blocks further. The employment base is equally close: Google occupies the former Hughes hangar campus, and a cluster of technology and media tenants fills the office district, which is why so many owners here measure their commute in minutes on foot or by bike.
Ownership comes with two sets of dues: Catalina's own association for the building, plus the Playa Vista master community association, which funds CenterPointe Club, The Resort's pools and fitness floors, and the parks that thread the district. Because Catalina sits on a first-phase parcel, a Mello-Roos community facilities district special tax may also apply; confirm the current amount and expiration on the title report and tax bill. The land itself is part of the former Hughes Aircraft property in the Ballona lowlands, and buildings here incorporate engineered methane mitigation and monitoring systems as a condition of the district's approvals.
Amenities & Services
The Residences
Nearly the entire building is two-bedroom or two-bedroom-plus-den, offered as single-level flats and two-story homes. The uniformity keeps resale comparisons straightforward, since most units differ by floor, orientation and condition rather than by type.
Plus-den layouts add a flexible room off the main living space. Owners use them as offices, media rooms or nurseries; they lack closets and windows in some plans, so verify what qualifies as a bedroom before relying on it.
Many ground-floor homes are entered directly from stoops and porches along the surrounding streets and the mews walkway, giving them a rowhouse character that is unusual in a podium-era condominium and appealing to dog owners.
Top-floor residences carry the building's signature arched windows and higher ceilings, and they trade at a premium within the stack. If volume and light matter most, start the search on the fourth floor.
Interiors from the 2004 sales program feature gas fireplaces in living rooms and open kitchens behind breakfast bars. Two decades on, condition varies widely unit to unit, so recent renovations meaningfully separate otherwise identical plans.
Aggregator data puts most homes between roughly 900 and 1,300 square feet, looking onto streets, the mews or landscaped courtyards. The scale suits first-time buyers and lock-and-leave owners more than households needing three true bedrooms.
Due Diligence
Every Catalina owner also belongs to the Playa Vista master community association, which operates CenterPointe Club, The Resort and the district's parks. Budget for both sets of dues and request both associations' documents in escrow.
Playa Vista's first phase lies within a Los Angeles community facilities district, so a Mello-Roos special tax may appear alongside base property taxes. Confirm the amount, formula and remaining term on the title report and tax bill.
The district sits on former Hughes Aircraft land in the Ballona lowlands, and buildings incorporate methane mitigation membranes, venting and monitoring required by city approvals. Ask the association how its system is maintained and inspected.
Catalina's own association maintains the courtyards, elevators, exterior and common systems. Review its reserve study, insurance certificates and recent minutes for any discussion of waterproofing or exterior work typical of buildings now past twenty years old.
Homes generally come with gated garage parking below the building, but assignments, tandem configurations and guest arrangements are not consistently documented in public sources. Verify the specific deeded or assigned spaces for any unit in escrow.
Public sources do not clearly document which builder delivered Catalina within the master plan's 2004 rollout. Ask the association for construction history, past defect litigation if any, and records of major repairs since completion.
Lease minimums, rental caps and short-term prohibitions are set by the CC&Rs and any amendments, and Playa Vista associations generally prohibit short-term rentals. Investors should confirm current policy and any waitlist before writing an offer.
Playa Vista resales customarily involve a community enhancement fee payable to the master association at closing, calculated on the sale price. Confirm the current rate and who pays it in your purchase agreement.
Everything above is drawn from public records, city permit data and published sources. The association’s statutory disclosure package is the only authoritative answer on dues, rules, reserves, insurance and litigation — Ben will request it and read it with you before you remove contingencies.
Common Questions
Keep Exploring
More about the neighbourhood: Playa Vista
Off Market & Coming Soon
Residences here reach the open market rarely, and some never do. Ask Ben to tell you when one is coming, including quietly.
Work With Ben
Units here often trade before they are ever listed. Tell Ben what you are looking for and hear first when something opens up, including off market.
Start the ConversationOff Market & Coming Soon
Residences here reach the open market rarely, and some never do. Ask Ben to tell you when one is coming, including quietly.
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