About the Building
Marina City Club is the trio of curved towers on the Marina del Rey waterfront, designed by Daniel, Mann, Johnson and Mendenhall and opened between 1972 and 1974, with around six hundred condominium homes plus a companion rental building, boat slips and a private club offering tennis courts, pools, a fitness center, restaurant and spa. It is one of the few places in the marina where a residence can be purchased at all, and the single most important fact about it is that every home stands on land owned by Los Angeles County, under a ground lease that runs to 2067.
The complex was developed with financing from the Hughes Aircraft organization as a resort-style rental property, described in later accounts as the marina's first high-rise residential address. In 1986 the J.H. Snyder Company converted the towers to condominiums structured as leasehold interests, and county board documents record the current master lease as commencing November 7, 1986 and expiring July 29, 2067. Buyers therefore own their homes as long-term subleases: the unit, but not the ground beneath it. A master lessee holds the county lease and operates the rental building, club facilities and slips alongside the condominium owners association.
A diminishing ground lease changes the arithmetic of ownership. Each year that passes shortens the remaining term, and with it the period a buyer, and crucially a lender, can count on. Mortgages generally must mature comfortably before the lease ends, so loan terms shorten and the pool of willing lenders narrows as 2067 approaches; more transactions happen in cash. Value reflects the years of use remaining rather than perpetual ownership, and unless the lease is extended or restructured, which is not currently documented, the economics differ fundamentally from fee-simple condominiums. Monthly obligations include association dues plus ground-rent components.
The lease has been actively contested ground. After county inspections in 2021, ordered following the Florida condominium collapse, found the towers structurally sound but flagged deferred maintenance, the county, the Essex-affiliated master lessee and the condominium owners association negotiated for years under the threat of arbitration. A February 2024 lease amendment restructured ground rent, set annual escalations and created funded repair accounts running toward 2053. County board materials from 2025 describe an approved assignment of the master leasehold to a new operator managed by Coastline Real Estate Advisors, though some later press releases still name Essex, so buyers should confirm the current parties in escrow.
Day to day, the appeal is straightforward: water and city views through curved walls of glass, tennis courts, pools, a members restaurant, a fitness center and boat slips steps from the elevator, with a capital program underway covering structural repairs, deck waterproofing, elevator modernization and new recreation facilities. Marina City Club suits buyers who understand they are purchasing decades of use in a full-service waterfront complex rather than a conventional fee-simple asset, and who price the ground lease accordingly. For that buyer, it offers a way into the marina that fee-simple alternatives elsewhere in the area may not match.
Amenities & Services
The Residences
The three sixteen-story towers, as commonly described, bend around the marina so living rooms and balconies sweep across water, boats and the city skyline. Orientation and floor height drive each home's outlook.
The roughly six hundred homes span compact studios and one bedrooms through large penthouses, so entry points into the complex vary widely. Floor plans have been altered by decades of individual renovation.
Deep, curved balconies are integral to the design, functioning as genuine outdoor rooms over the water. Balcony and railing condition is part of the current repair program, so ask about the specific stack.
Tennis courts, pools, a fitness center, spa, salon and a members restaurant operate within the complex. Understand which privileges come with ownership and what the dues structure covers before comparing costs.
The Promenade, a companion rental property of about one hundred apartments, operates within the complex under the master lessee, so owners share the campus with renters as well as club members.
Several hundred slips adjoin the property under the master lease. Slip rights are separate from home ownership, so availability, cost and any waiting list should be confirmed with the operator.
Due Diligence
The land belongs to Los Angeles County. County board documents record the master lease expiring July 29, 2067, and no extension is currently documented. Homes are subleasehold interests: decades of use, not perpetual ownership.
Lenders typically require loans to mature well before the lease ends, so available terms shorten and lender choice narrows as 2067 nears. Speak with lenders experienced in this building before writing offers.
Owners pay association dues plus ground-rent components under the master lease, and club-related charges may apply. Obtain a complete written breakdown for the specific unit, because totals vary meaningfully across homes.
The February 2024 lease amendment restructured ground rent with annual escalations and revised formulas. Review the current rent schedule and understand how future increases pass through to the unit you are buying.
County inspections in 2021 found the towers structurally sound but flagged aging decks, pipes and concrete. The 2024 agreement created funded repair accounts, and a capital improvement program is now underway.
County materials describe assignment of the master leasehold from the Essex-affiliated entity to an operator managed by Coastline Real Estate Advisors, while some later press still names Essex. Confirm the current parties in escrow.
The master lease imposes transfer fees on resales, at rates that differ by unit category under the 2024 amendment. Factor these into both the purchase and any eventual resale calculations.
What happens in 2067 is not resolved in any public document. Improvements on county leaseholds generally revert absent a new agreement, so neither assume an extension nor assume there will be none.
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
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.
Ben will reach out shortly to set up your tour.
