Rossano De Cotiis

Onni, the enigma.

Roughly 12 years since first breaking ground in Los Angeles, the Canadian development firm has become one of the most active private builders in the region. But we also know very little about it. 

We know the company has an expansive portfolio in Southern California, and an ambitious and perhaps unparalleled development pipeline. But beyond that, Onni remains a mystery.

The late Inno De Cotiis started Onni (spelling his first name backwards) in the 1990s, and it is now run by his four sons, with Rossano as president. The company has offices in cities across North America, but in L.A. it has added skyscrapers to the Downtown skyline and advanced major housing projects in Hollywood — and also demonstrated a dedicated aversion to anything related to the press. But there’s no denying Onni made its mark, and then some, in the city.

For the most recent example, L.A. officials in August approved Onni’s plan to build a high-rise at Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, with either 429 units and a 55,000-square-foot grocery store in 33 stories, or 464,000 square feet of office and a restaurant in 17 stories. And earlier this year, crews topped out Onni’s 54-story, 685-unit project in Downtown L.A.

Other major projects underway include, but certainly are not limited to, the 1.5 million-square-foot Times Mirror Square project that will bring nearly 1,130 units adjacent to City Hall; a 260,000-square-foot office near the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and La Brea Avenue; a 210,000-square-foot complex north of Hollywood Boulevard; and a 195,000-square-foot office at Romaine Street and Sycamore Avenue, which will accompany almost 67,000 square feet in the historic Howard Hughes Headquarters building.

But there’s plenty more to choose from: Onni proposed a 46-story, 419-unit project along Wilshire Boulevard, and the company plans to more than double the square footage of its Sony-leased Wilshire Courtyard with two high-rises. 

Onni is also expanding its new extended-stay hotel brand to Hollywood. It will have 36 suites this fall, and is part of a larger 231-unit complex the firm is building on Santa Monica Boulevard.

At least, that’s what we know