Younan adds more California offices to expanding portfolio

4/16/2021

MechSE distinguished alumnus Zaya Younan (BSME '85) continues to make his mark in the global real estate industry.

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Zaya Younan during his Illinois campus visit in 2016.
Zaya Younan during his Illinois campus visit in 2016.

MechSE distinguished alumnus Zaya Younan (BSME ’85) continues to make his mark in the global real estate industry. His company, Younan Properties, recently acquired a boutique portfolio of executive office buildings in Thousand Oaks, CA.

“The Southern California real estate market is one that we have been quickly expanding into because of the high demand for commercial spaces,” Younan said. “This is an excellent property in a highly desirable location, as Thousand Oaks is one of the highest-density neighborhoods located next to the best restaurants, hotels, and shopping centers, making it the ideal tenant location.”

Younan Properties is a subsidiary of Younan Company, a private equity firm with assets and operations in North America and Europe. Younan Company also owns La Grande Maison Younan Collection, a luxury hospitality division based in Europe.

As it has done numerous times before, the company will renovate the Thousand Oaks complex inside and out, rebranding it as a “Class-A” asset.

“This is part of our ongoing expansion in the Southern California real estate market with value-added opportunities that possess significant upside potential,” Younan said. “Our strategy is to add life to this asset with creative renovation plans and updated amenities for the entire community to enjoy."

The property will be renamed “Younan Rancho Towncenter.” 

In 2016, the MechSE Department honored Younan with its Distinguished Alumni Award. He returned to campus to accept the honor and spoke at the department’s annual awards banquet.

“As long as I can remember, I always wanted to be an engineer,” Younan said during his visit. “And from early on, as long as I can remember, I wanted to get my degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. That was very important for me. I like this school, I wanted to be at this school, and I’m glad I followed that intuition because the experience and the study and completing my degree in Champaign-Urbana truly had a profound impact on my life and my career.”

Younan Properties is a privately held real estate investment and management company, specializing in the acquisition and management of Class A office properties and in strong growth markets throughout the U.S., including HoustonChicagoDallasLos AngelesOrange CountyPhoenix, and Colorado.  Since inception, YPI has managed more than 200 transactions, having purchased more than 35 million square feet of properties, with completed transactions of over $6.5 billion. 


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This story was published April 16, 2021.