Numbers 6, 5 figure largely in new project

Six and five seem to be the magic and lucky numbers for the city’s newest office tower.

Citicorp Center--first phase of a $650-million development--is scheduled to open next month with nearly 65% of its 900,000 square feet of leasable space committed--a high percentage for a building of this size.

Initial occupants in the 42-story tower, at 7th and Figueroa streets--opposite the Los Angeles Hilton hotel--will be the western division of Citicorp, the world’s largest financial institution; the Lillick McHose & Charles law firm and Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co., accounting firm.

General partner of the center is the Oxford-Prudential Joint Venture, made up of Oxford Properties Inc., and Prudential Insurance. Citicorp and Lillick McHose & Charles are also equity partners in the project’s initial phase.

A tri-level retail mall, the Seventh Market Place, is to open in March with a number of shops and restaurants.

The tower represents the first phase of the $650-million, 7.9-acre Citicorp Plaza complex and eventually will contain two other towers and Bullock’s and May Co. stores as anchor retail tenants within 2.7 million gross square feet of office and retail space.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed the tower and PCL Construction Ltd. is the contractor.