LA City Council Approves $1B Television City Upgrades
The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a $1B plan that would allow Television City, a sprawling 25-acre television production complex in Fairfax, to expand the studio lot.
“We believe in Los Angeles. Our customers want to film in Los Angeles. And we are proud to make this historic investment into the Los Angeles entertainment industry,” said Michael Hackman, CEO of Hackman Capital Partners, in a release Tuesday announcing the council's approval.
Hackman Capital Partners has owned Television City since 2019. The project, which was first announced in 2021, faced appeals from nine community groups, including a group led by Grove owner and real estate developer Rick Caruso.
The council's planning and land use committee had recommended that all nine appeals be denied and the project be approved when it heard the matter in December, according to Deadline.
Earlier this year, Hackman had revised its plans for the revamp, scaling back by eliminating one of two 15-story office towers planned for the site and lowering some building heights, the Los Angeles Times reported at the time.
The vote allows the addition of up to 1.4M SF of new space at the site, including new soundstages that would bring the total onsite count of eight to 15. Some stages built in the 1990s would be demolished, but four that date back to the 1950s would remain, Deadline reported.
Television City opened its doors in 1952 as the first purpose-built television production facility in the world. It has been the home to iconic shows across the ages, from The Merv Griffin Show and Sonny and Cher to American Idol.
The approvals for the expansion come as the entertainment industry struggles locally, statewide and beyond. In the third quarter of 2024, scripted TV production was down 55.5% compared to the five-year average, according to a Film LA report.
Many are looking to a proposal from Gov. Gavin Newsom that would dramatically expand the state's film tax credit program as a possible savior from what has remained a challenging situation for those working in the industry or catering to it.
