A presentation scheduled for the October 22 meeting of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission unveils revisions to a proposed expansion of Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood.
The 16.5-acre campus, owned by Hudson Pacific Properties as part of a joint venture with Blackstone Property Partners, has served as a production facility for 108 years. Television shows made on the property include Married with Children, I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, The Golden Girls and The Facts of Life.
Since 2017, Hudson Pacific has sought entitlements for a dramatic expansion of the amount of production at office space available at Sunset Gower. A project application submitted to the City of Los Angeles called for razing several of the studio's older buildings, making way for the construction of up to 467,000 square feet of offices and more than 1,300 new parking stalls.
Now, according to a staff report to the Planning Commission, the Brentwood-based developer is now pursuing an alternate plan for the site which was evaluated in its environmental impact report. Under this new option, Hudson Pacific would add nearly 490,000 square feet of space to the campus, through approximately 620,000 square feet of new construction and the demolition of roughly 130,000 square feet of existing floor area. The bulk of the new construction - approximately 555,000 square feet - would be devoted to office space, with the remainder consisting of production space and support facilities.
Plans call for the addition of four new buildings - designed by Gensler - including a 15-story, 240-foot-tall office tower fronting Sunset Boulevard. The planned high-rise is a reduction in scale from the 18-story, 300-foot-tall structure originally proposed.
The revised project would also reduce the amount of new parking planned for Sunset Gower from 1,335 vehicle stalls to 1,244. The new spaces would be located in three- and four-level underground garages, while more than 1,300 existing parking stalls on the property would be retained in their current locations.
The revised Sunset Gower site plan will allow for the retention of more of the property's older buildings than in the original proposal, including the United Recording Building at 6050 Sunset Boulevard, which would be relocated to the interior of the campus. However, some properties eligible for recognition in a potential historic district are still slated for demolition.
In a letter to the addressed to the City Planning Commission, Sunset Gower Entertainment Properties President Mark Lammas indicated Hudson Pacific's support for the revised project, stating that the company had consulted with Hollywood Heritage to develop the plan.
A staff report to the Planning Commission recommends approval of expansion project.
According to an environmental study completed earlier this year, Hudson Pacific expects to develop the Sunset Gower expansion in phases between 2024 and 2028.
Hudson Pacific's portfolio includes the neighboring Sunset Bronson studios campus, which the company has recently expanded through the construction of two high-rise office towers. Both properties are now leased by Netflix.
- Sunset Gower Studios (Urbanize LA)