A new office campus is in the works for the Universal Studios back lot.

The project, which was approved as part of the NBC Universal Evolution Plan in 2013, will rise near the intersection of Universal Hollywood Drive and Lankershim Boulevard on a site previously consisting of small production facilities and undeveloped land.  NBCUniversal has cleared the property for construction as of late 2020, according to a blog post on the Community Line website.

According to a landing page on the website of Hathaway Dinwiddie, the project's general contractor, plans call for the construction:

  • an 11-story, 331,000-square-foot office building;
  • an 84,000-square-foot employee center;
  • an eight-story, 1,265-car parking garage;
  • the addition of offices, food services, conference facilities, and screening rooms to existing buildings.

House & Robertson Architects and LEVER Architecture are listed as the design firms working on the project.  Renderings depict a series of contemporary low-rise and mid-rise structures connected by gardens and landscaped walkways opening onto Lankershim Boulevard.

The project, which is described as "a dynamic and innovative campus for filmmakers and productive artists for decades to come," is scheduled for completion in 2023, according to the Community Line blog post. 

Los Angeles County's other film studios have also seen investment in new production and office space, particularly as the rise in streaming services have amplified demand for scripted content.  A 1.4-million-square-foot expansion of the Paramount Pictures lot was approved in 2016, while entitlements are pending for 1.1 million square feet of new offices and sound stages at Fox Studios in Century City.

Prior to the approval of the Evolution plan, NBCUniversal had considered expanding its footprint onto 14 acres of Metro-owned property adjacent to the Universal City/Studio City subway station across Lankershim Boulevard.  However, that project was scuttled amid community opposition in 2012.