Wave Staff and Wire Reports
LOS ANGELES — Developers broke ground July 16 on what will be a 245,000 square foot television and film studio in downtown Los Angeles, aiming to solidify the city’s position as the entertainment production capital of the world.
The $230 million project — called the East End Studios Mission Campus, located in the Arts District — will feature five stages ranging in size from 14,000 square feet to 35,000 square feet. Other amenities include suites of office, production, support, commissary and outdoor spaces, as well as base camp, parking and direct-to-stage loading.
“The downtown Los Angeles Arts District has long been on our radar as a premier and thriving development market,” Shep Wainwright, managing partner at East End Studios, said in a statement. “With its abundant cultural richness and distinctive charm, the area is an exceptionally fitting location for a best-in-class, fully integrated film and television studio campus.”
East End Studios is an independent studio management and development company, headquartered in L.A. It also has studios in Queens, New York.
The campus is expected to create 1,500 construction jobs in the city, and once completed, another 750 permanent jobs. East End Studios aims to open the facility by the end of 2025.
Mayor Karen Bass hailed the project, adding that the city’s film industry needs support.
“Right now, our legacy industry needs support and this campus is the type of initiative that will help save jobs and help spur production in our area,” Bass said. “From the hundreds and hundreds of jobs created at the campus to the many writers, set and costume designers, electricians, florists and so many surrounding local businesses — we are creating jobs and energizing our signature economy.”
The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation also supported the facility and other East End projects.
“The creation of the new East End Studios Mission Campus promises to drive economic growth in the film and TV sector and alleviate the shortage of studio space, ultimately leading to the creation of hundreds of new, well-paying jobs for Los Angeles,” Stephen Cheung, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, said in a statement.
“We deeply appreciate our partners at East End Studio for their contributions to making this state-of-the-art facility a reality and for their support in advancing a vital industry in Los Angeles,” Cheung added.
Through her fourth executive directive, Bass is working to eliminate barriers to business development, growth and creation. The city streamlined the permitting and inspection for seven new studios and soundstages to open on time and on budget. More than 8 million square feet of soundstage, studios and creative space are in the pipeline.
“This new facility is a thrilling start in leading the pack to have a real golden age of Hollywood again,” said SAG-AFTRA Secretary-Treasurer Joely Fisher. “This facility is great news for SAG-AFTRA members and all who work in this industry. We need production to take place in Los Angeles and I cannot wait to see what grows from the seeds we plant today.”
