Developer to Turn Factory Into Studio

Hoping to capitalize on the critical need for movie production facilities in Southern California, a developer has announced plans to convert an old shampoo factory in Canoga Park into a state-of-the-art Hollywood style studio.

Robert E. Selan, 42, an apartment and condominium developer, bought the 12-acre Redken Laboratories site last spring, planning to use it for a family sports center. But instead, he says that the massive former factory is “perfectly suited for filming” and that he will construct multiple sound stages and a special effects studio on the site, as well as offices for production companies.

Other investors are looking into similar projects, said Darryl Seif, vice president of the Entertainment Industry Development Corp., a nonprofit group that issues permits for location shoots in Los Angeles.

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Selan’s announcement comes just two weeks after an investment company owned by Disney scion Roy E. Disney said it will build 14 sound stages in Manhattan Beach. Other consortiums are also looking for sites, Disney said..

Unlike Manhattan Beach, Canoga Park is not a particularly sought-after ZIP code for movie lots.

But Selan’s plan could still work, Seif said.

“It’s not ideal. But it’s doable. . . . We love to hear this stuff,” Seif said.

Film production in Los Angeles--measured by the number of filming permits issued--is up 32% compared to last year.

Considerable obstacles to Selan’s plans remain. One is financing. Selan says he is close to signing a deal with a developer who could afford the several million dollars it will take to convert the warehouse into sound stages for large-scale film production.

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But he has also considered seeking loan money from the Valley Economic Development Center, a public-private consortium.

The hoped-for expansion will include installation of adjustable sound walls and a special effects facility to create a “first-rate studio,” Selan said.

Redken moved to Florence, Ky. two years ago, taking about 360 jobs with it, and leaving its 190,000-square-foot plant at 6625 Variel Ave. empty.

Redken at one point had asked $12 million for the property. Selan would not say what he paid.

Selan has leased nearly all of the plant’s 102,000-square-foot warehouse for at least seven months, he said. His tenant is Juno Pix, which is making a Wesley Snipes film called “Blade” in Redken’s vast former warehouse.

John Rooney, president of the Valley Economic Development Center, said Selan’s plans represent the first major incursion of the film industry into the West San Fernando Valley.

Although East Valley cities such as Glendale and Burbank have boomed with the growth of the film industry, the West Valley--which some consider too far from the Westside and Hollywood--has been ignored by entertainment companies.