Eminently Worthy or Too Risky?

Although a proposal to build a 43-acre studio complex in the NoHo arts district is in its infancy, the measure already has become controversial.

Some say the plan, submitted by J. Allen Radford of Santa Monica-based JARCO/SLG&G;, would provide a needed economic impetus for the North Hollywood area. Others say NoHo is on its way to recovery now and that there is no reason to remove successful businesses already in the area.

MICHAEL BAKER asked a producer who has lived in North Hollywood for more than 30 years and the manager of a post-production studio located in the area covered by the proposal what they think about such a development.

MICHAEL E. HIGBY / Independent producer

I think it would be a tremendous impact. . . . With all of the entertainment-related firms that have been popping up in this area over the last several years, as far as support firms for production companies . . . it’s a natural fit.

The entertainment industry in this area is probably very similar to what the aerospace industry was at the end of World War II. But unlike the defense industry, where you only had one customer, the government, you’ve got multiple customers all over the world that are consuming American entertainment.

Definitely, the opportunity is there for a community that has hinged its revival on the arts and on entertainment.

I think the concept itself is beautiful. I can’t think of any other way to revitalize that area. The industrial base that was there is gone and a lot of the buildings are rundown.

Obviously it needs to be studied. You want to know, of course, if the developer who’s proposing it is qualified and is not going to leave the project halfway through.

And, of course, I think eminent domain is a valid concern to anybody who owns property, but it’s not this terrible awful thing where somebody comes and steals your property. There’s actually a lot of tax and financial advantages. The other thing is . . . that there’s an opportunity for affected property owners to participate in the development and become a part of the project and, gosh, I’d sure love to be in that position.

Sometimes eminent domain is appropriate when you’re talking about a piece of property toward the greater good of the community . . . and in this situation it probably is.

MARC VANOCUR / Managing director, Weddington Productions

I think it’s very silly. I think the site itself isn’t appropriate for a 43-acre complex.

For starters, you’re looking at an entertainment service company coming into a community displacing current entertainment service company providers.

Their claim is that you have taco stands and automotive repair shops on every corner. That is not right. The bulk of North Hollywood is already designed to service entertainment companies. So to displace them only to replace them with a newer and slicker entertainment company doesn’t make a ton of sense.

Another real big factor is some of the technical limitations to building sound stages in North Hollywood. You need a lot of quiet. Therefore you need to look at some of the issues, such as Burbank Airport being so close. This particular area is underneath the direct flight path of Burbank Airport.

You’re also right in between two major North Hollywood thoroughfares, Lankershim [Boulevard] and Vineland [Avenue]. Traffic congestion will increase due to studio traffic, and there will be no place to divert it.

The economic benefit of the project would be very minor at best. They want to claim they’re going to have 5,000 people employed by the project. There are quite a few people working here already.

Even if you relocate the businesses, there’s a lot of down time with that, and there will be a lot of unemployment. And they’re claiming they will replace jobs at some unknown time down the road. Who knows what that time frame is going to be?

There’s a lot of economic hardship that takes place in a community during a transition period. Can North Hollywood sustain it? I doubt it. I really doubt it.

You have people in the community now who are changing the face of North Hollywood. They have a track record. They have invested money in it. They have already begun the process.

What’s the point of having an outsider come in, tear it all down and start over again with what is nothing more than a pipe dream?