Burbank is on track to becoming a ‘world-class city,’ mayor says
The television and movie industries have been cornerstones in the city of Burbank’s success, and Mayor Emily Gabel-Luddy said she thinks the next generation of content creation will ensure that Burbank is a “world-class city.”
The Burbank Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual State of the City luncheon at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport on Wednesday, when Gabel-Luddy said media companies such as Netflix, Blizzard Entertainment and Insomniac Games are keys to Burbank’s future.
Gabel-Luddy said Netflix announced this week that it will be moving some of its operations into the Burbank Studios, leasing 60,000 square feet of space of the facility, located at 3000 W. Alameda Ave., for two years.
The Burbank Studios were the former headquarters for NBC Entertainment.
She added that the video-game industry continues to grow and is expected to generate about $1.5 billion in revenue and have about 600 million fans worldwide next year.
“Burbank has all of these quickly growing markets,” Gabel-Luddy said. “We have the jobs, we have the businesses and we have the synergy between those markets.”
However, in order for Burbank to continue facilitating corporate expansion, Gabel-Luddy said the city needs to also grow and evolve to ensure that existing companies stay and new companies plant roots locally.
Gabel-Luddy said one of the key ways Burbank can do this is by building more housing so that those who work in the city can also live here.
There are currently several projects in the works that will add to Burbank’s housing portfolio, such as the First Street Village mixed-used project in the downtown area, which will provide 275 units.
There’s also a new apartment project on Cedar Avenue and Sixth Street, which was approved by the City Council in May and will contribute 46 units to the housing market.
Gabel-Luddy also noted a few projects in the pipeline that are still being reviewed, including a mixed-use project at 777 N. Front St. that is proposed to have 573 units, as well as another mixed-used project at 103 E. Verdugo Ave., which is proposed to include 108 units.
“If all of these projects come to fruition and, if accessory dwelling-unit [granny-flat or -pod] development continues, we could well be on our way toward achieving our housing-development goal of 12,000 units in the next 15 years,” she said.
Gabel-Luddy also touched on other ways Burbank continues to evolve.
Recently, Caltrans finished its Empire Interchange project, which gives motorists easier access to the Empire Center and another way to get from one side of the city to another.
Gabel-Luddy also touched on the city’s growing bicycle infrastructure and how all of the major bike paths in Los Angeles County, if they are all connected, could allow bicyclists to ride from Chatsworth to as far as Long Beach on dedicated bike lanes.
