Burbank officials to tour Media Studios site, consider 10-year extension for project
Members of the Burbank City Council are expected to consider next week whether they should approve an extension for a project being built by Media Center North Development to give the company more time to construct a five-story office building on a site located near the Hollywood Burbank Airport.
Before making a decision about the requested extension, council members and city staff will take a tour on Wednesday of the proposed campus where the proposed 160,447-adjusted-gross-square-foot facility is slated to be built at 3100 Thornton Ave., according to a city staff report.
The applicant is seeking a 10-year extension that would end May 10, 2028, to give the company more time to work on the project, specifically to fill vacancies left by Yahoo Inc., which in early 2016 shuttered its Burbank office on the Media Studios site.
Since then, Media Center North Development has been trying to find tenants for two of the four buildings on the site that were left vacant because of Yahoo’s departure.
Representatives for the applicant said they think a 10-year extension would be appropriate to find and retain new tenants before moving forward with construction on the proposed office building.
No building permits have been issued by Burbank to Media Center North Development for construction of the office building.
In return for an extension, Media Center officials are agreeing to several public benefits that would help the city meet the policies in its Burbank 2035 plan.
For example, if the extension is approved, Media Center North Development would pay a share toward maintenance of the recently opened North Burbank Metrolink station near the airport, as well as operation and maintenance costs and capital costs for the BurbankBus program.
Media Center North Development would also build or pay for construction of a bicycle lane on Hollywood Way between Avon Street and Thornton Avenue.
Additionally, Media Center North Development proposes upgrading sidewalks along the east side of Avon between Empire Avenue and the Marriott Hotel, the north side of Empire between Avon and the Media Studio’s most westerly driveway and the west side of Ontario Avenue between Empire and Thornton.
The council is expected to consider the extension during its meeting on Tuesday.
anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com
Twitter: @acocarpio
