Council approves Television City 2050 specific plan with amendments to preserve production uses

Los Angeles — The City Council on Jan. 7 approved the Television City 2050 specific plan and associated development agreement, adopting amendments the council said scale back the project's size and add enforceable protections to keep the site operating as a production campus.

Councilmember Katie Yaroslavsky, who introduced the amended motion, said the revisions reduced overall building area and prioritized production uses so the historic Television City campus would continue to support film and television jobs. “We scaled the project way back,” Yaroslavsky said during her remarks, summarizing changes that included reduced office square footage, lower heights at the property perimeter and a requirement that at least 150,000 square feet remain dedicated to sound stages and production support.

The vote was 13 ayes to 0 noes on the amended motion.

Why it matters: Council members and supporters described the vote as an attempt to keep high‑paying entertainment careers in Los Angeles by modernizing an aging studio campus while responding to longtime neighborhood concerns in the Beverly‑Fairfax area. Opponents said the environmental review and late changes to the record limited public review.

Most important facts: Yaroslavsky told the council the final package lowered overall building area, reduced general office space and shifted some office area to production office uses. The motion also incorporated a demand‑management program the council described as doubling the city’s normal vehicle‑trip reduction target — from 15% to 30% — and added conditions intended to avoid off‑site traffic backups. The development agreement and specific‑plan materials posted with the council included technical corrections and revisions the city attorney described as updates to maps, floor‑area figures and text.

Supporters at the meeting included representatives of unions and industry groups who said the project would create career pathways. Michael Hackman, identified at the public podium as CEO of Hackman Capital Partners and Television City, told the council the developer accepted the technical corrections and described the project as a path to create local jobs and modernize studio facilities.

Opponents — including neighbors, property owners and the owner of the adjacent Broadcast Center Apartments — urged delay. Lauren Chang, land‑use counsel for Mayor Beverly Park Limited Partnership, said her client filed appeals and submitted detailed comments and asked the council to deny the vesting tentative tract map and not certify the final environmental impact report. Nicole Kuklock Waldman, representing Neighbors for Responsible TVC Development, told the council that over 140 pages of changes were added to the record the same morning, and she argued that late submissions prevented meaningful public review.

Council action and conditions: The council adopted the specific plan and related ordinances and development agreement as amended and posted an amended motion to the council bulletin board before the vote. The amendments included (as stated on the council floor): a net reduction in building area of roughly 200,000 square feet from earlier proposals, reduced heights along the perimeter, removal of one tall tower, increased setbacks and a requirement to prioritize entertainment‑related uses in office space. The council also recorded $6.4 million in community benefits in the development agreement: $2 million for traffic improvements, $1.5 million for streetscape and bike infrastructure, $1 million for Pan Pacific Park improvements, $1 million to seed a Beverly‑Fairfax Business Improvement District and $1 million for affordable‑housing support, as summarized by Councilmember Yaroslavsky on the floor.

Public comment and outreach: Dozens of speakers filled the public‑comment period. Proponents — including representatives from trade unions and business groups — emphasized career and apprenticeship opportunities. Opponents raised concerns about CEQA review, late postings of documents, noise, air quality and potential impacts on nearby residents and businesses.

What's next: Council approval clears the entitlements at the legislative level; the specific plan and development agreement incorporate terms the council and planning department will use to guide permitting and enforcement. The city attorney and planning department will post the finalized documents and technical corrections to the council file as required.

Ending: The motion carried on a roll call of 13 ayes. Council members who spoke on the record framed the vote as a compromise intended to preserve Television City as a production campus while adding enforceable neighborhood protections.