Frequently Asked Questions

Radford Studio Center is a television and film studio located at 4024 Radford Avenue in Studio City. Since opening its doors in 1928 as Mack Sennett Studios, the studio has played a pivotal role in Los Angeles’ entertainment industry and has been home to many iconic motion pictures and television shows, including “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Gilligan’s Island,” “Seinfeld,” “Will & Grace,” and “That 70’s Show,” to name a few.

Radford Studio Center was one of the first studios in the San Fernando Valley, and the studio’s aging and outdated production facilities must be modernized to meet the needs of today’s content creators. Further, the continually changing spatial and technological demands of the entertainment industry has previously led to ad-hoc and reactive construction within the studio. The Radford Studio Center Plan will continue the existing studio use and modernize the nearly 100-year-old studio in a comprehensive manner to ensure that the studio can continue to thrive as an engine of local jobs, content creation, and community benefits for decades to come.

Radford Studio Center opened its doors in 1928 as one of the most cutting-edge production facilities of its time. But today, at nearly 100 years old and following decades of under-investment and uncoordinated expansion, Radford Studio Center must be updated to meet the demands of the modern entertainment industry. Today’s content creators call for larger stage volumes and more production office, as well as support space, media offices and efficient circulation corridors. To continue being a premier content-creation facility – and to keep jobs and productions local – Radford Studio Center must be modernized.

Radford Studio Center does not presently have a comprehensive framework guiding development of the studio. As a result, the growth that has taken place over the studio’s nearly 100-year history has been reactive, sporadic and, ultimately, inadequate.

Specific Plans are an effective tool for guiding the development of studio campuses so that changes are implemented in a regulated, coordinated and predictable manner. A Specific Plan is a popular form of a land use overlay, which is an additional layer of planning control, establishing stricter standards that go beyond what the underlying zoning would normally regulate.  Cities generally implement overlays to achieve goals that may not ordinarily be attainable through zoning rules alone – ranging from more specific standards governing the production of affordable housing to tailored rules on historic preservation. The characteristics of a Specific Plan provide the flexibility and adaptability that modern studios require, which is why Specific Plans have been adopted for numerous studio projects throughout Southern California, including NBC Universal and Paramount Pictures.

By providing a framework that applies to the entire 55-acre property, the studio can be modernized in a coordinated manner. Utilizing a Specific Plan framework, the Radford Studio Center Plan will:

• Integrate the mix of programmatic elements of a studio and maximize synergies and efficiencies between people, uses and facilities.
• Transform a sea of scattered surface parking, ad-hoc construction, and outdated sound stages into a modern studio ecosystem.
• Bring a more choreographed design to internal automobiles and pedestrian circulation, optimizing production operations and logistics as well as pedestrian access and safety.
• Include a comprehensive plan to activate the frontage along the Los Angeles River and Tujunga Wash in accordance with the LA River Master Plan, as well as public realm improvements along the project’s perimeter.
• Provide regulations regarding height, signage, design, and uses.

As a Los Angeles-based company, we know the cultural, recreational, and environmental significance of the LA River. We know how important it is for Angelenos to be able to access and interact with the River and its tributaries (i.e. Tujunga Wash) via the growing network of publicly accessible streets, paths, and trails. The LA River bicycle and pedestrian path is presently interrupted at Radford Studio Center. Our plan’s proposed Moorpark Mobility Connector seeks to solve that problem by bridging over the Tujunga Wash, thus providing a more connective bikeway and pedestrian trail system for Studio City residents and working towards realizing the goal of a continuous 51-mile LA River Master Plan for all Angelenos to enjoy. We look forward to doing our part to support the implementation of the LA River Master Plan and improving access to one of our city’s and region’s most vital resources.

The Radford Studio Center Plan proposes multiple points of ingress and egress, by maintaining existing gate systems and by adding a new main gate at Carpenter Avenue & Ventura Boulevard and the proposed Moorpark Mobility Connector. Pedestrian and mobility enhancements with direct connections to nearby amenities and businesses along Ventura Boulevard will also be provided. The project will also improve efficiency at the gateways by implementing advanced technology to minimize queueing, along with internal circulation improvements to optimize operations.

Spotlight Studio City formalizes our ongoing commitment to, and partnership with, the community around us. Through this initiative, Radford Studio Center provides financial and other resources to local organizations and works closely with stakeholders to support our community. Click here for a list of our community partners.

The Radford Studio Center Plan will bring important benefits to the Studio City community and beyond. The project will allow the studio to keep existing entertainment jobs and create new jobs close to home, provide a robust consumer base for nearby shops, restaurants and other local businesses, strengthen neighborhood connectivity, improve traffic, access and circulation in and around the studio, beautify the public realm and enhance the pedestrian experience around the property. The project is aligned with goals of the county- and city-wide master plans for the Los Angeles River including the ongoing efforts to create a connected pedestrian and bike facility for enhanced mobility and riverfront experience.

Yes. Radford Studio Center has a proud tradition of hosting community events and will continue to field requests for on-lot gatherings in the future.

Environmental responsibility is central to our plan. Green building standards and industry-leading sustainability features will be incorporated throughout all facets of the reimagined Radford Studio Center. The project will feature solar panels, cool roofs, responsibly-sourced building materials, energy-efficient and water-conservation measures, EV charging stations, abundant bicycle parking, and a mobility hub to connect city-wide transit to the project and help reduce vehicle miles traveled.

Hackman Capital Partners, a leading owner/operator of production studios worldwide, has successfully modernized and transformed other studio properties into state-of-the-art production facilities, positioning them to meet the growing and ever-changing needs of the entertainment industry. Hackman Capital Partners owns Culver Studios and Sony Pictures Animation campus in Culver City, Manhattan Beach Studios, Television City and Raleigh Studios, one of the oldest film and television production facilities in Los Angeles. The company also owns Silvercup in New York City, Second Line Stages in New Orleans, Ardmore Studios and Troy Studios in Ireland, and Wharf London and Eastbrook Studios, which are currently under development in London.

Following the submittal of its entitlement application to the Department of City Planning, and pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the City will prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to identify and analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with the Radford Studio Center Plan.

Once the City releases the Draft EIR, the document will be available for public comment for 45 days. The City will then respond to comments received on the Draft EIR in the Final EIR. Circulation of the Final EIR will be followed by several hearings before City decision-makers. The project will require the approval of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission, the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, and then the Los Angeles City Council. Throughout this process, we will continue to seek community feedback on the proposed plan.

Once approved, we anticipate construction will take place over a 39-month period. In an ongoing effort to be a good neighbor, Radford Studio Center will employ best practices in construction management, utilize best in business Tier 4 Final construction equipment, and we will take steps to protect our surroundings, including measures related to traffic, noise, and air quality. In addition, we will establish a project construction liaison and 24/7 construction hotline, use industry-leading clean construction equipment, and implement a traffic and noise construction management plan.

Yes. The project will be built using highly skilled union craftsmen and women and will include a local hiring program.