LOS ANGELES — Fox Corp. has submitted plans to the City of Los Angeles to expand the historic Fox Studio Lot as part of a project known as “The FOX FUTURE Studio Lot Project.” The plan is expected to cost approximately $1.5 billion and generate $9 million in annual tax revenues.
The Fox Studio Lot currently comprises 1.8 million square feet across 96 buildings. The FOX FUTURE Studio Lot Project would add 1.6 million square feet of new development, including nine new soundstages, as well as production facilities and a 24-story media campus office building. The media campus office is intended to receive LEED Platinum certification and will feature shared and private offices designed for film and TV production.
Fox is seeking a development partner to construct a 35-story building toward the northeast section of the Fox Studio lot that will directly connect to the studio lot and the Century City subway station, but will function as independent office space. This building will also be designed with LEED Platinum certification in mind.
Plans also call for upgrades to existing facilities, a historic preservation plan for key buildings, seismic retrofits of older buildings and a renovation of Fox Sports Studio A.
“The Fox Studio Lot is one of the most iconic and treasured production locations in the history of entertainment and is a rich part of our history,” says Lachlan Murdoch, the executive chair and CEO of Fox Corp. “The FOX FUTURE project represents a long-term commitment to our industry, to our community and to the City of Los Angeles.”
Located in the Los Angeles business district of Century City, the Fox Studio Lot saw the production of classic films such as “Miracle on 34th Street” and “The Sound of Music.” The property currently hosts a variety of Fox productions such as “Fox NFL Sunday” and “The Simpsons.”
Fox Corp. retained ownership of the lot following Walt Disney Co.’s $71.3 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019, according to the Los Angeles Times. Disney is the lot’s primary tenant.
A development timeline for The FOX FUTURE project has yet to be announced, but Fox Corp. says the company “is at the very beginning of a comprehensive environmental review and public hearing process with the City.” According to the initiative’s website, construction will be conducted in phases depending on market conditions.
— Channing Hamilton