The redevelopment of Television City (formerly CBS) at Beverly and Fairfax poses an unprecedented risk of gaming the system and wiping out the neighborhood.
A coalition of residents, homeowners, businesses, and community groups who live and work nearby has formed to insist on a legitimate redevelopment plan that respects the scale and character of the neighborhood.
We support development that helps communities thrive and change in positive ways.
This is the biggest risk to our neighborhood in decades.
OUR CONCERNS
Hackman Capital Partners bought what used to be CBS Television City at Beverly and Fairfax.
They are talking about a studio redevelopment “concept” but asking for the right to build nearly any kind of commercial space they want.
They want the right to build 20-story office towers in nearly 2 million sq ft of space – 2x the size of the old Staples Center.
They want the same zoning as Downtown LA but right in the middle of residential neighborhoods where aging infrastructure is already overloaded and streets are choked with traffic.
They want 20 years for construction.
They want a big blank check.
OUR GOALS
Redevelopment that generates high-skill, high-wage jobs and keeps our city the entertainment capital of the world.
A project downsized to be compatible with the scale and character of the neighborhood.
A concrete proposal that the city and the community get time to review thoroughly.
A process that is transparent.
Commitments that are enforceable.
HERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC CONCERNS
Whether they build a studio, opt for something else, or flip the property, we’re looking at a traffic nightmare. For starters, a huge fleet of big rigs hauling dirt out and heavy construction equipment in, plus busloads of construction workers in and out of the site.
Hackman is planning on-site parking based on the fantasy that most employees would take public transportation.
But use of L.A.’s public transit is down 30% since 2019. In reality, employees would be clogging major streets and cutting through residential neighborhoods looking for shortcuts and parking.
It’s hard to even picture 2 million square feet.
Start with the old Staples Center: 960,000 square feet. Now double it: 1,920,000 square feet.
Now cram into a spot between LA’s beloved Original Farmer’s Market and the small businesses and cherished residential neighborhoods around it.
Just imagine the impact on utilities and roads and street life.
Hackman’s PR campaign describes a glamorous studio project. But their official filing makes no promises or commitments. They call the studio a “development scenario.”
If they get the entitlements they want, instead of a studio they could build a stadium, arena, auditorium, amusement park, or you-name-it.
Most of these projects would get no further public input or review.
Hackman’s “concept” calls for 20-ton trucks making more than a hundred thousand trips in and out of the Beverly-Fairfax neighborhood, hauling over a half-million tons of dirt, waste, and hazardous materials.
Add to that tens of thousands of truck trips hauling construction materials. All spewing exhaust every inch of the way.
Police and fire departments are already dangerously short-staffed. Response times are longer than ever. Streets around Television City are already some of the most congested in the city.
Now add thousands more big rigs and vehicles of every kind every day. Ambulances, fire trucks, and police vehicles will be brought to a standstill.
Hackman’s “concept” calls for permission to pump vast amounts of water out of the ground just yards away from the beloved Farmer’s Market, blocks from homes and apartments, and less than a mile-and-a-half from the LA County Museum of Art. Removing that much groundwater from a sensitive seismic area sounds like an ecological nightmare and a recipe for disaster.
The entitlements that Hackman is asking for would set a dangerous precedent. Once Hackman changes the General Plan and sidesteps the zoning code, other developers will follow right behind.
After Hackman’s mega-development, other developers’ proposals will sound reasonable by comparison. In no time, a flood of reckless development will obliterate any trace of the neighborhood we know and love.
Nearby Purple Line construction will continue for a couple more years at least. The new development at Town & Country will be 50 percent bigger. A 243-foot residential tower with ground-floor retail is going in on Wilshire near Sweetzer.
The 238-foot medical office tower planned for San Vicente Bl at 6th Street is expected to generate over 3,500 car trips per day.
We will reach the saturation point well before Hackman adds another 2 million sq ft with construction that could take 20 years.
WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS ARE SAYING
"I’m concerned about many unanswered questions around this project, including an unspecified construction timeline, increased traffic, and environmental impacts.
I welcome a project that brings responsible growth and good jobs but not at the expense of our neighborhood."
Matt Scherffius
4-year resident of Beverly Fairfax
“We have an overburdened infrastructure of roads, parking, and utilities. Local residents already suffer traffic gridlock and brownouts on a regular basis.
Hackman’s current proposal for Television City would be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, and it would impact neighborhoods far beyond Beverly-Fairfax.
Improving infrastructure must be integral to any future development plan.”
Michelle Menna
Broker Associate & Realtor, Keller Williams Realty
“Hackman is asking for nothing less than carte blanche to do as they please over a 20-year timeline without public input or review.
What they have in mind promises irreversible damage to public health, quality of life, and the environment.”
Greg Goldin
President, Miracle Mile Residential Association
IN THE PRESS
LATEST PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
September 6, 2023
Contact: info@fixtvc.org
Undisclosed Document Sheds Harsh Light on TVC Redevelopment
City and Developer did not disclose plans for Nightclubs,
Alcohol sales until 2 am, and active helipad for the Television City site
Los Angeles - The community group Neighbors for Responsible TVC Development has uncovered a previously undisclosed Specific Plan for the redevelopment of Television City, the former CBS Studios. The Plan reveals something much different from what Television City has been promoting to the community.
This Specific Plan, seen only days ago for the first time, has major elements missing from the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). Among other things, it includes a plan to obtain permission for 10 liquor licenses allowing alcohol service until 2 am, indoor/outdoor nightclubs, and concerts with sound, lighting, and special effects. The Plan also includes a helipad for unlimited helicopter takeoffs and landings (not just related to studio uses).
As drafted, the Specific Plan would block any member of the community from challenging decisions of the Director of the Planning Department regarding the development. The Specific Plan for TVC 2050 says, “Only an Applicant [in this case, Hackman Capital Partners] .. may appeal the Director's Determination to the Area Planning Commission. The Director's Determination is otherwise not appealable.”
The Specific Plan was quietly submitted by the developer in 2021, was excluded from the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the project published last summer, and remained unavailable on City Planning and Hackman Capital Partners’ websites for the project.
“Neither the developer nor City Planning Department ever disclosed or published the current Specific Plan for TVC 2050, leaving the community in the dark about the developer’s full intentions for the site,” said Danielle Peters, co-chair of Neighbors for Responsible TVC Development. “The City released its draft Environmental Impact Report more than a year ago, but the Specific Plan was never made public. We finally got our hands on the developer’s plan, and it does pack some ugly surprises.”
Shelley Wagers, co-chair of Neighbors for Responsible TVC Development, said, “Now we see that the TVC Specific Plan includes uses that have nothing to do with the developer’s stated purpose of expanding studio and production space. Worse yet, the Specific Plan robs the community of the right to appeal. We are entitled to review the actual proposal, understand fully how this project and zoning would impact our neighborhood, and appeal if necessary. The lack of transparency and openness to public review breed deep mistrust.”
The community can find the project’s previously-undisclosed plan at our website www.fixtvc.org