Council authorizes city team to pursue studio incentives, prioritizes North Hollywood site

Los Angeles City Council voted to assemble a city team — including the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), City Attorney, City Administrative Office/CEO and affected council offices — to pursue incentive proposals aimed at keeping DreamWorks SKG in Los Angeles. Council members stressed urgency and recommended the North Hollywood site as the immediate focus because of existing redevelopment tools, transit access and preliminary infrastructure supports.

Ray Nes read a letter from a state senator urging the city to act to retain DreamWorks and to present an attractive incentive package. Public commenter Leonard Shapiro cautioned council members to include financial safeguards and avoid repeating prior effort delays. Council members Ferraro and Wax said staff should move expeditiously on the North Hollywood proposal while the assembled city team remain open to concrete proposals from other areas including Cal State Northridge, Taylor Yards and San Pedro.

Council approved the amended motion to have staff prepare and make presentations and to accept proposals from other districts; the vote was recorded as 11 "ayes." Members emphasized that the North Hollywood proposition should not be delayed by a scattershot search across the entire city and asked staff to present a focused package with the ability to consider other ready sites.