Culver Studio, 9336 Washington Blvd., circa 1919. Photo Courtesy Culver City Historical Society /The Hollywood Archive
Amazon has announced plans to move into The Culver Studios, one of Hollywood’s most iconic television and movie studios located in Culver City, California. Amazon Studios, IMDb, Amazon Video and World Wide Advertising will occupy more than 280,000 RSF, including The Culver Studios Mansion and Bungalows.
Originally developed by silent movie pioneer, Thomas H. Ince, Culver Studios has been home to some of the most famous films and television shows in Hollywood history, including Gone with the Wind and Citizen Kane. This was the second major studio in Culver City, both built by Thomas H. Ince. This explains the naming of the street just east of the studio lot, (Ince Blvd.). The noted innovative filmmaker died unexpectedly in 1924, and since then, the studio has been known as DeMille Studios, RKO, RKO-Pathe, Selznick, Desilu, Culver City Studios, Laird International Studios, and most recently The Culver Studios. Its ownership has involved names like Howard Hughes, Joseph Kennedy, and Gannett Corp. (USA Today), Sony Pictures Entertainment , PCCP Studio City, Los Angeles, and Hackman Partners.
Amazon’s new Culver City offices will bring space for new jobs in a wide variety of roles including creative, technical, marketing and legal. “We are very excited about being a part of 100 years of movie and TV history at The Culver Studios,” said Albert Cheng, Head of Amazon Studios. “Most importantly, this new LA-based office will give us the much needed space for our team to work and grow so we can keep bringing Prime Members the very best in series and movies.”
Developer Hackman Capital Partners purchased the Culver Studios in 2014, and has since announced plans for a substantial expansion of the property’s current leasable space.
Hackman is currently pursuing entitlements to add 413,000 square feet of production and office space to Culver Studios, including five new media buildings and two parking garages with space for nearly 2,000 vehicles. If approved, the Gensler-designed project is expected to begin construction next year and be completed by 2020.
Amazon – which employs 700 people at its Santa Monica facility – is expected to begin moving by the end of 2018. The new office will be located at 9336 West Washington Boulevard in Culver City, California.