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No new theme park in Universal Hollywood master plan

2006-12-07

By Robert Niles: Universal has announced an amibitious master plan to further develop its L.A. area property, best known as home of the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park.

But Universal Orlando fans hoping for a west coast twin won't be happy with the result. The plan focuses on residential and office development, with no new theme park -- or even a major expansion of the existing USH -- in the works.

If anything, the studio tour would lose space under the plan, which would place up to 2,900 new houses and apartment units on the current backlot. A new four-lane north-south street would be built to serve the new development, running parallel to traffic-choked Barham Boulevard (a former home of TPI, FWIW).

Universal also would build new office and studio facilities across Lankershim, next to the Universal City subway station. Universal also promises improvements to CityWalk and the theme park, but I've not yet found specifics.

The reality of the situation is that the Studio City area has a shortage of office and studio space, and that even with a slow residential real estate market, homes in Southern California always remain in demand. And there's already one theme park on the market, unsold, in Southern California (Six Flags Magic Mountain) and no clear demand for a new park in the market.

Readers' Opinions

From Greg Shilton on December 7, 2006 at 7:44 PM
This is the sad and unfortunate truth. More demands for homes mean less space for expansion is theme parks and other entertainment businesses. I really wasn't expecting much from USH, but c'mon, ruin some of the fun with the tram ride? Tsk Tsk.

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