MEDIA CENTER REFLECTS WESTSIDE MIGRATION TREND
by Dennis Kaiser
Reflecting a trend of continued Westside office migration, Media Center at Raleigh Studios Manhattan Beach, a 60,000-square-foot Class A office building is nearing completion on the new Westside lot. Simultaneously, over the past five years, there has been a perceptible influx of entertainment-related businesses and services, inspiring a new moniker for the area, “The Westside Entertainment Corridor.” According to Mark Rosenthal, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Raleigh Enterprises, which operates the largest independent film, television and commercial studio group in the country, “As the newest option for the business community, Media Center at Raleigh Studios Manhattan Beach offers America’s leading corporations a rare business address on a dynamic working studio lot, without sacrificing the appointments, amenities and services of a traditional office building.”
Raleigh Studios Hollywood is the oldest continually operated studio in the country. And now the newest is Raleigh Studios Manhattan Beach, the production home to some of the entertainment industry’s hottest new shows, including the award-winning hit television shows from David E. Kelley Productions, “Ally McBeal” and “The Practice,” as well as a new offering for the fall lineup, “Snoops.” As a result of its studio environment, Media Center at Raleigh Studios Manhattan Beach has raised the bar in terms of the benefits offered companies located there including an on-site commissary with catering capabilities, 25-seat screening room and a pedestrian-friendly campus within walking distance to a variety of world-class restaurants, hotels, retail offerings and a golf course.
“Companies now have an exclusive opportunity to join an on-lot campus environment typically reserved for entertainment industry companies. Media Center promises to be a big draw for companies ranging from high-tech to design and creative firms to advertising agencies. Any company with a forward-thinking, contemporary, hip image would find everything they need here,” said Bob Healey, the leasing agent for Media Center at Raleigh Studios Manhattan Beach. “The four-story office building offers companies a high-quality office space including features such as a sophisticated telecommunications system and preinstalled data network, state-of-the-art connectivity and bandwidth via a fiber optic hub, 24-hour security, on-site management, and around-the-clock access to HVAC and utilities. Additionally, we have an exclusive on-lot commissary featuring a blend of contemporary and stylish industrial design elements, which is slated to open later this year,” according to Healey.
CB Richard Ellis is the office development’s exclusive leasing agent, including the brokerage team of John Ayoob, Bob Healey and Rob Waller.
Located two minutes West of the San Diego 405 freeway on Rosecrans Ave. and 10 minutes from LAX, Media Center at Raleigh Studios Manhattan Beach is in the heart of the Westside Entertainment Corridor that runs from Santa Monica to Long Beach. The 22.5-acre lot consists of approximately 300,000-square-feet of office and production support space and 14 new state-of-the-art sound stages totaling nearly 290,000 square feet, including five 25,000-square-foot stages.
The new Hollywood, this emerging Westside Entertainment Corridor, stretches from Santa Monica to Long Beach. Companies who’ve taken up residence in the area include MCA, SONY Music, Columbia Music, DreamWorks SKG, MGM, MTV Networks, Nickelodeon, KTTV-TV Fox 11, Digital Domain, Pacific Ocean Post Sound, Todd-AO Studios, HUM Music + Sound Design, Mad River Post, Rhythm & Hues, DirecTV, The Bedford Group, Fuel, Silicon Studios, @Radical Media, Artisan Entertainment, Caravan Pictures, Cinergi Pictures, Langley Productions, Rock-It-Cargo, Stilleto Entertainment, Trimark Pictures, United Artists Pictures and Electric Avenue Films.
Raleigh Studios’ Westside activity follows its more than two decades owning and operating the venerable studio in Hollywood that is considered the industry standard, spanning more than 80 years of film making. Raleigh Studios Hollywood consists of 165,000-square feet of production support office space, and 12 sound stages totaling nearly 150,000 square feet, ranging in size from 4,000-square feet to 32,000 square feet.
Raleigh Studios is part of a diverse business group operated by Santa Monica-based Raleigh Enterprises. The parent company’s holdings include such assets as the Sunset Marquis Hotel and Villas, Lee Brevard Jewelry, Malibu Hills Vineyards and File Keepers, an archival business-records management company. Founded by George Rosenthal in 1955, Raleigh Enterprises encompasses more than 400 employees and generates annual revenues of in excess of $50 million.
Dennis Kaiser is Senior Writer with Macy + Associates.
