The main lot of Occidental Studios, a complex near downtown Los Angeles that touts its legacy dating back to the silent film era, is on the market.
The space, which houses four stages totaling 31,489-square-feet along with eight office buildings and bungalows on 2.89 acres, has been listed at $45 million with commercial real estate giant CBRE, which also lists a leasing option. The lot, which dates back to 1913, also includes 212 parking spots.
The lot’s clients have included projects from Disney, HBO, Showtime, Sony, Paramount, Fox, NBC and Netflix and shows filmed on its stages include Fox’s New Girl and HBO’s Sharp Objects, according to the listing.
The owner of the Main Lot is the holding company Occidental Entertainment Group, which is run by CEO Craig Darian, a longtime soundstage operator and producer who runs Tricor Entertainment and who once ran audio postproduction company Glen Glenn Sound of Hollywood. Occidental runs multiple facilities across the city and also offers lighting and grip, tech, prop and other services.
The largest stage in the complex, at 14,000 square footage along with space for hair and make-up facilities, offices and more, was built in 2011. At the time, Darian stated the decision was made to invest “when concerns over runaway production were running rampant.”
Those concerns are once again at the forefront of conversation as film and television shoots in Los Angeles have precipitously declined over the past several years, sparking industry advocates into action to keep production local (like the “Stay in L.A.” coalition). Shooting on television shows in L.A. during the first quarter of this year is down 30 percent from the same period in 2024 and down nearly 50 percent from a five-year average, per non-profit FilmLA’s latest report in April.
Los Angeles soundstage occupancy rates have fallen from 90 percent in 2022 to 69 percent in 2023 — during the 118-day actors strike and 148-day writers strike — and dropped even further to 63 percent last year amid a content spend pullback by the studios, per a tally from FilmLA.
As feature film and scripted television shoots have declined in the area, soundstage operators have also raised concerns and gotten creative. “The reality is that the gravity of Los Angeles challenges finally seems to have created some urgency for local officials to figure out what needs to happen for the city to thrive again,” said Victor Coleman, the CEO of Hudson Pacific, which owns Sunset Studios, during a May 8 earnings call.
Meanwhile, Hackman Capital Partners, which owns Television City in the Fairfax District, recently inked a deal to allow individual creators and creator brands access to its facilities as the city deals with a production slump from traditional studio partners.
A view of Stage 2 at Occidental Studios’ Main Lot.
CBRE
A view of the buildings at Occidental Studios’ Main Lot.
CBRE
Nicole Mihalka, svp at CBRE, represents the listing for Occidental Studios’ Main Lot.
