NBCUniversal abandons plans to build nearly 3,000 housing units under studio expansion

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – NBCUniversal is abandoning plans to build nearly 3,000 residences as part of an expansion on what is now its studio back-lot after complaints from surrounding residents and local politicians.

The company announced Monday it will instead pursue plans that scrap the residences in favour of more hotel rooms, a bigger expansion and upgrade of the Universal Studios theme park and surrounding retail and more studio offices and production facilities.

Los Angeles County supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Tom LaBonge had asked that the studio eliminate the proposed neighbourhood with 2,937 residences.

NBCUniversal now plans to build two 500-room hotels instead of one, to more than double the space devoted to retail and theme park entertainment to 327,000 square feet and to build 1.45 million square feet of production offices and studios.