A $450 million studio complex is taking shape in Hollywood as developer David Simon moves forward with Echelon Studios Hollywood, a five-acre production campus on Santa Monica Boulevard. Built on the site of a former Sears store, the project will combine five soundstages with production support facilities, workspaces and landscaped bungalows.
Construction is well underway on the vertically organized complex, which is designed to accommodate traditional studio functions within a comparatively compact Hollywood property. The project is currently expected to open in early 2027.
Key Takeaways
- Echelon Studios Hollywood is a $450 million development led by David Simon.
- The five-acre Hollywood project will include five soundstages.
- The development occupies a former Sears site on Santa Monica Boulevard.
- The complex uses a vertically stacked design that incorporates production facilities, workspaces and landscaped bungalows.
- The studio is currently expected to open in early 2027.
Echelon Studios Advances as a $450 Million Hollywood Project
Echelon Studios Hollywood is taking shape as a $450 million production complex on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood. Led by developer David Simon, the project is designed to provide purpose-built facilities for film, television and other entertainment production.
The development occupies approximately five acres and will contain five soundstages alongside production support and creative workspace. Rather than spreading those functions across a conventional studio lot, Echelon uses a vertical configuration intended to make fuller use of its urban Hollywood location.
Construction comes during a period when Southern California’s production sector remains under pressure. Recent data on Los Angeles filming activity showed 4,711 permitted shoot days across Greater Los Angeles during the second quarter of 2026, representing a decline from the same period a year earlier.
Against that backdrop, Echelon represents a sizable addition to Hollywood’s physical production infrastructure. Its developers are moving forward with new soundstage capacity at a time when industry leaders and policymakers are continuing to examine how Los Angeles can retain more film and television work.
The project also reflects the distinctive constraints of building a major production campus in a dense urban neighborhood. Its design places soundstages, support areas, parking, offices and other creative spaces within a single integrated development rather than relying on the expansive horizontal layout associated with older studio lots.
Five Soundstages Anchor the New Production Complex
Five soundstages form the production core of Echelon Studios Hollywood. Together with associated support facilities, they are designed to accommodate the practical requirements of film and television projects operating within the complex.
The stages will be supported by space for functions such as set construction, production operations and other behind-the-scenes activities. Bringing those elements together allows production teams to handle multiple parts of the filmmaking process within the same campus.
The five-stage configuration is central to the project’s purpose as a dedicated studio rather than a general commercial property with limited production space. It gives Echelon multiple stages that can support separate production needs while sharing the broader infrastructure of the complex.
Its Hollywood location also places the development within an established entertainment district containing studios, production businesses and other companies serving the film and television industry.
The soundstages are complemented by office and creative areas intended for people working on productions. This combination of stage space and supporting facilities follows the traditional studio model while adapting it to the physical constraints of a five-acre urban site.
Former Sears Site Is Being Converted for Studio Use
Echelon Studios Hollywood is being built at a former Sears property on Santa Monica Boulevard, transforming a longtime retail site into a purpose-built entertainment production campus.
The redevelopment represents a major change in how the property is used. Instead of retail operations and surface-level commercial activity, the site is being organized around soundstages, production support, creative workspace and related studio functions.
Its location provides direct access to Hollywood while allowing the development to reuse an existing urban parcel rather than requiring a sprawling new studio site elsewhere in the region.
The investment also arrives as Los Angeles officials consider ways to make local filming more competitive. A City Council review of local production costs has examined permitting fees, inspection expenses and administrative delays that can affect productions working in the city.
Those discussions provide broader context for new studio investment. Physical infrastructure is one part of Los Angeles’ production environment, while permitting, incentives, workforce availability and operating expenses can also influence where projects ultimately choose to film.
For Echelon, converting the former Sears property creates new production capacity within Hollywood itself. The redevelopment keeps the site tied to an industry that remains closely associated with the surrounding neighborhood.
Stacked Design Maximizes the Hollywood Development Site
One of Echelon Studios Hollywood’s defining features is its vertical design. The project was conceived to accommodate the functions of a significantly larger traditional studio lot within a five-acre property.
Instead of arranging every component horizontally, the development stacks production, parking, workspaces and other facilities across different levels. The configuration allows the project to provide substantial studio infrastructure without requiring the land area typically associated with a large production campus.
The five soundstages sit at the center of that arrangement, while production support areas and creative workspaces are incorporated throughout the property.
Landscaped bungalows are another prominent part of the design. Positioned above portions of the studio complex, they adapt a familiar feature of traditional Hollywood lots to the project’s vertical layout.
The design therefore combines elements associated with older studio campuses with a denser urban approach. Soundstages and production support remain central, while offices, bungalows and shared spaces are integrated into a single Hollywood development.
That configuration also reflects the realities of building within an established neighborhood where large undeveloped parcels are limited. Rather than replicating the footprint of historic studio lots, Echelon uses vertical construction to concentrate production infrastructure on the available property.
Studio Opening Is Planned for Early 2027
Echelon Studios Hollywood is currently expected to open in early 2027, bringing its five soundstages and supporting production facilities into operation.
Construction is progressing at the former Sears site on Santa Monica Boulevard as the development moves toward completion. When operational, the campus will add new purpose-built studio capacity within Hollywood itself.
The project’s mix of soundstages, production support areas, offices and creative spaces is intended to allow multiple aspects of entertainment production to operate within the same complex.
Its opening will also add a new facility to a Los Angeles production market that continues to navigate lower filming volumes and competition from other production centers.
The $450 million development ultimately represents a significant reuse of an established Hollywood property, converting a former retail site into a vertically organized studio designed around contemporary film and television production needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is Echelon Studios Hollywood costing?
Echelon Studios Hollywood is a $450 million development. The investment covers the five-acre production complex and its soundstages, production support areas, workspaces and related facilities.
Where is Echelon Studios Hollywood being built?
The studio is being built on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood at a property formerly occupied by a Sears store.
How many soundstages will Echelon Studios Hollywood have?
Echelon Studios Hollywood will contain five soundstages, which will form the main production component of the complex.
Who is behind Echelon Studios Hollywood?
Developer David Simon is leading the Echelon Studios Hollywood project, which is being developed as a purpose-built film and television production complex.
When will Echelon Studios Hollywood open?
The studio is currently expected to open in early 2027, bringing its five soundstages and supporting production facilities into operation.
