Hollywood will soon become home to a new campus being built by Emerson College.
The Boston-based college plans to construct a new academic center that will house its Los Angeles programs. Plans include offices for faculty members, classrooms, underground parking, and a residence hall, said Carole McFall, director of media relations for Emerson College.
Groundbreaking is scheduled to take place at the beginning of next year. The current plan is for the building to officially open in 2014, said McFall.
It will be called Emerson College Los Angeles or ECLA. The site will also house the college’s Los Angeles internship program and serve as a resource center for local Emerson alumni and their families, McFall said.
The announcement marks a "historic moment" for the college, said Emerson College President Lee Pelton in a released statement. Thousands of Emerson alumni who are entertainment and media professionals currently call Los Angeles home, Pelton said.
Leron Gubler, president and chief executive officer of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President, is convinced Emerson’s new facility will benefit the community.
“This is a great opportunity for Hollywood, and adds to our collaborative of 16 entertainment-related schools, which we refer to as Hollywood U,” Gubler said. “They have enlisted a world-class architect and have created an iconic building for Hollywood, so we couldn’t be more pleased.”
Emerson College held a community meeting last night to publicly discuss its plans for the new building that will be built at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Gordon Street.
“We are proud that Sunset Boulevard will be the home for Emerson’s iconic west coast campus," said Kerry Morrison, executive director of the Hollywood Property Owners Alliance. "When the construction activities begin, it will be a great psychological boost for everyone in the Sunset & Vine BID [Business Improvement District] who are anxious to see some of the stalled projects come to life. Emerson College is a wonderful addition to the Hollywood U community that is growing.”
Architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis architects designed the new mini-campus.
