http://www.latimes.com/business/investing/wire/sns-ap-studio-expansion,1,5826375.story?coll=sns-ap-investing-headlines


QuikQuote: The new plan calls for selling off 124 acres of mostly undeveloped land to a builder for a new residential community. Some movie sets and soundstages would be moved while new state-of-the art facilities would be built.
The proposal would especially benefit the theme park, which would be able to more easily add rides and attractions to help it compete with nearby Disneyland, owned by The Walt Disney Co., and Six Flags Magic Mountain, part of Six Flags Inc. Under current regulations, old rides have to be scrapped to make way for new ones.

And here is a link to a second story, which contains a map showing the proposed changes.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...lines-business (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-universal7dec07,1,4005853.story?coll=la-headlines-business)

This sounds good, I love USH and would like to see them have more things to do.

Well, that sucks. 124 acres of land, that could have been used to really transform USH into what they have in Florida, gone for overpriced condos. They have now boxed themselves in as much as possible in every direction. Are they determined to sabotage themselves at every opportunity for long term growth?

Ironic that they are touting that the new "Universal City" will create jobs and it will be great to live/work in the same area, but no one who will work there will actually be able to afford to live there! 1 bedroom condos start at 600,000 in the area, and the average salary of the service-level jobs that are being created (11 bucks and under most likely for the expanded Citywalk, new restaraunts, stores.) So when our mayor says this helps the housing crisis, it doesn't. The low wage jobs guarantee that.

To bad it wont be used for low cost housing - my buddy who lives out there says it will be just like you said - 600k 1 bedroom condos.

Id rather see The Walt Disney Co. buy the property and expand

Id rather see The Walt Disney Co. buy the property and expand

And expand what? This property isn't at all close to any of Disney's existing facilities. The closest would be the studios, but even that is several miles away.

-Jeff

It is a worry they are pinning themselves in. I must admit last time I was at USH I felt that really was beginnign to be run into the ground and that i probably wouldn't be back in a hurry. Hopefully this will at least give them a cash injection and they will add one or 2 rides etc.

The SpiderMan ride would have gotten me back to the park. But without anything dramatically new , i won't be returning there:(

That sucks. I don't go to USH anymore because they are just so stale. They should have used that land for more attractions. Even clones from their Florida parks would have been great. (As long as they don't dumb them down like with the mummy returns.)