Burbank Ca Economy

Question: What do the city of Burbank and Rodney Dangerfield have in common? Answer: They don't get no respect, no respect at all. Of course, the preceding joke is based on image, not truth. With his sold-out concerts and film ventures, Dangerfield has tons of respect. And recent events in Burbank reveal that the community that has been the frequent target of Johnny Carson's wit may be getting the last laugh.

Entertainment productions now generate at least $6.4 billion annually in direct economic impact on the San Fernando Valley, with the benefits being felt not just in traditional show-biz strongholds such as Burbank and Universal City but in every community in the area, a new study has found.

Burbank Mayor Bill Wiggins praised the city's economic progress in the past year during a brief state of the city address on Thursday. Speaking at the Burbank Airport Hilton, he pointed with pride to a balanced budget of more than $330 million for the 1994-95 fiscal year and a growing number of businesses opening in the Burbank Village area in downtown. But the California recession and massive layoffs by the Lockheed Corp.

Amid the weeds and razor wire just north of Burbank Airport lies the hidden Hollywood. Starting about 1990, aerospace jobs drained away from here like sand through a grate. Lockheed left. So did ITT, Weber Aircraft, Pacific Airmotive and countless small firms that supported them. Burbank officials calculate that 15,000 jobs were lost, a bloodletting that should have ravaged the city.

The night before the Ikea furniture store opened its doors in Burbank, Fred Bruning had trouble sleeping. "I was awake at 3 o'clock in the morning, saying what if they don't come?" recalled Bruning, chief of staff of Alexander Haagen Co., developer of the $300-million Media City Center shopping mall where Ikea is the first tenant. But shoppers came in droves, making Bruning's job easier.

The Burbank City Council, worried about loss of tax revenue and jobs, is considering a proposal to encourage apartment construction by relaxing zoning codes, which would gut parts of a 1989 slow-growth measure approved by nearly 75% of voters. The proposal, which was discussed Tuesday night, consists of eight recommendations from a city-sponsored committee of developers and includes reduced requirements for parking and open space around new apartment complexes.

Entertainment productions now generate at least $6.4 billion annually in direct economic impact on the San Fernando Valley, with the benefits being felt not just in traditional show-biz strongholds such as Burbank and Universal City but in every community in the area, a new study has found.

A major developer has proposed building a $100-million shopping center on 86 acres of the Burbank site being vacated by the Lockheed Corp., city officials said Tuesday.

Burbank Mayor George Battey Jr. said that small business can help rebuild the city, which lost a major employer three years ago, but complained about state budget cuts in his annual state of the city address to the Burbank Chamber of Commerce. Key to Burbank's future, he said, are programs such as an economic retention program where Battey and other officials meet regularly with local business people.

Amid the weeds and razor wire just north of Burbank Airport lies the hidden Hollywood. Starting about 1990, aerospace jobs drained away from here like sand through a grate. Lockheed left. So did ITT, Weber Aircraft, Pacific Airmotive and countless small firms that supported them. Burbank officials calculate that 15,000 jobs were lost, a bloodletting that should have ravaged the city.

In a move likely to sustain entertainment's position as the fastest growing industry in the San Fernando Valley, the Burbank City Council voted unanimously Thursday to let Warner Bros. Studios proceed with a major expansion that will triple its local employment, add 3.3 million square feet of building space and cost $800 million.

Burbank Mayor Bill Wiggins praised the city's economic progress in the past year during a brief state of the city address on Thursday. Speaking at the Burbank Airport Hilton, he pointed with pride to a balanced budget of more than $330 million for the 1994-95 fiscal year and a growing number of businesses opening in the Burbank Village area in downtown. But the California recession and massive layoffs by the Lockheed Corp.

Burbank Mayor George Battey Jr. said that small business can help rebuild the city, which lost a major employer three years ago, but complained about state budget cuts in his annual state of the city address to the Burbank Chamber of Commerce. Key to Burbank's future, he said, are programs such as an economic retention program where Battey and other officials meet regularly with local business people.

The Burbank City Council, worried about loss of tax revenue and jobs, is considering a proposal to encourage apartment construction by relaxing zoning codes, which would gut parts of a 1989 slow-growth measure approved by nearly 75% of voters. The proposal, which was discussed Tuesday night, consists of eight recommendations from a city-sponsored committee of developers and includes reduced requirements for parking and open space around new apartment complexes.

Question: What do the city of Burbank and Rodney Dangerfield have in common? Answer: They don't get no respect, no respect at all. Of course, the preceding joke is based on image, not truth. With his sold-out concerts and film ventures, Dangerfield has tons of respect. And recent events in Burbank reveal that the community that has been the frequent target of Johnny Carson's wit may be getting the last laugh.

A major developer has proposed building a $100-million shopping center on 86 acres of the Burbank site being vacated by the Lockheed Corp., city officials said Tuesday.

In a move likely to sustain entertainment's position as the fastest growing industry in the San Fernando Valley, the Burbank City Council voted unanimously Thursday to let Warner Bros. Studios proceed with a major expansion that will triple its local employment, add 3.3 million square feet of building space and cost $800 million.

The night before the Ikea furniture store opened its doors in Burbank, Fred Bruning had trouble sleeping. "I was awake at 3 o'clock in the morning, saying what if they don't come?" recalled Bruning, chief of staff of Alexander Haagen Co., developer of the $300-million Media City Center shopping mall where Ikea is the first tenant. But shoppers came in droves, making Bruning's job easier.