Monday, May 25, 2009

Pixar Expands

Like DreamWorks Animation in Glendale, (which has been adding square footage to office buildings and parking structures), Pixar's Emeryville campus is also on a building spree:

[Emeryville City leaders] have been on pins and needles after Disney bought Pixar in 2006, wondering whether substantial jobs — or the famous animation studio itself — would move to Anaheim. The start of construction on Pixar's long-awaited campus expansion seemed to put to rest those fears.

"We're very glad to see this construction go forward," City Manager Pat O'Keeffe said. "It's a signal to us that Pixar has a continued investment in Emeryville. "... We see this as a good affirmation they want to stay."

Once complete, the construction will liven up the street with the addition of a new building and employee entrance to the corner of Park and Hollis streets, across from City Hall. More Pixar construction is planned for the empty lot closer to San Pablo Avenue ...

It's also probably good affirmation that Pixar isn't going to outsource everything to Malaysia in the near future. (But it was never ... ah ... moving to Anaheim.)

Who knows? The way the world economy is spinning, the day may come when Glendale, Emeryville and Burbank are taking on work from other parts of the globe.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

it is not just Pixar is expanding in Emeryville. Pixar will have another studio in Vancouver, Canada. look into it.

Anonymous said...

hahahha the comment above this one made me smile. hilarious!

Anonymous said...

Big difference between expansion and consolidation. Pixar is spread over several buildings in Emeryville, not just the big brick building behind the main gate. These new additions will most likely bring everyone back onto main campus and out of those distant satellite offices.

With the opening of Pixar Vancouver and layoffs throughout Disney, I see US based animation contracting, not expanding.

Anonymous said...

Hmm, I'm not quite sure how more buildings in the walled compound is going to "liven up" the street, but the present construction noise and extra traffic to come seem to be taking Emeryville one more step toward being a corporate paradise and away from being a livable city.

Site Meter