Image source: Tesla Motors website

[update] TheDistrictWeekly.com was working on the story at the same time...and published it online just minutes later; for DistrictWeekly.com coverage, click here.

[LBReport.com independently confirmed parts of this story last week but didn't have on-the-record confirmation that the DowneyPatriot.com and DistrictWeekly.com have.]

The cutting-edge electric car marker was considering locating in ELB at the site of the Boeing (former Douglas) facility (Lakewood/Conant St.)...and Tesla President Elon Musk said in August that his staff's contacts with city officials led him to conclude City Hall preferred to have a movie studio on the site.

In August, Mr. Musk told LBReport.com that 5th dist. Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske was "the first and only call" to him personally, commended her for doing so...and confirmed a report she published on her internet journal (blog) to the effect that his company's staff came away from meetings with other Long Beach officials "thinking that Long Beach actually didn't really want us there and would much prefer the movie studio" ["Long Beach Studios," no finalized deal yet, a story also first reported by LBReport.com last year].

Tesla president Musk said the decision on whether to locate in Long Beach or in another nearby city would be "a very close call" but "if the behavior of city management and the Mayor were the deciding factor, Long Beach would definitely not win."

To hear Mr. Musk's views as voiced to LBReport.com in August, click here

Following Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske's advocacy, on October 1 LB Area Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Randy Gordon published a personally signed opinion piece on the LB Chamber's advocacy webpage (published in full on LBReport.com citing the benefits for Tesla and LB to have the electric carmaker locate in LB.

A little over a week later, media outlets (including LBReport.com) learned that plans were (again) proceeding to turn the Boeing plant into a state of the art Hollywood-style movie/TV studio complex, complete with pre-production, production and post-production capabilities.

That project, dubbed Long Beach Studios, involves Hollywood entertainment industry figures Jack O'Halloran, whose acting credits include "Non" in Superman feature films, and Jay Samit, who has held management positions at Sony, EMI, and Universal Studios involving new internet media ventures.

LBReport.com learned on Oct. 8, 2009 that a letter was delivered by LB Studios reps to LB City Hall on the matter. [We agreed to hold the story (on which we didn't have publishable details) at the personal request of an individual close to the transaction; however others close to the deal separately spoke on the record to the Press-Telegram which ran the story, and we followed a few hours later with what we separately learned.]

In September 2008, a press event was held at the site with Mr. O'Halloran and LB Mayor Bob Foster touting plans for the Studio...but that coincided with the Wall Street financial meltdown and the nationwide economic downturn that followed.

LB Mayor Foster was undeterred...and spoke confidently of the movie stuido plan in his January 2009 "State of the City" message:

"This spring will see the launch of Long Beach Studios, which will turn one million square feet of retired aircraft manufacturing space into the world's largest indoor soundstage - and create hundreds of new, high-wage jobs," said Mayor Foster in January 2009. The deal fell out of escrow a few months later.

In mid-October 2009, the LB group of the Sierra Club publicly urged Mayor Foster to woo Tesla.

Late last week, multiple media outlets reported that Tesla is preparing to make an IPO (independent public [stock] offering) although the company hasn't confirmed this.

Further to follow. Click reload or refresh on your browser for updated text on LBReport.com.