At the southern edge of Century City, a small community of office buildings, bungalows and sound stages is all that remains of the once grand and sprawling 20th Century Fox Studios.

In fact, before William Fox built his studio here in 1928, the 176-acre site that would one day become Century City was first the personal ranch of movie cowboy legend Tom Mix. Can you imagine it—here among the streets and skyscrapers of this bustling metropolitan center—western stars such as Mix and John Wayne galloped into the sunset?

By 1935, Fox—producers of the famous Movietone Newsreels—had merged operations with Daryll Zanuck’s 20th Century Pictures to form what would become one of the truly great studios of the American cinema’s Golden Age—20th Century Fox Pictures.

But by 1957, with box office receipts down and filmmakers shooting more on location, 20th Century Fox decided to either develop part of their extensive 260-acre back-lot or sell it off entirely. Ultimately, in 1961, the Aluminum Co. of America (Alcoa) purchased 260 acres from 20th Century Fox for $43 million, with 80 acres to remain in use by the film company for its studios.

Finally, Century City was born and very quickly became one of the most vibrant and prominent business districts in Los Angeles. To commemorate their development, Alcoa commissioned the design and construction of what would become the 44-story landmark Century Plaza Towers—the structures’ signature “skin” or façade made entirely from gleaming aluminum.

Today, nearly a half-century later—on what most recently was the former site of the ABC Entertainment Center—some $400 million has been invested in the development and construction of L.A.’s next landmark structure, 2000 Avenue of the Stars. In the distinguished company of the famed Century Plaza Towers, it has been cast as part of the all-new Century Park in Century City—once more positioning this historic location to play a starring role in the business, entertainment and cultural life of Los Angeles.