For rent: 'Gone With the Wind' mansion

Culver Studios lot to be available in November

By DAVE MCNARY

Hollywood execs with a keen sense of history, take note: The mansion seen at the beginning of "Gone With the Wind" and other Selznick Studios films is back on the rental market.

With about 140 Sony employees vacating the Culver Studios lot in the coming weeks, about 60,000 square feet -- including the 15,000-square-foot mansion -- will be available come November.

The mansion achieved its iconic status in the "Gone With the Wind" credits as the backdrop for the logo of the David O. Selznick Studios. The storied lot, built in 1918, has been home to Cecil B. DeMille, RKO, Howard Hughes, Desilu and Grant Tinker. Sony has occupied the space since 1991.

Culver Studios prexy-CEO James Cella isn't disclosing an asking price on a new lease but believes the combo of history and classic design should be enough to draw substantial interest ... should be.

"With the real estate market so unsettled, who knows?" he says.

The space represents about 25% of Culver Studios' footprint. The lot is home to 13 soundstages, production offices, bungalows and support services.

Sony bought the lot in 1991 and sold it in 2004 to private investors PCCP Studio City while continuing to lease space at Culver. The departing Sony employees (mostly in TV) will be moving to the Sony lot, where work's being completed on two new buildings -- constructed according to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) guidelines of the U.S. Green Building Council.