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« Twin River official: Longer gambling hours could only help | Today | Elections board puts off vote on banning photos at polls » February 7, 2008Update: Major film studio seeks home in Hopkinton
Hollywood may be coming to Hopkinton. A film production development company wants to create Rhode Island Studios, the first major film studio in the state built specifically for that purpose, on a parcel of land off Exit 2 on Route 95. At an announcement of the project at the State House today, Pacifica Ventures, the development company behind the studio touted its economic benefits. The company says the studio is expected to create 2,200 movie production-related jobs per year, each paying an average $56,000 salary and generating $125 million more in Rhode Island payroll, according to statistics released today. It is also projected to create 90 full-time studio jobs, paying an average of $37,500, and generating about $3.4 million more in Rhode Island payroll. This would be Pacifica Ventures' third such facility in the United States. One is in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the company plans to break ground on another in Philadelphia this summer. The company says there will be a $100 million "construction investment" and 500 unionized construction jobs over the projected two-year construction, with each job paying on average more than $50,000. The plan, however, depends on legislation that would create a Rhode Island Motion Picture Studio Tax Credit, modeled on the state's Motion Picture Production Tax Credit. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Maria Armental and projo.com staff Discussions started last spring, Town Manager William A. DiLibero said earlier today, when the developer approached state Sen. Kevin Breene, West Greenwich’s town manager, about a property off Exit 5 on Route 95. The town was already in negotiations with a developer for that land, so Breene suggested they look at Hopkinton, given the town was looking to develop its Exit 1 and Exit 2 areas. Pacifica Ventures was represented today by Hal Katersky, a Tiverton native who is a managing director of the firm and also a 1964 University of Rhode Island graduate. DiLibero said most of the proposed development would be built on the east side of Route 95, on land currently owned by Rob Dubs, one of the original founders of Ocean State Job Lot, and George Reynolds, owner of the Brook Knoll Farm. The developer also has also secured options to purchase several private residences in the area to build an access road, DiLibero said. According to the company's Web site, Pacifica Ventures focuses on "worldwide acquisition, development, and operation of filming and production facilities for motion pictures and television production," and "serves the major Hollywood studios, as well as the world's most successful independent producers, and all members of the entertainment community who create, finance, produce and distribute media content." Posted by Mike McKinney Commentsdklsfnkjm | February 7, 2008 8:58 PM link Hi, Im a former Film and TV Student at RIC. I served on several community development programs over the years to get the film and tv industry focused here in RI. We have listened to many people over the years come in and proclaim these grand studios with jobs for everyone. Quite candidly, if the state legislature does not consult its local artists on how they can organize a development project like this one where everyone benefits from it, than just disregard the idea. The big studios are going to come in and use the tax breaks, create spectles of themselves on every corner, and then leave when it comes time to finally pay the taxes. Lets be honest, they are going to bring in there own talent, and their own people from CA, Europe, UK and elswhere. Yes, we need a studio, but they better negotiate the deal by writing it in concrete with longterm mutual gains for LOCAL ARTISTS. They should be using LOCAL talent or at least a certain percentage of it! Did you hear me Mr. House Speaker Murphy? Make them agree to use our people here. Now you have something solid. DMR David Romano | February 8, 2008 2:11 PM link Is this project going to be where I am currently renting on Palmer Circle? Devynn Fagre | March 6, 2008 6:53 PM link Post a commentPlease be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006
Great job bringing this in. Awesome development