Netflix wants to an abandoned Army base in Monmouth County into a state-of-the-art film and TV production facility that could become home to some of the service’s top shows. NBC New York’s Pat Battle reports.
What to Know
- The doors to the long-awaited Lionsgate Studios Yonkers officially open Tuesday -- and bringing the complex one step closer to becoming the largest film and television production facility in the Northeast.
- Great Point Studios created Lionsgate Studios Yonkers to satisfy the overwhelming demand for large studio space in the New York City area.
- Great Point Studios, a media-focused investment fund specializing in film and television infrastructure that owns and operates Lionsgate Studios, also revealed its $500 million-plus expansion plan and new long-term tenants for the facility, which also includes Mediapro and Syracuse University.
The doors to the long-awaited Lionsgate Studios Yonkers officially open Tuesday -- and bringing the complex one step closer to becoming the largest film and television production facility in the Northeast.
Great Point Studios created Lionsgate Studios Yonkers to satisfy the overwhelming demand for large studio space in the New York City area. This campus is approximately 11 miles from midtown Manhattan and features film stages, post-production facilities, screening rooms, office space and support space. It also offers services on site, including grip and electric, equipment, props, set building, restaurants, location catering, cleaning service, and security.
Lionsgate Studios Yonkers is located on the Hudson River in downtown Yonkers near the newly created Saw Mill River Plaza and Yonkers’ new Metro North Railroad station.
“With demand for new content greater than ever and prime studio space at a premium, we’re pleased to partner with Great Point on the opportunity to become an anchor tenant of the Yonkers Studios,” Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said in a statement. “They will give our television and film productions state-of-the-art East Coast sound stages with great proximity to New York City, and we look forward to them becoming an important hub for our global production activities.”
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said that the "state-of-the-art media complex will help complete the transformation of the Yonkers waterfront. Local commerce will benefit from the expected 1000+ people working at the studio complex daily."
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Aside from the grand opening, Great Point Studios, a media-focused investment fund specializing in film and television infrastructure that owns and operates Lionsgate Studios, also revealed its $500 million-plus expansion plan and new long-term tenants for the facility, which include not only Lionsgate, but Mediapro and Syracuse University as well.
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The expansion will convert the location into a one million-square-foot complex that will cost over $500 million and boast more 20,000 square foot stages on one campus than any other facility in the Northeast.
The campus will include a total of eleven soundstages, the largest being 30,000 square-foot stage. It will also include parking for more than 750 cars and 100 trucks. The expansion of additional stages and office space are already under construction and are scheduled to be completed in phases starting in September 2022 and completion expected in December 2023.
Aside from Lionsgate Studio Yonkers being the anchor tenant of the campus, Mediapro, a global audiovisual company has also inked a long-term deal to be a key tenant on the site.
“Mediapro recently expanded its operations in the US with two new production centers in great locations, and our aim through this partnership is to continue our growth in the country and globally,” Mediapro US CEO Irantzu Diez Gamboa said in a statement.
Additionally, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University has also come on as a key partner at Lionsgate Studios. Syracuse University will work with Great Point Studios to create a distinctive learning and fully hands-on working experience for television, radio and film students.
“At the Newhouse School, we are always looking for ways to ensure that our students have access to front-line industry experiences,” S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University dean Mark J. Lodato said in a statement. “The immersive film environment at Lionsgate Studios Yonkers is visionary, and will propel our film experience, particularly on the East Coast...We are thrilled to be able to offer our film students the opportunity to learn and work at what will be one of the most cutting-edge media enterprises in the country.”
