A taste of Hollywood has come to the region as Great Point Studios officially opens its long-awaited Lionsgate Studios in Westchester.
The sprawling new Yonkers facility which The New York Times said could become the “Burbank of New York” now becomes the largest modern-built film and television production facility in the Northeast.
Long-term tenants at the new $500 million facility already include Lionsgate, Mediapro, and Syracuse University, which has entered an agreement "to create a distinctive learning and fully hands-on working experience for television, radio and film students."
The new campus includes state-of-the-art film stages, post-production facilities, screening rooms, office space, and support space, with a full set of production services on-site, including grip and electric, equipment, props, set building, restaurants, location catering, cleaning service, and security.
Other amenities include 11 soundstages, eight 20,000-square-foot stages, two 10,000-square-foot stages, and one 30,000-square-foot stage, with parking for more than 750 cars and 100 trucks.
“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 new studio will “complete the transformation of the Yonkers waterfront.”
“This state-of-the-art media complex will help complete the transformation of the Yonkers waterfront (and) local commerce will benefit from the expected 1000 (plus) people working at the studio complex daily," Spano stated. "We look forward to welcoming Great Point Studios, Lionsgate, and all of the new companies to Yonkers in the new year."
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