The land between route 291 and Route 5 in South Windsor was officially transferred to the developers of Connecticut Studios on Monday, October 26, 2009. The 20 acres of land will be the site of eight sound stages, 100,000 square-feet for sets and 100,000 square-feet of office space in four buildings. There will also be a visitors center, a 125-room hotel and three restaurants and 24-hour security. Construction on the studio is expected to begin in March 2010.
Governor Jodi Rell said, "Since I signed the bill establishing state film tax credits in 2006, major companies like Connecticut Studios, Blue Sky and NBC Universal have been investing millions of dollars and creating high-quality jobs in our state. This land transfer is key to helping South Windsor unlock economic opportunities in this emerging industry."
The CEO of Connecticut Studios LLC. Hal Katersky said the investment into the movie studio "will generate significant, long-term benefits for South Windsor and the state of Connecticut." He explained his reasons for investing in the property, citing Connecticut's tax incentive and Connecticut's "history of movie and television production."
In 2007, Katersky, who is originally from the New England area, built Albuquerque Studios in New Mexico. The $74 million production studio was where "Terminator: Salvation" was filmed, as well as the television series "Breaking Bad." In the first three months, all eight of Albuquerque Studios' were booked for a year. Over the following 18 months, $250 million was injected into the local economy and over 2,500 jobs were created, according to the studios' CEO Nick Smerigan. The project had a large impact on over 100 businesses in the area.
Connecticut Studios will invest $65 million into the "state-of-the-art" movie studio and the construction will provide 114 permanent jobs and 500 new construction jobs. Depending on the actual production of films, the studio could create as many as 1,500 new jobs each year. Those production jobs would have an average salary (estimated) of about $68,200. The land is the former home of a drive-in movie theater.
About CT Studios LLC.
Connecticut Studios LLC is a partnership between Pacifica Ventures LLC, which is based in California, and the Halden Acquisition Group of Rhode Island. CT Studios was founded by Dana Arnold and Hal Katersky.
Official Website: CT Studios, LLC "About Us"
Official Website: Pacifica Ventures Management Team
Background on South Windsor movie studio project
March 2009 press release: Governor Rell: Studio Company Plans Major Project on South Windsor Site
March 25, 2009: South Windsor Town Hall: Economic Development Commission Presentation
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