Steiner Studios, a Brooklyn-based soundstage operator, has been selected to establish a 500,000-square-foot film and television production hub in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The announcement was made by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME).
The project will be established on the Made in New York Campus at Bush Terminal in Sunset Park. It will include eight new soundstages, gut-renovations of two historic buildings, and a new parking facility. Steiner will complete the adjacent Bush Terminal Piers Park, build a new playground designed with community input, and contribute $25,000 annually to recreational programming in the park.
In addition to creating thousands of jobs and new public open space, this project will focus on investing in the local workforce and on advancing diversity and equity in the media and entertainment industry through the following investments:
- $50,000 per year to advance opportunities in media and entertainment to New Yorkers of color and women through MOME’s highly successful Made in NY Production Assistant and Made in NY Post-Production job-training programs, ensuring that an additional 25 to 30 participants a year gain work experience, training, and connections to jobs.
- $250,000 over 10 years to a non-profit organization supporting gender equity, diversity and inclusion in the New York City film and television production industry.
- Providing free office or classroom space for one or more non-profits that advance racial equity, diversity and inclusion in the production industry.
- Creation of a new, offsite local program for high school students to train for jobs in the production industry, with up to $50,000 towards its establishment, plus $25,000 per year for resources and programming and school year internship opportunities.
- A summer internship program that will include two paid 10-week positions, focusing in the areas of stage operations, lighting and grip, and production facilities management. These will be filled through local community organizations.
- Steiner Studios expects to support 2,200 jobs upon project completion, including set builders, electricians, scenic artists, grips, propmasters, set dressers, hair and make-up artists, and costume designers.
This investment is also expected to create at least 1,800 temporary construction jobs and comes with a goal of 25% participation rate by Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises. Steiner Studios will also be required to recruit qualified candidates from the local community through NYCEDC’s HireNYC program.
“This new production hub builds on the City’s commitment to increasing access and opportunities for New Yorkers in the film and television industry with expanded soundstage facilities and centers for skilled job training and talent development,” said Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Anne del Castillo. “Situated alongside tech and garment manufacturing in the heart of the Made in NY Campus, the new facilities with added soundstage space will strengthen our local industry and raise the city’s profile as a global creative capital.”
“TV production is a thriving industry in New York, and this project helps jump-start the city’s economic recovery and growth,” said Doug Steiner, chairman of Steiner Studios. “We’re beyond thrilled to have been selected, and to bring 2,200 high-paying jobs and opportunities to Bush Terminal.”
“This production hub will expand diversity and inclusion in the film and television industry, while generating local economic activity, opportunity and job creation in south Brooklyn, said Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY). I’m particularly pleased that Steiner Studios has been selected to build the soundstages and production facilities. This company has a tremendous track record of local hiring and utilizing minority and women-owned businesses. Once completed, this project will also provide educational and career pathways in Sunset Park through apprenticeship, internships and production assistant programs. New York is a creative capital and Brooklyn has been central to this hotbed of artistic activity. This project builds on that success, while providing valuable public benefits.”
In 2017, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the Made in New York Campus at Bush Terminal, including garment manufacturing, film/TV/media production and other light manufacturing and significant upgrades to the north campus. NYCEDC started construction on the garment hub renovation and north campus upgrades in February 2020. Construction was temporarily paused due to COVID-19 but has resumed as of July 2020.
