South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Movie studio to rise on land owned by taxpayers
Commissioners approved deal on property at Sunrise and Northwest 31st
FORT LAUDERDALE — It’s like a reversal-of-fortune script out of Hollywood: long-overlooked parcel goes from incinerator to Superfund site to movie studio.
Fort Lauderdale commissioners approved the deal Thursday night, paving the way for a $164 million, state-of-the-art movie studio to rise on city-owned land where no one else seemed to want to build.
The property, 61 acres at the intersection of Sunrise Boulevard and Northwest 31st Avenue, was once home to an incinerator that left the ground contaminated. The site was cleaned up two decades ago but failed to draw any investors until now.
According to the business plan, the studio would be fully built by 2025.
“I think the idea of a movie studio coming to Fort Lauderdale will bring jobs and new business development and add a little bit of glamour to an already-exciting community,” Mayor Dean Trantalis told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Friday. “This is going to be a game changer. They’ll be making feature films, videos, TV commercials and everything in between.”
Under the deal, the investors will lease the land for what some might consider a steal: $50 for 50 years, with a 50-year renewal option.
The team behind the project: studio owner Christopher Ursitti, co-founder and managing partner of Los Angeles Center Studios, a 20-acre film studio in the heart of downtown Los Angeles; Michael Ullian, a redevelopment expert and specialist in Brownfield redevelopment for more than 20 years; and D.J. Viola, an award-winning director and producer in both film and television.
The proposal, submitted to City Hall in April, calls for a full-service movie, TV and streaming production studio with up to 12 sound stages, indoor and outdoor movie sets and a backlot for location filming.
Also in the plans is an office building and a mill, where film and production sets can be built. A full-time, accredited film school would also operate onsite.