New York Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled plans for a new Central New York Hub for emerging nano industries in Onondaga County that will specialize in providing advanced visual production research and education to support Upstate New York’s film and television industry. The facility, to be led by the State University of New York’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE), will focus on the use of nanotechnology to drive innovations in the computer generation imagery, animation and motion capture technology used in film and television production.
The Film House, a California-based film and television company, will be the facility’s first tenant, and move its headquarters, production, postproduction and distribution operations to Syracuse. The project will create at least 350 new high tech jobs and 150 construction jobs.
“This deal continues our efforts to revitalize upstate New York’s economy and create jobs,” said Cuomo. “The film industry and nanotech sectors are emerging industries, and New York is going to reap the rewards of innovation and high-tech jobs. We’re bringing the industries of the future to New York, and Upstate is going to lead the way. The new innovation hub in Onondaga County will be a hotspot for research and education, bringing hundreds of new jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars of investment to Central New York.”
“We considered locations around the world but nothing came close to offering an opportunity like New York does,” said president and CEO of The Film House Ryan Johnson. “The state leadership, as embodied by Governor Andrew Cuomo, the skilled workforce, the commitment to high tech research and development, and the overall business friendly climate in this state made it pretty clear that this is where our business, our jobs and our investments need to be. We’re thrilled to partner with CNSE on what will undoubtedly create unique academic possibilities as we explore the future of filmmaking and distribution.”
To support the growth of the film industry, Onondaga County is currently working with the Syracuse International Film Festival to create an Onondaga County Film Commission. This commission would provide marketing, coordination and logistics to support film production in Onondaga County.
The project is based on a seven year growth plan. It will include a minimum private investment of over $150 million over the seven years, with an initial 125 jobs that will ultimately reach at least 350. CNSE will provide $15 million to build the facility at the Collamer Crossings Business Park in Dewitt. Onondaga County has invested $1.4 million on site work ensuring the entire business park is shovel ready and the county IDA has programs in place to assist new tenants.
Construction will begin on the 52,000-square-foot building by April 1 with completion by October. Work will then begin on an additional 52,000-square-foot building for additional tenants with completion by Spring 2015.
