Silvercup Studios opened up a Bronx location on Aug. 17.
PORT MORRIS, The Bronx — A Queens based film and television studio opened up its third city location Wednesday in the Bronx.
Silvercup Studios– home to “Sex and the City,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “Girls” – built the $35 million studio complex to meet the needs of New York’s film industry. In 2006, only nine TV shows were based in New York City, but more than 30 film in the city now, according to the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting.
“Silvercup Studios is a great New York success story, whose growth and strength parallels everything going on in the Bronx right now,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “This expansion will help create hundreds of good-paying jobs, generating millions of dollars to local businesses and further build upon New York’s booming film industry.”
The Bronx location is a draw for productions in part because of its easy access to transportation, said Silvercup President Stuart Suna. The new facility, which joins the company’s two Long Island City studios, will create an estimated 400 production jobs, adding to the more than 130,000 New Yorkers who already work in the film and TV production industry.
New York has $420 million set aside annually to be handed out as tax credits to production companies. Over the last decade, 912 production projects have generated over $20 billion in new spending and economic activity in New York, according to the Governor’s office.
Silvercup received a $1.6 million performance grant from the New York City Regional Economic Development council to help pay for the construction of its new facility. The company transformed an existing warehouse into an 115,000 square-foot full service production facility.
The first show to film at the studio, “Time After Time,” will feature a young H.G. Wells and his time machine.
New York has become the premiere destination for filming, said Empire State Development President Howard Zemsky.
“The film and television industry is a key component of New York State’s economic development strategy that injects billions of dollars into the economy and creates thousands of industry jobs for New Yorkers,” Zemsky said.
