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Office of Communications Gwen Campbell Media, Community & Education Relations Tel. 318.673.5062 / Fax: 318.673.5087 gwen.campbell@shreveportla.gov | ||
It’s all systems go for the City of Shreveport’s new Ledbetter Millennium film studio. Diego Martinez, President of Shreveport Millennium film projects says Monday, December 21, 2009 will mark the start of construction, on the mega $10 million facility that will make its home in Shreveport’s historic Ledbetter Heights area. | “It’s been a long time coming and we’re ready to get started,” says Martinez. “We sealed the deal yesterday and Monday, our contractors will get to work. We wouldn’t be making this announcement today if it wasn’t for the leadership and vision of Mayor Glover. Despite our many challenges, he remained optimistic, never lost faith and I sincerely thank him, his staff and the City Council for all they have done, collectively, to make this day a reality.” | “I am pleased, excited and elated to stand with Diego, members of our legislative delegation, council members and business leaders to announce that the Ledbetter Millennium Studio will become a reality for the citizens of Shreveport,” says an exuberant Mayor Glover. “I am most proud that we all came together, and worked collectively for a-year-and-a-half, through unforeseen challenges to bring this film- industry project to fruition. This will be catalyst for local and regional job growth and the impetus for economic development that no one would have imagined for an area of our City that was once called The Bottoms.” | Seeing the success, activity and impact of the film industry locally, in December 2007, Mayor Glover and the City Council made the progressive move to spend $2 million to secure additional land necessary to provide an incentive for the new studio and adjoining neighborhood redevelopment, and agree to lease the land for the studio. In exchange for the incentive, Nu Image/Millennium signed a 49-year lease at $1,200 per year with the promise of additional jobs, development and serving as a catalyst and anchor for film production and training in the area, including cooperative agreements with local high schools and colleges. The project was further supported in Baton Rouge, where members of the Northwest Louisiana Delegation supported and lobbied for the extension of state tax credits for infrastructure investment, which were critical to the Shreveport project. | The first phase of the studio’s two-phase construction plan will add two soundstages and offices – roughly 53,000 square feet of total building space – to a 6.7 acre lot, which will serve as a base of operations for the company’s filmmaking operations. | The second phase will add prop storage, a carpentry mill and possibly an additional soundstage to complete a 20-acre footprint. Additionally, plans include office and potential retail space that can be leased to vendors and support operations. | “I look forward to building the new facility and bringing much more of Hollywood to Shreveport,” says Martinez. | Nu Image/Millennium has produced nine movies in Shreveport since late 2006 and has been looking to centralize its operations within the City and build soundstages that it could use at will instead of renting local production facilities on a per-project basis. | # # # |
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