The day was billed as the start of construction of Lionsgate Newark film studio — one of three brick-and-mortar studio sites going up in the state that are helping to make New Jersey the film capital of the East Coast.
And it was all that.
Speakers detailed the number of jobs, the number of productions, the number of stars (Denzel Washington recently was on Broad Street in Newark) that are coming with an industry that already is surging in New Jersey.
But the event Thursday morning at the Temple of Hip Hop on Ludlow Street in South Ward was much more than that. It was much more provincial.
The studio, a collaborative effort by Lionsgate, Great Point Studios, the N.J. Performing Arts Center and the Newark Housing Authority, was as much about what the site will mean to the city — particularly the South Ward — as it is for the state and the sector’s growth in it.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka talked of the past, reminding the overflow crowd that the 12-acre facility will be located at 164 Dayton Street, or the land that once housed the Seth Boyden Court public housing project, a community that meant so much to so many, that numerous former residents came to its implosion.
State Senate Majority Leader M. Theresa Ruiz talked about the present, how the facility will give residents of the South Ward — and the city — the opportunity to proudly proclaim that they are from present-day Newark.
Newark Schools Superintendent Roger León talked about how the city is preparing to create the first New Media High School in the area, a school where Newark students will be able to prepare for careers in all areas of digital media and production.
To be sure, the studio (which aims to be complete in 2027) will first and foremost be about TV and film production. It will feature multiple soundstages, production offices, set-building facilities, and full on-site production services including grip/electric, equipment storage, catering, props, parking, security and more.
But it is the opportunities that will come with all this that stole the show.
“This initiative is more than just a film studio; it is a profound commitment to the future of Newark and to the future of the film industry in New Jersey,” Gov. Phil Murphy said.
Baraka agreed.
“Lionsgate Newark is set to be a major driver of opportunity and artistic innovation for our city,” he said. “From the opportunities presented by the construction phase to the long-term careers the studio will sustain in rapidly growing industries, this project represents a genuine collaboration with the people of Newark.”
The jobs, the internships – both short term and long term – will abound, speaker after speaker said.
Consider:
- The studio is expected to create more than 600 long-term production jobs in the city, and to generate an anticipated annual economic impact exceeding $800 million;
- During the construction of the studio, 40% of total worker hours will be dedicated to Newark residents;
- The developers have made a commitment to offer 25% of total construction contracting to Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) and 7% to Women’s Business Enterprises (WBEs);
- Once operational, 70% of the studio’s full-time employment opportunities — spanning maintenance, engineering, janitorial, administrative, landscaping, security, and other departments — will be reserved for Newark residents, who will also receive priority consideration when applying for all studio jobs.
And the studio will maintain an ongoing local-vendor preference policy during operations to support the city’s small businesses.
The bigger gains may come a generation from now.
Officials said the studio project partners intend to partner with the Newark Board of Education to develop film, television, broadcast, and related industry curricula for the city’s students, as well as training and apprenticeship programs for the city’s young people, providing them with a pathway into the growing entertainment industry.
Great Point Studios and NJPAC will help develop these educational programs.
The Arts Center also has committed to producing and presenting at least 15 arts and community in the South Ward annually, providing arts education and cultural programming for young people in the neighborhood’s parks, schools and community centers.
NJPAC CEO John Schreiber, who has made developing careers in the arts (both on stage and off) a key priority of the Arts Center, obviously is thrilled.
“Creating new jobs for Newarkers and providing career training opportunities for young people in the TV and film industry are two unique and transformative deliverables that Lionsgate Newark will make possible for our community,” he said. “The unprecedented investment that Lionsgate and Great Point Studios are making in our city will provide life-enhancing pathways to success to our residents.”
Especially those in the South Ward.
The studio developers will also make substantial financial investments in the quality of life in the South Ward neighborhood, providing $300,000 in dedicated community funding. At the project’s completion, Great Point will contribute grants to ten local community organizations, totaling $200,000.
An additional $100,000 will be contributed to the South Ward Environmental Alliance for environmental improvements and green-jobs programs.
These pledges of dedication are what turned the day from a coronation for the sector in the state into a celebration for the South Ward.
That’s how Patrick Council, who represents the South Ward on the City Council, saw it.
“Not only will the studio bring jobs to the South Ward, but the organizations behind this project are showing themselves to be good neighbors already by offering this level of support to our community groups and our schools,” he said.
“Lionsgate Newark will serve as an economic engine that will drive so many positive changes for our community and for Newark as a whole. This studio is the centerpiece of energizing this neighborhood.”
