Privately-funded film studio in Sudbury will generate $60M in annual revenue: report
Out of the ashes of the controversial Kingsway Entertainment District, funding is already in place to build a new $40 million film studio on the same piece of land in Greater Sudbury.
A report headed to city council Dec. 13 said private investors have committed $17 million for the construction of the 116,000-square-foot Freshwater Production Studio on The Kingsway, pending municipal support.
“The developer has committed land valued at $2.4 million in addition to design and construction services,” the report said.
“The balance of financing is secured through a bank loan.”
Plans for the studio were publicized in August, when officials outlined their plans to the previous city council.
The direction at the time was for staff to return with a report outlining what other cities have offered film studios, and what role Greater Sudbury could play.
Ontario's film and TV industry contributed a record $2.88 billion to Ontario's economy in 2021, creating 48,135 high-value full-time equivalent direct and spin-off jobs.
“This represents an increase of 92 per cent over the previous year,” the report said, adding that a recovery from COVID-19 is at least partially responsible for the spike in activity.
“Prior to the pandemic there was a steady increase in production impact with $2.16 billion in direct spending in 2019 creating 44,540 jobs.”
Greater Sudbury has become a major production centre, with the city attracting 165 film and TV projects in the last 10 years, with a total local direct impact of more than $216 million.
Options for the city to support the project include under community improvement plans, which offer tax rebates once the project is completed.
The city could also share in the cost of road improvements in the area that will be required to access the site, as well as reduction in development charges.
The studio is looking for the equivalent of $7 million of support from the city through a combination of programs.
Read the full report here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How more than 100 women realized they may have dated, been deceived by the same man
An Ontario man is being accused of changing his name, profession and life story multiple times to potentially more than 100 women online before leaving some out thousands of dollars.

Mother charged with sexual abuse of toddler in Edmonton area after FBI tip
A Strathcona County toddler has been rescued from suspected sexual exploitation, and the child's mother has been charged, police said.
LeBron James becomes NBA's all-time scoring leader, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
LeBron James is the NBA's new career scoring leader. With a stepback jump shot with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, James pushed his career total to 38,388 points on Tuesday night and broke the record that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar held for nearly four decades.
Biden in State of Union urges U.S. Congress: 'Finish the job'
U.S. President Joe Biden exhorted Congress Tuesday night to work with him to 'finish the job' of rebuilding the economy and uniting the nation as he delivered a State of the Union address aimed at reassuring a country beset by pessimism and fraught political divisions.
Fears grow for untold numbers buried by Turkiye earthquake as deaths pass 7,700
Rescuers raced against time early Wednesday to pull survivors from the rubble before they succumbed to cold weather two days after an earthquake tore through southern Turkiye and war-ravaged northern Syria. The death toll climbed above 7,700 and was expected to rise further.
Canadian military plane heads home after two surveillance flights over Haiti
A Canadian Armed Forces surveillance plane was heading home on Tuesday after two intelligence-collecting flights over Haiti.
On list of 50 'most Instagrammable' places, only 1 is in Canada
A new ranking by global travel site Big 7 Travel has revealed the most Instagrammable places for people to visit in 2023, but only one Canadian location, Banff, is among them.
Spy balloon part of a broader Chinese military surveillance operation, U.S. intel sources tell CNN
U.S. intelligence officials believe that the recently recovered Chinese spy balloon is part of an extensive surveillance program run by the Chinese military, according to multiple American officials familiar with the intelligence.
From $55 to $130: Which Canadians plan to spend the most this Valentine's Day?
As Valentine's Day approaches, many Canadians are preparing to celebrate by taking their loved ones to dinner and buying them gifts, but how much are we spending on this day coast to coast?