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NYC Breaks Ground on East End Studios’ Sunnyside Campus, Mayor Eric Adams Praises Western Queens as Hollywood’s Worthy Rival
In Short
• NYC celebrated the groundbreaking of East End Studios’ Sunnyside Campus, featuring three state-of-the-art sound stages and 125,000 square feet of production, office, and mill spaces.
• Mayor Eric Adams expressed gratitude to SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America for securing fair deals for workers, allowing the film and TV industry in NYC to flourish.
• Pat Kaufman from the Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment highlighted the initiative as an opportunity for local businesses, job creation, and strengthening NYC’s global creative capital reputation.
• The project is estimated at $275 million and expected to be completed by Q1 2025, further cementing NYC’s status as a powerhouse in the entertainment world.
New York City took a significant step forward in the film and TV production industry as Mayor Eric Adams, film commissioner Pat Kaufman, labor leaders, and industry partners broke ground on the new East End Studios in Sunnyside, Queens. This state-of-the-art complex will create nearly 1,000 construction jobs and approximately 750 permanent, full-time jobs.
The Sunnyside campus is the second major project underway in New York City, following the recent groundbreaking of Sunset Pier 94 Studios.
These developments marked the revival of the city’s production industry after the resolution of the actors’ and writers’ strikes.
Mayor Adams expressed his gratitude to SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America for securing fair deals for workers and enabling film and TV production resurgence in New York City.
He emphasized that while the city is back in action, the mission is incomplete until every New Yorker has a path to success. The addition of East End Studios is a testament to the city’s commitment to providing jobs and establishing Western Queens as a worthy competitor to Hollywood.
The new campus will span 340,000 square feet and feature three ground-floor soundstages totaling 75,000 square feet and a rooftop flex stage spanning 15,000 square feet, offering breathtaking views of the Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan skylines.
In addition, there will be 125,000 square feet of production, office, and mill spaces. The Sunnyside facility will fully have extended and virtual reality infrastructure, including virtual shooting capabilities and high-speed fiber connectivity for seamless production.
With an estimated cost of $275 million, the project is set to be completed by the first quarter of 2025.
Commissioner Kaufman, head of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, highlighted the groundbreaking as a sign of the city’s dedication to the future of the renowned film and TV industry.
She emphasized the economic benefits for local businesses, job creation for New Yorkers, and the enhancement of New York City’s global reputation as a creative capital.
The recent expansion of the New York state film tax credit and groundbreaking initiatives will further strengthen the industry’s presence in the city.
Overall, this groundbreaking event marks a pivotal moment for New York City’s film and TV production industry, ushering in new opportunities and solidifying the city’s status as a powerhouse in the entertainment world.