Film Production Studio Breaks Ground in NYC

$350M Film and TV Production Campus Breaks Ground on West Side 

Sunset Pier 94 Studios Expected to Create More Than 1,700 Jobs, $6.4 Billion in Economic Impact, and Significant Public Space Improvements.

Manhattan Voice 

October 25, 2023 

NEW YORK - Mayor Eric Adams joined real estate and elected officials in breaking ground on a $350 million state of the art film and tv production facility on the West Side. 

Sunset Pier 94 Studios will be a first-of-its-kind space, home to state-of-the-art film, television, and content production technology that will make New York City even more competitive with other cities. 

Sunset Pier 94 will also provide impressive amenities for all New Yorkers to enjoy, including new public restrooms for Hudson River Park, an 1,850-square-foot community amenity space, 25,000 square feet of waterfront open space on the pier, and safety improvements to the existing greenway. There will also be a program to support workforce development and training programs to connect residents to opportunities in film, television, commercial and other media production.

 

The start of construction on Sunset Pier 94 Studios marks a major stop on Mayor Adams’ “Working People’s Tour,” continuing to create jobs and power New York City’s economic recovery after the city set an all-time job record with 4.7 million total jobs, recovering the nearly 1 million jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The project at Pier 94 also delivers on key initiatives in Mayor Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s “Making New York Work for Everyone” action plan, which recommended new investments to build on the city’s status as a hub for film and TV — driving both the city’s economy and its cultural and creative identity.

 

“New York City didn’t set an all-time jobs record by accident — we did it by strategically protecting public safety, investing in public space, and supporting and delivering for working people. This project at Pier 94 will do all three, and we are excited to bring our ‘Working People’s Tour’ to the West Side,” said Mayor Adams. “Sunset Pier 94 Studios will bring a major private investment to this public asset, activating this long-vacant space to create good-paying jobs, vibrant public space, and exactly the amenities this community has been asking for.”

“It was only a few months ago that we announced this exciting new public-private partnership that’s going to bring jobs and a huge economic boon to the film and television industry here in New York City, and we are already breaking ground,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Kimball. “This is a huge milestone for the city and all our partners, and we are looking forward to cutting the ribbon on Manhattan’s first film, television, and content production facility, along with the significant improvements to the public realm and waterfront access on the West Side of Manhattan.”

 

“Congratulations to NYCEDC and partners on today’s milestone groundbreaking of the Sunset Pier 94 Studios, which is poised to become a major contributor to New York City’s film and television production industry,” said Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment Commissioner Pat Swinney Kaufman. “With an economic impact of $82 billion and a role in supporting 185,000 jobs, it is easy to say that when our city’s film and television industry thrives, New York City thrives. Welcome Sunset Pier 94!”

New York City’s film and TV industry has grown significantly over the last decade, supporting 185,000 jobs, generating over $18 billion in wages, and contributing more than $82 billion in economic impact. After struggling during the pandemic, the city’s arts and entertainment sector continues to show positive momentum in its jobs recovery — growing nearly 16 percent between May 2022 and May 2023 and recovering nearly 46,000 jobs since the start of the pandemic. The new Writers Guild of America labor contract, reached in September, represents continued progress for the sector, with a new contract for the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists hopefully soon to follow.