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Film studio a go, city insists
Construction start planned as deadline looms
By ROB GRANATSTEIN, CITY HALL BUREAU

A film studio proposed for Toronto's waterfront will not be stuck in time like some fairy tale -- construction will actually start in weeks, the city is promising.

A year after announcing the massive Filmport development on the portlands, there is still no movement, despite an Aug. 31 deadline to start construction.

But Jeff Steiner, president of TEDCO, the city's economic development corporation, said construction financing is almost finished and shovels will be in the ground shortly after the deadline.

"Toronto still needs a huge sound-stage," Steiner said. "It still makes sense, despite the rising Canadian dollar. Construction will start in the next five weeks."

But the opening of the $45-million first phase of the studio has been delayed.

Lights, camera, action will not start by this winter as originally proposed, but likely in 2008.

A spokesman for FilmPort said there are still some details to work out but construction will start soon.
 
If this gets screwed up I will og postal.

We need some help here. Our indsutry is really hurting. People have moved here and set up lives, and our Gov's have done little. The CRTC is a F&$&#ing joke regarding protecting anything Canadian. we had to fight like hell to get the tax incentives back, that we pioneered. The dolloar is high. And I love this one.

The last 2/3 projects I shot were in Hamilton. Apprently afraid to piss anyone else off, the Ontario Gov't will give an extrea 10% credit if you shoot an hour outside Toronto. This everyone fro Toronto has to travel to freeking Ottawa to work!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?:evil >: :evil
 
I too have always wanted to get into the film industry but always felt that since i dindt go to school for it I wouldnt have the opportunity to do so, and all my connections are in teh theatre industry (alot of friends that went to ryerson for theathre)
 
Yes!

Very nice! I can't wait to see this bad boy go up! I just hope that they don't 'Canadianize' the buildings, but rather modernize the exteriors.
 
Re: Yes!

The high Canadian dollar, increasing barriers at the border, and a proliferation of competitive markets in and outside of Canada are hurting the Toronto film industry. It's not likely to change any time soon.
 
Re: Yes!

The high Canadian dollar, increasing barriers at the border, and a proliferation of competitive markets in and outside of Canada are hurting the Toronto film industry. It's not likely to change any time soon.
Click to expand...

That's all true, but Vancouver seems to be doing well still.
 
Re: Yes!

From the Star:

Curtain slow to rise on Toronto studio
Finalizing funding stalls port project
Building may start next month
Aug. 24, 2006. 05:59 AM
PAUL MOLONEY
CITY HALL BUREAU

By now, work was to have been well underway on a mega-film studio intended to draw blockbuster movie productions to Toronto.

Instead, the city-owned site remains a vacant lot in the port lands, at Commissioners St. and the Don Roadway.

Last September, Toronto Film Studios, the winning bidder, signed a 99-year lease for 12 hectares with an agreement that construction begin no later than Aug. 31 — a week from today.

Councillor Brian Ashton, a board member of Toronto Economic Development Corporation, the city agency that manages the land, said patience is wearing thin.

"The board at its last meeting was quite vocal about either bringing this to the construction stage, or getting out," Ashton said yesterday.

"We need the curtain to go up on this facility. If it doesn't, it's fruitless to continue endless negotiations."

When the deal was signed last September, film studio president Ken Ferguson said the company would begin on the foundations this spring.

The $100 million production complex is to include six sound stages — including a huge 54-by-75-metre stage — that could handle large projects like X-Men 2 and Superman 3.

TEDCO board members say that finalizing the complicated financing for the project has caused the delay.

Landing the big film studio has been considered a major coup for TEDCO, which looks after about 160 hectares of city-owned land.

Some work is set to begin next week, Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone told the Star yesterday.

Film studio spokesperson David Eisenstadt confirmed that "by the end of the month there will be some equipment on site and we'll start getting something going ... In September, we'll have an official announcement that we're moving ahead."

AoD
 
^I also ask that question of people in the know. Toronto definately had the leg up on other jursidictions so were we just not able to leverage that lead into a sustainable industry? Or is film shooting just like the call centre component of the film industry, investment goes to the cheapest jurisdiction able to pony up the largest tax incentive?
 
It seems to me that offshore filming would definitely go to the cheapest possible place. After all, if they were willing to pay more, they'd shoot in Los Angeles.
 
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