South Windsor Movie Studio Project Becomes a Business and Technology Park

South Windsor M. Saud Anwar updates residents on the new plan for a business and technology park on the site of the failed CT Studio Project proposal.

The Town Council approved the new proposal by a 5-4 vote, along party lines, at its meeting on Aug. 26 and Anwar writes in an email to residents that the project “represents a major contribution to the economic and industrial growth of our town.”

In the email, Anwar details what went wrong with the CT Studio Project and the new plan for the fuel-cell powered business and technology park.

Read the full email, written by Anwar, below:

Over the past 6 years, the CT Studio Project has waxed & waned, like the phases of the moon. What initially held great promise for our community became mired in unfulfilled expectations and broken promises.

Initially, the project involved bringing the movie industry to South Windsor. This included construction jobs, a fuel cell project (which was initially a Solar Farm), and opportunities for employment in the movie industry.

The town committed a large parcel of land adjoining Route 5 as the location for the studio. The project was heavily dependent on state support and tax credits and towns support, which were negotiated over period of time.

At this point, lengthy public discussions and deliberations between the town, state and developers produced a viable plan. Unfortunately, the initial developers had provided inaccurate information a number of times.

Unable to pay their debts, CT Studios ownership changed to DCK (They become the new owners of CT Studios, but were not involved in it initially). The expectation of establishing a movie studio complex remained in flux. The new developer expressed grave concerns about the CT Studios project primarily because of its reliance on the tax credits. The state’s economic crisis and the last state budget cycle only served to reinforce their apprehension.

From the perspective of the town, we have been clear, all along. We remained interested in hosting a development which would bring tax revenue and quality jobs; if that could not be accomplished, we wanted town land returned.

Town Manager Matthew Galligan, Town Attorney Keith Yagaloff and the town staff continued to work closely with DCK. The result is a new plan that benefits both South Windsor and DCK. The current proposal has been in development for the past 11 months.

This conversation was initiated on the September 2nd 2014 regular meeting, and public comments on the new plan were held. The Town Council had agreed to go forward with the new proposal and directed our town attorney and town manager to work on the new proposal. I know that the new proposal that the town council has just voted on August 26th 2015 represents a major contribution to the economic and industrial growth of our town.

According to the new plan of the South Windsor Business and Technology Park, DCK will build a 225,000 sq ft of commercial /technology complex on the site originally intended for the studio. There is also an additional plan for 150,000 sq. ft. of industrial space that can be used for a film studio, if they chose to rent it.

We are in touch with a potential client from California who has expressed interest in occupying the space for a studio. Besides the commercial and industrial parts there is a plan for a restaurant as well as retail pace in the entire complex.

The complex will be powered by the fuel cell microgrid, which will be rented from the town. This microgrid will supply energy at a rate, which makes it ideal for technology, and research based businesses.

This facility will enhance South Windsor’s tax revenue, provide sustainable jobs and bring added vitality to the community. The payment agreement that the majority of the Town Council has supported allows the town to get revenue from the fuel cell that would allow the town to generate over $10 million funds from the developer that would help us with the infrastructure costs. With the size and flexibility of the space, the potential for expansion is extremely high. In addition, the facility can provide additional shelter space and energy for other sites in town for emergency shelter space. Once the project is completed it will generate a minimum of $1.75 million/year of taxes or over $35 million dollars of taxes over next 20 years.

The complex project is the result of a long-term commitment, ongoing negotiations and partnership with state agencies. Many groups within the community urged us to ‘walk away’ from the project because of its duration and the unreliability of CT Studios. Following that advice would have resulted in immediate and future revenue losses to the town. By modifying the plan and making strategic changes, we have been able to adjust the project to bring higher quality jobs, cutting edge technology and significant income to South Windsor. Our leaders have shown commitment, flexibility and tenacity that will serve all of us well in the near and intermediate and long-term future.

M. Saud Anwar

Image via M. Saud Anwar