ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque’s film industry could be getting bigger with city council considering approving a project on the west side. “Mesa Studios, I think it’s a great thing for the west side of Albuquerque and for the city as a whole to promote economic development and the future growth of our wonderful city,” said Albuquerque City Councilor Klarissa Peña.
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“Without that type of infrastructure, Albuquerque will have a hard time pulling film productions into our area,” said Film Liaison Cyndy McCrossen, City of Albuquerque.
The Mesa Film Studios Project is set to be introduced for approval by the city council on Wednesday. The studio is looking to build a new sound stage studio on 56 acres out by Double Eagle II Airport. If approved, the studio would have six sound stages, a production office space, a backlot, and a permanent blue screen.
The studios would have the obligation of $800 million in production spending by December 2033 and a ten year production contract in the city of Albuquerque. The studio has a price tag of $57 million. The state would provide $6 million for the project and the city would shell out $1 million. “It’s not often that you tell a builder or a banker, build it and they will come, but it’s really how our industry works,” said McCrossen
A big draw for the project is that it will provide even more jobs for New Mexicans, especially on the west side. “So, you know, anything that we can do on the west side to promote jobs and economic opportunity is paramount, obviously, because we have such an explosion of growth in our population, said Councilor Peña.
The proposed studio would create about 24 full-time positions and about 750 studio production jobs that would fluctuate depending on the studio’s needs.
