The St. Louis area is stepping up its presence in the entertainment industry.
Gateway Studio and Production Services is opening a 32-acre facility offering production services and rehearsal studios in Chesterfield. Bringing more than 100 jobs to the region, it will be one of the largest music rehearsal and production studios in the nation, according to GSPS.
GSPS’ president of business development David Haskell says the choice of St. Louis was a deliberate one. He sees it as an opportunity to build the city’s entertainment offerings.
“We’re going to help bring things back in and invigorate the St. Louis market,” he said. “St. Louis is not a small sleepy town. It’s actually burgeoning and there’s a lot of people here, so we’re very excited to put St. Louis back in.”
St. Louis competed with other cities like Nashville and Atlanta for the facility’s location. But Steve Johnson, chief business attraction officer of Greater St. Louis Inc., said the city, county and state came together in order to win the deal.
“This is just another example of what we can do as a region when we all come together in a partnership,” Johnson said.
The state said it would provide up to $2.9 million in subsidies through the Missouri Works program for the four-studio campus. St. Louis County is also assisting in the effort, offering as much as $130 million in Chapter 100 industrial development bonds and a 50% tax abatement over the course of 10 years.
GSPS estimates that it will bring 106 full-time jobs to the area with the average salary of $74,764. The jobs will span from entertainment industry professionals to those working in the food service industry, Haskell said.
“One of the most rewarding things about this is putting people back to work,” he said. “Having the opportunity to put brothers and sisters and people in this industry back to work, both on the production side, but also on the manufacturing side of things.”
The facility will be offering audio, lighting, video and streaming services — along with large studios equipped for developing stadium-sized tours, producing films and hosting corporate events. Haskell hopes the flexibility of the space will draw entertainment professionals from all over the world into the area.
“Everyone from U2 to Beyoncé to the Rolling Stones could use this studio to do their rehearsals in. It’s going to be that size and it’s going to be done to that level.”
The campus, which will be located 900 Spirit of St. Louis Blvd., is expected to be fully operational at the beginning of 2023.
Johnson said he expects more entertainment services and businesses will follow, bringing a new booming industry to the area.
“It’s something fairly new to the region and the state,” Johnson said. “And it just does cause people to take a second look at St. Louis.”
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