Silvercup Studios has crossed the East River and expanded into the Bronx, the borough's first major movie and television production facility. Borough reporter Erin Clarke has the story.
In an industrial neighborhood in the South Bronx, a former warehouse has been transformed.
"$35 million dollars later we have new TV studios, film studios for movies, TV shows, commercials whatever wants to go on here in New York," said Stuart Suna, President of Silvercup Studios.
Stuart Suna and his brother Alan, the owners of Silvercup Studios, are among a growing number of businessmen who are seeing value in the Bronx, expanding into neighborhoods that were once overlooked.
"The real estate is more affordable than it was in Queens and Brooklyn to expand," Suna said.
"It would also go a long way, I hope to dispel many of the negative stereotypes and negative images of yesteryear," said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.
Wednesday, the Suna brothers and Bronx officials joined Governor Cuomo to officially open Silvercup North — the third Silvercup facility in the city and the first outside of Queens.
"The great story ends with Silvercup that was a dream and a vision that has now done so well and grown so big that they have to expand and where do they want to go?" Cuomo asked. "To want to go to the new Bronx."
The studio actually opened up a couple of months ago and shows are already being filmed here.
"The first show is a film for ABC, shot by Warner Brothers television called Time after Time and it's a story about a time travel," Suna said.
Silvercup North has 115,000 square feet of space, four production studios, 50-foot ceilings that can accommodate two-story sets and space for related craft services.
Work here already is helping the Bronx economy. Local businesses have begun selling lumber and other materials to build sets.
"It's amazing all of the ancillary jobs that are produced when you're producing a movie," the governor said.
A trickledown effect he hopes will spread beyond the entertainment industry.
"With the filming that is happening here, we will create the jobs," the Borough President said. "We will make sure that local businesses benefit, but more importantly we will show the world that the Bronx is back."