A VR executive and a seasoned Olympics broadcaster have unveiled BlueStar Studios, a $180 million, 53-acre campus in Forest Park, GA, the latest in a stream of projects to address booming demand for production space in the state.
Studios are scarce everywhere, but Georgia’s 30% tax credits remain a huge draw and the cost of doing business is lower than New York, Los Angeles or Vancouver, which is why BlueStar founder and CEO Rich Goldberg set it there. The former executive at Jaunt and DirecTV brought on Mark Parkman, who led the International Olympic Committee’s global content strategy, including the launch of a DTC service, as well as broadcast operations for 12 Olympic Games. The Georgia native is COO.
BlueStar will house 600,000 square feet of production and office space and 18 sound stages from 5,000 to 40,000 square feet. The historic Fort Gillem headquarters building will serve as a centerpiece of the campus, set in the Atlanta metro area 20 minutes from the airport and 10 minutes from downtown.
The plan is to open next summer with construction and development continuing in phases through 2024. Atlanta-based Gala Media Capital, a division of Peachtree Group, originated the financing for phase-one construction. Offices are available for lease. Goldberg said the hope is to find a streamer or studio anchor tenant. See more here.
