First look at Las Vegas Media Campus

By Shawna Khalafi | Published May 12, 2023

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - Las Vegas is stepping into the spotlight in the film industry, with plans for two large studios coming to the valley and a proposed tax incentive and infrastructure bill to help with the transition.

One studio - The Las Vegas Media Campus - would be built near the Durango Resort and Casino by California-based Birtcher Development in partnership with UNLV, and an even bigger Sony Pictures studio is planned for somewhere in Summerlin with the Howard Hughes Corporation.

Both projects are projected to create thousands of jobs for Nevadans and attract people from out of state as well.

“There’s going to be 8,000 to 10,000 construction jobs over the next five years created, and in addition to that, when the two studio zones are fully deployed and open, there will be over 6,800 or more full-time jobs on campus,” said Brandon Birtcher, CEO of Birtcher Development.“I think it also supplements the tourism industry in our state because you know how people go to Hollywood just to go to the studios and Paramount and Sony and to Universal Studios.

That could happen in Nevada as well,” said Sen. Roberta Lange, who introduced the bill to state lawmakers Thursday.

The Las Vegas Media Campus site plan includes 15 sound stages and an education center to train future film industry workers. “We’re going to be teaching the next generation of Nevadans every aspect of the film industry, and we’re going to be manning that building, and part of the 30% tax credit is going to fund that initiative,” Birtcher said.

UNLV President Keith Whitfield shared a statement about the Las Vegas Media Campus project, saying that the proposed partnership would give UNLV students unparalleled opportunities to be at the center of film, television, digital content, virtual reality, and video game innovation, and give them the chance to jumpstart their careers through access to leading film industry companies and professionals.

Both projects are expected to cost upwards of $800 million, but the tax credits won’t come until the first film is produced.

If the bill is passed, developers of the Las Vegas Media Campus project said agreements with the governor’s office could be signed by this fall, followed by around 18 months of design and permit work. Construction could start as soon as the spring of 2025. It is estimated to take 1.5 to two years to build.

The studio could be open for blockbuster business in 2027.

Article link: https://www.fox5vegas.com/2023/05/13/first-look-las-vegas-media-campus-one-two-film-studios-potentially-coming-las-vegas/