Production studio in southwest valley gets UNLV foundation approval
by Matthew Seeman | NBC 3 | Published April 30, 2024
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — New film studios in the southwest Las Vegas valley have received a green light from UNLV.
The university announced that the UNLV Research Foundation last week approved an agreement to develop a 34-acre media production complex at the Harry Reid Research & Technology Park.
Gardner Nevada Tech Park Studios will oversee construction and work with Birtcher Development and studio operator The MBS Group to create the Nevada Studios Campus, featuring full-service film and television studios.
There would also be space for the UNLV film department and other academic departments, vocational training, internships, and research and workforce development for K-12 and other higher education partners.
The studio was first proposed as part of a tax incentive package introduced during the Nevada legislative session last year, but that bill did not make it to a vote. State Sen. Roberta Lange introduced that bill and said she plans to introduce it again in 2025.
The execution of a lease agreement and the start of construction are both contingent on a future tax package getting lawmaker approval next year, according to the university. Once the bill is signed, construction could begin within 18 months, meaning by late 2026.
"UNLV is excited to partner on the Nevada Studios Campus project, which complements our growing innovation ecosystem at the Tech Park and holds great potential to bring new, diverse industries to Southern Nevada and bolster our regional economy," University President Keith E. Whitfield said in a statement.
Another film studio complex has been proposed for the Summerlin area, near Flamingo Road and Town Center Drive.