New Film Studio To Be Built In McKees Rocks

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- In recent years, Pittsburgh has become synonymous with filmmaking, as some of the great Hollywood studios come to this region to film some iconic shots that end up on the big screen.

But could McKees Rocks become the new Hollywood?

That's the dream of the principals behind Island Studios, who broke ground in there Thursday on what they claim will be "the region's first-built, newly-constructed multi-stage complex for the production of TV shows, commercials, and feature films."

"This facility will include 60,000 square feet of sound stage space, making it one of the largest in the state and in the region," says Mike Dolan, head of Island Studios.

Dolan was joined by Gov. Tom Corbett, who pledged $2.5 million of state tax dollars for the $10 million construction project.

"Pittsburgh has really experienced the renaissance I'm talking about in film production, leading to tremendous economic gains for the region and bringing more than a billion dollars to Pennsylvania's economy and sustaining more than 14,500 jobs," added the governor.

Of course, Pittsburgh has other studios, including the 31st Street Studio in the Strip District where the latest Batman movie was based, but it all adds up.

"With each element that comes into the infrastructure makes Pittsburgh more and more and more viable as a home for film production," says Russ Streiner of the Pittsburgh Film Office.

And why not McKees Rocks?

"We've been writing a script for the last 16 years that really only Hollywood could dream up," says Taris Vrcek of the McKees Rocks Community Development Corp.

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