ATLANTA—Integral and Capstone South Properties have tag teamed to develop Georgia's newest film and television production studio at the site of the former GM Plant in Doraville, GA. The first phase of construction will see an adaptive reuse of a 130,000-squaree-foot building to make room for 60,000 square feet of sound stages, 20,000 square of production support plus mill shops, related vendor spaces, and administrative offices.

“The studios are just the beginning,” Christopher Martorella, Integral's president of Commercial Real Estate. “We expect this initial phase to be a catalyst for the formation of a broader community of innovation.” Third Rail Studios is slated to open for business during the fourth quarter of 2015.

Once the build out is complete, the media complex will stand as a 270,000-square-foot-facility. It will also become the first film studio of its magnitude north of Atlanta and inside the Interstate 285 Perimeter. 

“Third Rail Studios checks all the boxes: it's the only major studio north of Atlanta and inside the I-285 perimeter, it features direct access to mass-transit and thereby the rest of the city, high-end retail, restaurant and entertainment options on-site and attractive Opportunity Zone tax credits,” Michael Hahn, president of Capstone, tells GlobeSt.com. “We're meeting the demands of a young, booming film industry in Georgia and making a great case for Hollywood and the rest of the industry to consider the Peach State and, specifically Third Rail Studios for its next production.”

The now defunct rail lines will be preserved and integrated within the landscape, akin to New York City's Highline.  The studios will anchor the “Yards District” portion of the site, a one-of-a-kind destination for dining, entertainment, parks, art, retail, makers, and other businesses. Eric Pinckney, a project executive for Integral, says, “The creative energy of the studio environment calls out to industries in search of like-minded neighbors.”

Going forward, the former GM site will be referred to as “Assembly, Doraville, USA”, an acknowledgment of the site's history as an automobile manufacturing plant, as well as its future as a place of community and common purpose. It also reflects the potential of this important project to knit together this part of the region as an economic node.

“Urban transformation is at Integral's core,” Martorella says. “The emergence of Assembly, the Yards District and Third Rail Studios is another example of Integral marrying high-design with high-density and connectivity. With an expected build out of over 10 million square feet of mixed-use development over the next decade and an estimated economic impact upwards of $3 billion, we expect Assembly to be a game changer for Atlanta”.

As a direct result of the 2005 Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act, in 2014 production companies spent close to $1.4 billion in Georgia. That created a total economic impact of $5.1 billion for the State.

“During the recession, there were many property owners who were buoyed by the shorter term rentals provided by the film industry, but now that Georgia's economy is strong, many of our 'go to' warehouse properties have been sold or are being occupied by long-term tenants,” says Lee Thomas, Deputy Commissioner of the Georgia Film, Music and Digital Entertainment division. “Georgia's film industry is at an all-time high, so we are thrilled at The Integral Group's plans for Third Rail Studios—dedicated soundstages and the film tax credit are essential elements for Georgia's continued success in the film business.”

Assembly is in a designated Opportunity Zone. That's an added benefit to businesses located on site as those businesses will receive a $3,500 per year tax credit for five years for each new job created.

Third Rail's location inside the perimeter boasts direct access to multiple forms of public transportation and major interstates as well as amenities such as food and entertainment. The studio is located just two miles from Peachtree-DeKalb Airport and 25 miles from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, seven miles from Buckhead and 12 miles from Midtown.

“With the Doraville MARTA station across the street and the Chamblee station down the block, Third Rail Studios is close to everything,” Hahn says. “A prime Peachtree Road location will make it convenient for production company workers and vendors to get to and from the studios.”

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