Studio City Rentals, which currently operates a 40,000-square-foot stage in Toronto's Port Lands, has entered into a five-year lease for the complex.
Studio City Rentals has been named as the new operator for the former Showline Studios complex in Down Town Toronto.
The 77,000-square-foot complex, which includes 32,000 square feet of studio space, has previously hosted production on Canadian series including Kim’s Convenience and international features such as X-Men and Spotlight. Studio City Rentals was selected following a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process and the company has entered into a five-year lease.
The announcement comes after Toronto’s City Council in December approved a plan to purchase Showline Studios from Canada Post to ensure the facilities were maintained as studio space. The studio complex has been unused since last fall.
“Toronto is a preferred production location with some of the best talent and studio space in the world and our studios are often booked to capacity,” said Mayor John Tory in a statement. “The City is committed to addressing infrastructure needs to unlock the growth potential for Toronto’s film industry and bringing the former Showline site back into operation in the Port Lands is a step in that direction.”
Studio City Rentals, which is a long-time tenant of Toronto’s Port Lands, currently operates a 40,000-square-foot “Jumbo” stage and equipment rental at 75 Commissioners Street. However, the Jumbo Stage is set to be displaced as work ramps up on the Port Lands Flood Protection Project.
“This is a win-win-win situation,” said Councillor Paula Fletcher. “Not only is the City preserving a valuable studio asset, we have also found a new home for a very important tenant that is being displaced due to the revitalization of the Toronto Port Lands,” she said.
News of the new tenant is a boon for Toronto’s studio capacity as the city continues to grapple with a shortage of space. In November, FilmOntario published a report suggesting the city turned away between $130 million and $260 million in production spending due to a lack of studio capacity.
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