Global Renaissance makes offer on Allen Park studio complex

The future of the film studio in Allen Park that houses Unity Studios is up in the air while the city weighs a purchase offer from Global Renaissance Entertainment Group.

"We're in discussions right now," says Gary Burtka, mayor of Allen Park. "Our attorneys are reviewing the offer."

He says the city could make a decision on that offer as soon as next week or it could take longer than that. He also confirms that all of the existing tenants at the partly finished movie studio would be allowed to stay.

The idea of turning 100 acres of vacant industrial and municipal land in the Downriver suburb into Unity Studios shortly after the new film incentives was introduced a little more than a year ago. Those plans experienced some hiccups earlier this year, causing a public flap between the city and Unity Studios. Not long afterward, California-based Global Renaissance made an offer to take over the studio complex.

The original $146 million project called for renovating a 600,000-square-foot building to add four feature-size sound stages on 10 acres. Each of the sound stages measures out at 25,000 square feet. Plans also called for developing the 64 acres into Unity Village, a tourist destination with housing, retail, and complementary commercial businesses.

Source: Gary Burtka, mayor of Allen Park
Writer: Jon Zemke
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