Historic Newark Site Becomes Major Film Studio Complex
MS&B has guided the structure of a groundbreaking partnership between the Newark Housing Authority and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, one that honors the legacy of Newark's first public housing complex while cementing the City’s reputation as a film production hub.
Our team, led by Founding Member Glenn F. Scotland and Member Bakari G. Lee, represented NHA in executing a complex ground lease for the historic Seth Boyden Court site. Built in 1939, the site will now become a 250,000-square-foot film and television studio complex developed by Lionsgate Entertainment, featuring multiple soundstages, support offices, and production facilities.
The project is anticipated to create 500–600 permanent jobs and generate up to $800 million in economic activity. Financed in part through New Jersey's film tax credit program, it demonstrates how the right legal structure can foster significant economic growth in Newark.