After making several visits to the Park City area in the past few years, an executive at a motion picture studio in California said his company is interested in building a production facility at Quinn’s Junction.
Raleigh Studios was involved in the making of the “Transformers” movies, “Iron Man,” “Eagle Eye” and “Thor,” which is scheduled for release this summer. Television shows produced at Raleigh Studios have included “CSI: Miami,” “90210,” “Private Practice” and “The Closer.”
Marvel Entertainment recently moved its corporate offices to Raleigh’s studio in Manhattan Beach, Calif., according to Britt Penrod, vice president of business development for Raleigh Studios.
Raleigh officials hope to build the company’s next studio in Park City, Penrod said in a telephone interview Thursday.
“It’s different than any other project that we have ever been involved with,” he said. “We’re certainly hopeful that it will all come to fruition.”
Penrod said Raleigh Studios is eyeing a building site near the southwest edge of Quinn’s Junction.
“The state has expressed interest in providing some form of support trying to get production in there,” Penrod said. “The whole point of it is to get people to work. When a production comes to town, if it’s a halfway decent sized film, they’ll put 200 to 400 people to work for six months to a year.”
The Quinn’s Junction Partnership owns the land being considered for the studio, which is near the intersection of U.S. 40 and State Road 248.
“This particular site, I think gives everybody the best chance of success We did an awful lot of research trying to determine what would work and what wouldn’t work,” Penrod said. “I have been to Utah several times and have looked at numerous sites for even different parties over the last five years.”
Filmmakers working in Park City would attract top talent for their productions, he explained.
“The scenery itself is beautiful and there are so many things nearby that would appeal to anybody, whether it’s a high-profile cast or crew,” Penrod said. “I don’t think you could ask for a better place to hang out and make a movie.”
Nowhere in Utah is there a production facility comparable to what Raleigh Studios envisions developing at Quinn’s Junction.
“In Salt Lake there are warehouse stages. They aren’t really soundproof and they don’t have adequate power or air conditioning,” Penrod said. “They have been used in the past for production but they don’t really solicit interest from more high-profile shows.”
City Hall officials expressed support for a similar project when a different film studio was proposed in Park City about three years ago.
“The [studio] would provide a direct boost to our economy by creating permanent jobs and bringing temporary productions that increase overnight visitation and retail sales,” stated a 2007 letter written by Jonathan Weidenhamer, who oversees economic development for the city.
The Park Record obtained a copy of the letter.
“It also would create additional infrastructure that could promote our relationship and long-term commitment to the Sundance Institute,” Weidenhamer’s letter stated.
Weidenhamer said he envisioned a production facility in Bonanza Park.
Greg Ericksen, an attorney who represents the Quinn’s Junction Partnership, said state Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Lehi, is interested in expanding the film industry in Utah.
The proposal from Raleigh Studios includes a production facility and film school that are roughly 325,000 square feet.
Several Summit County officials said they are opposed to the plan. But Madsen might introduce legislation this year that could allow the developer of the movie studio to bypass the zoning rules at Quinn’s Junction and build the studio without approval from local government.
“Our film industry is really hurting right now,” Ericksen said. “[Madsen] doesn’t want to see the fledgling film industry die.”
But Park City Manager Tom Bakaly pledged to fight the legislation if Madsen sponsors the bill. Opponents say the land at Quinn’s Junction is open space and should not be heavily developed.