Sean Brady/Kamloops This Week
The Thompson-Nicola Film Commission has received a site feasibility report on potential locations for a new film studio in the region.
The report, prepared by Kamloops-based company Allnorth Consultants, examines three locations in Kamloops, including Dallas, Campbell Creek, and Sugarloaf Road, and one on the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc reserve. The regional district will provide the study to potential developers and investors.
Allnorth found all four sites to be viable options, but noted each had its own challenges. Cost estimates range from $2.68 million to $3.3 million to prepare the sites, including internet, electrical, water, sewer/sanitary access, and earthworks (grading).
The consultants’ four sites were whittled down from a list of more than a thousand properties. The four sites are at 275 Andover Crescent in Campbell Creek, 10145 Dallas Drive in Dallas, a pasture in southwest Kamloops off Sugarloaf Road near the interchange of the Coquihalla and Trans-Canada highways, and a site on Tk’emlúps land just east of the CN rail yard and north of the Halston Connector.
The preliminary construction plan for each site shows a large rectangular building surrounded by parking and two outbuildings. Each site varies in size, ranging from five acres to 36 acres.
The 21-acre Campbell Creek site would require minimal demolition, is generally flat, easily accessed by trucks, and easy to service, according to the report, which was released on Feb. 24.
The Dallas Drive site is the smallest of the bunch, at five acres, but it would require little grading, is easily serviced, and can be accessed by truck traffic.
The property off Sugarloaf Road would require rezoning and is currently designated as Agricultural Land Reserve land. It would need to have that designation removed by the Agricultural Land Commission, which the consultants noted can be a time-consuming and costly process.
On the upside, however, is the fact that it is the largest property, at 36 acres, has room for expansion, can easily be serviced for electrical, internet, and water, and has an assessed value of just $20,600.
The benefits of the 16-acre Tk’emlúps site include servicing from nearby CN Road, little grading required, and the possibility of a lease agreement rather than a purchase, reducing upfront costs. However, the consultants noted the site may suffer from noise and vibration problems from the nearby CN rail yard.
According to a business case prepared in December 2021, the construction budget for the studio is around $33 million and the studio could bring in $1.6 million in revenue annually, or $2.1 million if kept at 80 per cent capacity. Operational expenses were expected to take up about 30 per cent of revenues.
In June 2020, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District Board agreed to increase the film commission’s 2021 budget by $35,000 for the film studio study.
At that time, then-film commissioner Vicci Weller said one production looked at converting Memorial Arena in Kamloops into studio space for a production, while three groups had contacted her about wanting to invest in a studio.
Weller said the TNRD film industry is about where the Okanagan was when it looked at building a studio, noting the time is right to look at feasibility.
The Okanagan has Eagles Creek Studios, a 21,000-square-foot film studio about five minutes from Kelowna International Airport. It was built in 2018. In addition, the Okanagan has a film school.
Kamloops does have Mastermind Studios in Southgate, a smaller facility that produces a variety of creations, including local documentaries and commercials.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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