Natalie Kainz Photo
Mayne Berke and Donovan De Boer lay out vision for soundstages at 46 to 56 River St.
Promoters led a tour of an abandoned industrial stretch of Fair Haven to push a vision for a new “creator studio district.”
The tour for local residents and stakeholders was led Tuesday afternoon on River Street by representatives from Jaigantic Studios, which currently operates out of Shelton. The team has been shopping around a plan to move and potentially greatly expand the studio to create a film district the size of Paramount Pictures.
They are seeking government grants and tax breaks, they said, to build 50,000 square feet of backlot sets, 25 energy-efficient soundstages, and an assortment of offices, dining options, and retail spaces on River Street within 5 years.
Jaigantic
“Our vision is that everything south of River Street to the waterfront will be the creator studio district,” said Donovan De Boer, Jaigantic’s CEO. “Hopefully it will even be a little bigger than Paramount.”
The eight-acre city-owned lot on 100 River Street would be the centerpiece of the studio, featuring four 360 degree virtual LED stages similar to those used in the production of The Mandalorian.
Berke: 360 degree LED stages will be the second of their kind in the country.
“Originally people set up studios in California because you get 365 beautiful days a year,” said Chief Operating Officer Mayne Berke. “With the virtual stage, there could be four feet of snow on the outside, and it could be Hawaii on the inside.”
That includes transforming the city-owned empty facade on 198 River St. into an exterior backlot designed to look like a New York street
City-owned lot at 198 River Street.
“Using different awning and storefront signs, you could transform each space into spaces like a gallery or a restaurant,” Chief Impact Officer Jackie Buster said.
Just around the corner, the promoters envision another backlot designed to look like a suburban cul-de-sac, a studio hotel, a museum, and a first-run movie theater.
Jaigantic Studios is the vision of the organization’s president and namesake, Michael Jai White. His son, Devin White, said that the development is inspired by his father’s childhood in Bridgeport and his desire to bring opportunities back to the areas similar to his hometown.
Rafael Fuentes.
During the tour, Rafael Fuentes Jr, who owns Auto Authority on 75 Poplar St., questioned the financial impact of the project on people living in the neighborhood.
“I don’t want this project to push me and people like me out of the neighborhood because our taxes would go up,” said Fuentes Jr. “The people who live here — we have generations of people with good jobs.”
Buster responds to concerns from Fuentes.
Buster responded that existing businesses in the area, including Auto Authority, National Pipe Bending Co., Fair Haven Furniture, and Art to Frame, complement Jaigantic’s plans by offering resources that can be used on sets.
“We can’t do this without the community, and we don’t want to,” said De Boer.
According to Berke, Jaigantic would seek to qualify as a federal “opportunity zone” to receive tax incentives and relief. They are also seeking government subsidies from the state and the city for the project.
Several local artists and artisans came on the tour to try and understand how Jaigantic would fit into their own careers.
Fair Haven actress Shauna Pinkett (at right) weighs in.
Shauna Pinkett, an actress who commutes from her home in Fair Haven to work in New York, said she is excited about the possibility of being able to walk down the street for jobs.
“What they’re saying is really encouraging because they’re listening to people who are already here and thriving,” said Pinkett. “This studio will put us on the map so that artists here will be truly supported.”
The Jaigantic team is also making a push to prevent two other companies from moving into this end of Fair Haven. (See above.) Two craft breweries — one from Woodbridge, one from East Haven — have been negotiating with the city to move into different parts of the River Street district and expand their operations without any government money or breaks. Click here to read about how Jaigantic sought to convince the Fair Haven Community Management Team last week to oppose those breweries so that noise and traffic wouldn’t impede eventual studios that might get built in the district.