Published November 2, 2023
$900M movie production campus to anchor proposed complex in West Valley
$900M movie production campus to anchor proposed complex in West Valley
A full-service movie production hub and entertainment complex with a mix of commercial uses has been proposed for 320 acres in metro Phoenix.
At full build-out, Desert Studios could encompass 48 sound stages totaling 40,000 square feet each — as well as supporting facilities such as administrative offices, theaters, warehouses, medical services and a motor pool.
Restaurants, resorts and and a film-themed entertainment complex with shopping, dining and more could also be developed on the site, according to documents submitted to Maricopa County.
The project is being envisioned for a sprawling site just north of Interstate 10 and south of Indian School Road between 355th and 339th avenues in the Buckeye area, about 40 minutes west of downtown Phoenix. It will also be located on the southern portion of the master-planned Belmont community.
A movie and TV production hub has been proposed for about 320 acres in the Buckeye area nearby Interstate 10 and the Buckeye Municipal Airport.
MARICOPA COUNTY DOCUMENTS
"The studio complex is expected to create thousands of on-site and film industry related jobs," project documents noted. "It is also anticipated to be a major driver for the larger Belmont development, along with advancing the growth of regional tourism and transportation infrastructure."
The $900 million project is being developed by Desert Studios and partner Ruben Arizpe, a former vice president of contract finance at Disney, the Hollywood Reporter wrote earlier this year. The company said they were going to break ground on the project in 2023 and had obtained $54 million in financing to acquire the site, the report said.
The development could be one of the largest and most ambitious film production complexes in the Valley if built out.
Arizpe has also previously proposed developing a 130-acre film and TV studio campus called Diamond Sky Studio Complex along the Loop 303 and Lone Mountain Road in Peoria, the Peoria Times reported in 2019.
Interest in new production studios in Arizona has increased after former Gov. Doug Ducey passed a bill with $125 million in tax incentives for TV and movie productions to compete in the film industry with other states.
Last summer, Acacia Filmed Entertainment proposed a 70-acre film studio and production facility in the Valley with 14 sound stages and support offices totaling 624,000 square feet.
Desert Studios expected to acquire site
Desert Studios is expected to acquire the 320 acres from the current landowners, Belmont Infraco LLC, an entity connected to Scottsdale-based LKY Development Inc.
In the first phase, the company plans to build a dozen sound stages and supporting structures. The following three phases will each have 12 sound stages, according to project documents.
Justin Davis, legal counsel for Desert Studios, could not immediately be reached for comment.
The Maricopa County planning commission is scheduled Nov. 2 to vote on rezoning the 320 acres and for a major comprehensive plan amendment for an overall 1,400 acres. If approved, the plan would allow the film production complex and a mix of commercial uses.
Adding a massive film production complex to this site will alter a portion of the master-planned Belmont community, according to documents submitted to the county.
The Belmont Development Master Plan was originally approved in 1991 for a mix of uses including commercial, office, business, manufacturing and residential. The Belmont plan has since seen two major amendments, including one in 2008.
"Since the approval of the latest Belmont DMP land plan, markets have shifted, demanding more mixed uses and employment opportunities, especially near major freeway intersections," project documents said.
In addition to the Desert Studios complex, the overall 1,400 acres around the production hub could be developed into retail, restaurant, hotel, multifamily and light industrial, as well as the potential for a "theme park resort," documents said.
If built, the complex could add to a long list of new developments coming online in Buckeye. Major roads such as State Route 85 and I-10 are becoming hubs for industrial activity while retailers are also bringing new shopping centers to the fast-growing West Valley city.
