The San Marcos City Council voted to approve incentives for a new film studio on Tuesday (June 7), according to a report from Austin ABC affiliate KVUE.
The station reported that the 820,000-square-foot property will be constructed at 6202 West Centerpoint Rd. in the La Cima master-planned development. The studio will house productions under Hill Country Studios, per KVUE.
“San Marcos was the clear-cut choice of where we wanted to be doing business,” co-founder and chief operating officer (COO) Zach Price said, the station reported. “The natural beauty of the Hill Country, as well as the local workforce and close proximity to the talent pools of Austin and San Antonio, made perfect sense for us to locate our film production studio in the Texas Innovation Corridor.”
KVUE reported that the facility will consist of a dozen sound stages, backlots, production offices and other features.
Citing a report in the Austin Business Journal, the station reported that Hill Country Studios proposed building the studio on approximately 36% of a 206-acre plot in three phases, with a complete date set for 2025.
The studio’s estimated capital investment is $267 million, and Hill Country Studios is expected to generate a workforce of nearly 40 with an average salary of $100,000 through the facility, according to KVUE.
San Marcos officials anticipate a bevy of opportunities the studio will bring.
“We’re excited Hill Country Group LLC has chosen to invest in San Marcos for this project and we’re confident the film production studio will positively impact our local businesses and our city’s overall economy,” Assistant City Manager Joe Pantalion said, the station reported.
The city council additionally approved an agreement that would rebate up to $4 million in property taxes during a five-year period, per KVUE.
According to the station, San Marcos joins Bastrop in what is purportedly a cinematic industry boom in Central Texas.
The Bastrop 552 project is expected to have 486,000 square feet of studio space upon its targeted completion next year.
