EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — New Mexico State University broke ground Tuesday, Sept. 30, on a $15 million studio complex that is expected to attract film and television projects.
The project is being built at Arrowhead Research Park, a business and research park at NMSU. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with the first productions being done there by early 2027, said Wayne Savage, the executive director for Arrowhead Research Park.
Creative media students at both NMSU and Dona Ana Community College will also have opportunities for paid internships on those productions.
Once completed, NMSU will lease the site to a company that will be responsible for operations and maintenance and will either film its own productions at the complex or lease out the complex to other production companies, the university said.
In June, the NMSU Board of Regents unanimously approved an agreement between the New Mexico Economic Development Department, NMSU and Arrowhead Center Inc. to build the 36,400-square-foot soundstage complex.
“The vision for what we are doing here – we call it the Creative Campus – the idea is to co-locate our academic specialties and expertise with industry,” Savage said. “By doing that, you create a synergy. We have learned from other parts of the country that we will be one of the few, if not the only place, that is doing it quite like this.
“We believe the opportunities are even greater for our students for internships while they are in school as well as permanent jobs after they graduate,” Savage continued. “We hope it brings some of those folks back to Las Cruces one day.”
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