Film Production Studio At Logan Square-Avondale Border Would Bring Needed Jobs, Supporters Say, But Some Feel Shut Out Of Process (blockclubchicago.org)
AVONDALE — The developer behind The Fields, a massive retail/residential development at the Logan Square/Avondale border, is looking to open a film production studio, a project that could transform the area.
But the developer could face an obstacle in its quest to bring Hollywood to the Northwest Side: Some community leaders, including State Rep. Will Guzzardi, are sounding the alarm over what they call an opaque community process. The leaders said they’re worried the developer and Ald. Felix Cardona Jr. (31st), who represents the site, haven’t solicited enough community feedback.
“A development of this magnitude … is going to have far-reaching implications” for residents of the area, said Guzzardi, who represents Logan Square, Avondale, Hermosa and Belmont Cragin, the neighborhoods around the site.
“The community needs to have a voice in what happens there. If there’s a robust process engaging the community and they decide they want it there, then I’m all for it. It’s not clear that’s happened yet,” he said.
New York-based developer Knickpoint Ventures wants to convert part of The Fields campus at 4000 W. Diversey Ave. into a film production studio as part of its redevelopment of the 22-acre property. The studio would be similar to the West Side’s Cinespace in that TV shows and movies would be filmed and produced there, according to the Tribune, which first reported the news.
By: Mina Bloom
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