March 11, 2009
(NECN:Alysha Palumbo) – Plymouth, Massachusetts is celebrating a new project that should create hundreds of jobs. Today, plans to build a new movie studio took a major step forward.
The script is written, the stage is set, and now Plymouth Rock Studios appears to be on the fast track to opening night.
Sen. Therese Murray, President of Massachusetts State Senate: “This is our future – not only for Plymouth, but for Massachusetts.”
After years of planning, it looks like Massachusetts will finally get its 500-million dollar film and television studio complex. The environmentally friendly project will be the first of its kind on the east coast.
Sen. Therese Murray, President of Massachusetts State Senate: “Wise infrastructure investments and the creation of jobs is going to get us on to the road to recovery.”
This is the Waverly Oaks Golf Club – it’s 240 acres of rolling hills and beautiful scenery and it’s soon to be the home of the Plymouth Rock Studios.
David Kirkpatrick, Chairman of Plymouth Rock Studios: “This isn’t just a bricks and mortar operation, this is really a life style – a life style we think can bring tremendous economies to the commonwealth.”
Organizers say this project will not only continue the commonwealth’s current trend of becoming an increasingly desirable place to make movies, but it will provide work in a time when the state’s unemployment rate hovers at 7.4%.
William DeMello, Brockton Building Trades Council President: “They’re going to put 1500 people to work, they’re going to put more people to work after it’s built, they’re going to bring in people to work when they’re making movies, it’s just going to help out the economy in Massachusetts tremendously.”
In an economy when builders have arguably been hit the hardest, this type of work is ray of light in an otherwise dark time.
Frank Callahan, Mass. Building Trades Council President: “It means an awful lot to us, we have roughly 18% unemployment in the construction industry all across the state and to put any of our members to work it would be good even in a good economy, but to do it in an economy like this is really something else.”
And beyond that, State Senate President Therese Murray says green projects like this one will create green collar jobs far into the future.
Sen. Therese Murray, President of Massachusetts State Senate: “If we work together and we make the investments to train current and future generations for these types of jobs, and industry that’s just starting to bloom is going to explode in this state, and more importantly will keep those jobs in Massachusetts for our residents.”