Big news, Villa Muse-Hollywood style studios-Mix Use Project

[JDawgboy]

there are local articals on this project but I found one that is alot more in-depth from a gameing website...

View artical on the WP website

Villa Muse Studios, A $1.5 Billion Complex Including Videogame Development

Posted on Monday, April 16 @ 14:35:16 PDT

Authorities in Texas are building Villa Muse, a $1.5 billion mixed-use development including residential, retail and commercial spaces anchored by the $125-million, 200-acre Villa Muse Studios, developed for the film, television, advertising, music and videogame industries.

Phase one, to be open by the end of 2008, will include a variety of soundstages, including the largest purpose-built soundstage in North America (50,000 square feet), a scoring stage, recording studios, and an outdoor amphitheater with a capacity of over 70,000. VILLA MUSE executives estimate that the overall project will generate roughly 8,000 new jobs upon completion and will create capacity for 8,500 residents.

The announcement coincides with the recent vote by the Texas House of Representatives on House Bill 1634, authored by Dukes and sponsored by Deuell, providing state-funded incentives for film and television production. (The VILLA MUSE project will not receive funds appropriated by HB 1634.)

"I am very excited about the VILLA MUSE project and the many projects sure to come to Texas in the future as a result of our work this session on House Bill 1634, the incentives program for the film industry," Rep. Dukes said. "Neighboring states and foreign cities like Toronto are aggressively working to lure Texas filming opportunities away from the state. House Bill 1634 will level the playing field for our state in comparison to other film venues. We have made a grand investment in the future of Texas."

"Providing incentives for the film industry will create new jobs and enhance the role of Texas as a national leader in television and film production. The VILLA MUSE project is a textbook example of how the government can effectively use state-funded incentives to promote private industry for the public good," said Senator Deuell.

Located just off of the SH130 corridor, 15 minutes east of downtown Austin, VILLA MUSE will be an innovative 681-acre development anchored by the 200-acre Villa Muse Studios -- a professional campus for the creative industries offering high-end production and post-production facilities for film, television, commercials, music and videogames that will include soundstages, recording studios, an amphitheater, areas for backlots and the largest outdoor water tank for film production in the U.S.

"VILLA MUSE will address the needs of our thriving creative industries in Texas, while attracting business that has been out of reach and forced to go elsewhere," Jay Aaron Podolnick, founder and CEO of VILLA MUSE, said. "Meanwhile, VILLA MUSE will give Texas a centralized location where creative talent can come together to cross-pollinate and communicate in a uniquely innovative environment. And true to its name, it will be a place to live, work and be inspired."

A master-planned residential community will orbit the studio campus. Designed to serve as a living, breathing backlot, neighborhoods will be built in an array of styles to meet a variety of filming needs. Ranging from New York brownstones to Craftsman bungalows to manors and estates, these residences will be open for sale to the public.

"VILLA MUSE will provide infrastructure on par with the finest facilities in the world at a highly competitive cost," said Paul Alvarado-Dykstra, vice president of strategic development. "VILLA MUSE will give creative professionals everything they need to live and work in one area without sacrifice or compromise."

The entrance to Villa Muse Studios will be located at the end of a broad boulevard lined with retail, office, residential and hospitality spaces. Situated at the other end of the boulevard will be a large public park and five to six mixed-use buildings -- with retail on the ground floor and office spaces above.

To date, the team has finalized an initial project plan, utilizing a number of cities, streets and places around the world for inspiration. VILLA MUSE has secured phase one funding, and, in partnership with Carpenter & Associates -- a leading real estate development, brokerage and investment firm -- has secured the land for the project.

VILLA MUSE is led by Founder and CEO Podolnick -- a producer/engineer who founded Texas' first 24-track recording facility in 1972, helping give birth to the Austin music scene. Podolnick has worked with such artists as Marianne Faithfull, Eric Johnson, Jerry Jeff Walker, Christopher Cross, Dan Hartman, Stephen Doster and The Electomagnets, and has worked in some of the world's most famous studios such as Power Station, New York; Air Studios, London; Electric Lady, New York; and Ocean Way Studios, Los Angeles.

The VILLA MUSE team includes:

Rupert Neve, chief technology office -- a leading expert in the field on audio equipment design who was named "Man of the Century" by Studio Sound Magazine and was awarded a GRAMMY

[dgreco]

there are local articals on this project but I found one that is alot more in-depth from a gameing website...

View artical on the WP website

Villa Muse Studios, A $1.5 Billion Complex Including Videogame Development

Posted on Monday, April 16 @ 14:35:16 PDT

Authorities in Texas are building Villa Muse, a $1.5 billion mixed-use development including residential, retail and commercial spaces anchored by the $125-million, 200-acre Villa Muse Studios, developed for the film, television, advertising, music and videogame industries.

Phase one, to be open by the end of 2008, will include a variety of soundstages, including the largest purpose-built soundstage in North America (50,000 square feet), a scoring stage, recording studios, and an outdoor amphitheater with a capacity of over 70,000. VILLA MUSE executives estimate that the overall project will generate roughly 8,000 new jobs upon completion and will create capacity for 8,500 residents.

The announcement coincides with the recent vote by the Texas House of Representatives on House Bill 1634, authored by Dukes and sponsored by Deuell, providing state-funded incentives for film and television production. (The VILLA MUSE project will not receive funds appropriated by HB 1634.)

"I am very excited about the VILLA MUSE project and the many projects sure to come to Texas in the future as a result of our work this session on House Bill 1634, the incentives program for the film industry," Rep. Dukes said. "Neighboring states and foreign cities like Toronto are aggressively working to lure Texas filming opportunities away from the state. House Bill 1634 will level the playing field for our state in comparison to other film venues. We have made a grand investment in the future of Texas."

"Providing incentives for the film industry will create new jobs and enhance the role of Texas as a national leader in television and film production. The VILLA MUSE project is a textbook example of how the government can effectively use state-funded incentives to promote private industry for the public good," said Senator Deuell.

Located just off of the SH130 corridor, 15 minutes east of downtown Austin, VILLA MUSE will be an innovative 681-acre development anchored by the 200-acre Villa Muse Studios -- a professional campus for the creative industries offering high-end production and post-production facilities for film, television, commercials, music and videogames that will include soundstages, recording studios, an amphitheater, areas for backlots and the largest outdoor water tank for film production in the U.S.

"VILLA MUSE will address the needs of our thriving creative industries in Texas, while attracting business that has been out of reach and forced to go elsewhere," Jay Aaron Podolnick, founder and CEO of VILLA MUSE, said. "Meanwhile, VILLA MUSE will give Texas a centralized location where creative talent can come together to cross-pollinate and communicate in a uniquely innovative environment. And true to its name, it will be a place to live, work and be inspired."

A master-planned residential community will orbit the studio campus. Designed to serve as a living, breathing backlot, neighborhoods will be built in an array of styles to meet a variety of filming needs. Ranging from New York brownstones to Craftsman bungalows to manors and estates, these residences will be open for sale to the public.

"VILLA MUSE will provide infrastructure on par with the finest facilities in the world at a highly competitive cost," said Paul Alvarado-Dykstra, vice president of strategic development. "VILLA MUSE will give creative professionals everything they need to live and work in one area without sacrifice or compromise."

The entrance to Villa Muse Studios will be located at the end of a broad boulevard lined with retail, office, residential and hospitality spaces. Situated at the other end of the boulevard will be a large public park and five to six mixed-use buildings -- with retail on the ground floor and office spaces above.

To date, the team has finalized an initial project plan, utilizing a number of cities, streets and places around the world for inspiration. VILLA MUSE has secured phase one funding, and, in partnership with Carpenter & Associates -- a leading real estate development, brokerage and investment firm -- has secured the land for the project.

VILLA MUSE is led by Founder and CEO Podolnick -- a producer/engineer who founded Texas' first 24-track recording facility in 1972, helping give birth to the Austin music scene. Podolnick has worked with such artists as Marianne Faithfull, Eric Johnson, Jerry Jeff Walker, Christopher Cross, Dan Hartman, Stephen Doster and The Electomagnets, and has worked in some of the world's most famous studios such as Power Station, New York; Air Studios, London; Electric Lady, New York; and Ocean Way Studios, Los Angeles.

The VILLA MUSE team includes:

Rupert Neve, chief technology office -- a leading expert in the field on audio equipment design who was named "Man of the Century" by Studio Sound Magazine and was awarded a GRAMMY

[mopacs]

Very exciting indeed! As others have said, this is exactly the use I envisioned for the Mueller property some time back. Though perhaps in the long-run, this development is better suited for a large expanse of land... The versitility of the project can be maximized without conflicting with surrounding neighborhoods as it expands.

I'm curious to see if long-term plans account for the increased traffic in the area. The main access to the site is FM 969, a windy 2-lane country road. Beyond expanding this highway, the development will need additional access to and from the north (Manor/US290) and south (Tx 71), as an alternative to the toll road (which is still a distance to the west).