Filmport has signed post-production giant Deluxe Entertainment Services Group as its first permanent tenant.

Deluxe plans in April 2010 to relocate from its existing downtown Toronto facility to occupy as the sole tenant of an 80,000-square-foot office building to be built at the front gates of Filmport, which itself is set to open in March.

Ken Ferguson, president of Toronto Film Studios, which is building Filmport, said Deluxe will occupy its own signature building, rather than go into the planned 280,000-square-foot Will Alsop-designed office building to be built on the opposite side of the megastudio’s front gates.

He also pointed to the ‘sheer convenience factor’ that producers of film and TV projects shooting at Filmport will enjoy as they cross the road from soundstages to screen dailies or complete other film/video/digital post-production services at the Deluxe building.

‘We believe the Toronto community will benefit from the easy access to so many key services,’ said Deluxe president and CEO Cyril Drabinsky of his relocation to Filmport.

‘With the continued growth of our post-production facility, we will be an ideal complement to Filmport’s studio customers,’ he added.

Ferguson said that Technicolor, Deluxe’s chief rival, appears to have decided against relocating to Filmport, and will remain at its facility on Toronto’s Ontario Street for the time being. Technicolor is still considering some form of presence at Filmport in the future, however.

Toronto Film Studios is currently negotiating with a number of equipment suppliers, wardrobe/costume houses, and unions and guilds, hoping to book them into the Alsop building.

Recent Deluxe credits in Toronto include Marvel Entertainment’s The Incredible Hulk, which was shot at TFS, The Weinstein Company’s Outlander, David Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises and Jeremy Podeswa’s Fugitive Pieces.

Ferguson said Filmport is still set to open its first soundstages in March, despite recent weather delays.

He added Filmport has some holds for its soundstages, but that no firm bookings have been made.

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This story has been modified to indicate that Technicolor is still contemplating a future presence at Filmport.