The Toronto Film Studios is a step closer to its plan of running a major film campus with the purchase of Toronto production centre Cinevillage from Alliance Atlantis Communications. Although AAC will remain Cinevillage’s anchor tenant, TFS will act as the owner/operator of the facility.

The seven-acre, 85,000-square-foot Cinevillage boasts two high-end broadcast studios; production offices; control rooms; support facilities; dressing, hair and makeup areas; and a prep kitchen, used largely for AAC’s Food Network programs.

TFS president Ken Ferguson says there are many reasons for TFS and parent organization The Rose Corporation to be excited about the purchase, the first being a chance to nurture a working relationship with one of Canada’s largest film and television producers.

‘[AAC] is planning to stay put for a long time and we’re just thrilled to be able to build a strong relationship with them,’ says Ferguson. ‘It’s a terrific facility. It’s very well set up for broadcast and AAC has made one of the studios available to us so we can bring in another broadcast tenant who can have equally attractive facilities with a stage, broadcast studio, control rooms, production offices and so forth.’

Ferguson says TFS will be marketing the open studio to broadcasters, rather than film and television series producers, who would be better served at the TFS studios.

He adds that another perk of the acquisition is proximity of Cinevillage to TFS. All that separates the two properties in Toronto’s film district is a car dealership, which is only about 100 feet wide.

‘Cinevillage is so close that ultimately it will become a part of our expanded lot and it really gives us the impetus to begin looking at the expansion of our property and the construction of new studios,’ says Ferguson. ‘I think in time [the car dealer] will find another home and it’ll all become one lot.’

The Cinevillage acquisition is a significant part of a bigger picture for TFS. Its ultimate plan is to create and run a film and television campus in Toronto. TFS also owns a 10-acre lot opposite Cinevillage, acquired after the A.R. Clarke tannery building (which occupied the property) burnt down in March 2001.

‘We have been working on plans since that time and we’re on the verge of being able to announce something further on that,’ says Ferguson.

As it now stands, all developed TFS properties collectively boast approximately 360,000 square feet of production space, and Ferguson says after expansion onto the tannery lot, TFS will have increased that number to 600,000 square feet.

While Ferguson won’t disclose financial details of the Cinevillage deal, he does say, ‘It was based on market value of the property and it was a pretty straightforward, simple acquisition.’ The property is still in top-of-line condition, he adds, so there are no immediate plans for renovation, other than perhaps some minor cosmetic improvements.

-www.torontofilmstudios.com