The former Grace & Wild Studios in Farmington Hills that closed in October 2011, after more than 20 years of busy operation, is being incarnated as Studio Center and led by former Michigan Film Office director Carrie Jones.
Michigan-based Sterling Group, a real estate and private equity company, purchased the production facility in April for an undisclosed price.
The facility has three sound stages and 70,000-plus sq. ft. Of office and flex space that will be rebranded as a multi-use production facility.
The complex retained tenants from the Grace & Wild days and its two large soundstages are consistently booked.
“We think the future for the film and media production industry in Michigan is bright,” Jones told the Detroit Free Press.
The goal now is to improve and invest in Studio Center in order to reboot it as one of the top production locations in the state, she said.
Jones expects the changes to be finished sometime in 2015.
“I’m going to be really focused on the rebrand, coming up with a new name, working on the improvements and giving the facility a new look and feel, but also just making sure that folks know we’re here and open for business,” said Jones, who most recently was executive director of the Michigan Venture Capital Association.
Co-owner Steven Wild departed the copany in 2010 to launch integrated mediastudio Ringside Creative, CUTTERS. Harvey Grace remained at the studio for another year. Eighty employees were laid off in 2011 and the company closed shrotly thereafter.
Michigan’s 2011 reduction and change in entertainment incentives also put an additional strain on Grace & Wild’s business, Grace said at the time.
