As the story has it, former Michigander and newly-minted California star Jimmy Lifton met with then-Allen Park Mayor Gary Burtka over an impromptu lunch. Their conversation would turn to the availability of land.
"What's behind the (Allen Park) Tire?" asked Lifton, a man who - though familiar with the area as his extended family had run a medical office in Melvindale - was not up to date on the changes the city had undergone recently. This land had been vacant ever since Uniroyal Tire closed its offices there.
Lifton's blunt question took Burtka by surprise. Asking the Hollywood post-production specialist what he had in mind, Lifton stated he had an idea to turn Allen Park into Michigan's version of Hollywood, then asked the Mayor about the current zoning of the land.
Burtka's purported response: "How would you like it to be zoned?"
A combination of an exciting new industry, a near-$150 million grant, a Governor's new film incentives, and the promise of 12,000 jobs promised to put Allen Park on the map as a model of how to begin a new industry in Michigan. Barely two years later, it would become the most tarnished model and project in Downriver's history.
"What's behind the (Allen Park) Tire?" asked Lifton, a man who - though familiar with the area as his extended family had run a medical office in Melvindale - was not up to date on the changes the city had undergone recently. This land had been vacant ever since Uniroyal Tire closed its offices there.
Lifton's blunt question took Burtka by surprise. Asking the Hollywood post-production specialist what he had in mind, Lifton stated he had an idea to turn Allen Park into Michigan's version of Hollywood, then asked the Mayor about the current zoning of the land.
Burtka's purported response: "How would you like it to be zoned?"
A combination of an exciting new industry, a near-$150 million grant, a Governor's new film incentives, and the promise of 12,000 jobs promised to put Allen Park on the map as a model of how to begin a new industry in Michigan. Barely two years later, it would become the most tarnished model and project in Downriver's history.
To be classified a "Cool City" would require a state-spearheaded initiative
"We are working hard to build a diversified economy. We are putting in the infrastructure for an industry that will support long-term job growth." |
"We have found an economic boost in the 'Lights, Camera, and Action' of Michigan's newest high-tech industry." |
By the mid 1990s, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm was actively pushing the idea of modernizing Michigan from an economic standpoint, while making the state more appealing to the younger population who were beginning to move out of the state in higher numbers. At the time, Michigan Film Credits made their debut, offering tax savings of up to 25% to entice amateur and professional filmmakers to film their features here. The program was a runaway success in its first few years, although used only by companies or groups who traveled from out of state for location filming. No effort had yet been made to utilize these tax breaks for a complete studio scenario which would locate and prosper in the state. Allen Park sought to be the first.
Thanks to these, as well as a $146 million grant from the Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA), the Unity Studios project began to take shape; initial estimates included a total investment value of $11.5 billion, and the creation of 120,000 jobs.
Spearheading this effort was Michigan native James (Jimmy) Lifton, owner of the Oracle Post audio studio, which had various clients throughout Hollywood, and championed by Allen Park Mayor Gary Burtka.
Thanks to these, as well as a $146 million grant from the Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA), the Unity Studios project began to take shape; initial estimates included a total investment value of $11.5 billion, and the creation of 120,000 jobs.
Spearheading this effort was Michigan native James (Jimmy) Lifton, owner of the Oracle Post audio studio, which had various clients throughout Hollywood, and championed by Allen Park Mayor Gary Burtka.
"My goal (is to) bring a new industry to my home state. I like to think of (Unity Studios) as a factory, in the tradition of the model of Henry Ford's Rouge factory model." |
The artist rendering above shows only a glimpse of what was planned. In the initial talks, a total of 104 acres would be developed. The first studio would encompass 40 acres and 750,000 square feet. Eight sound stages; four at 24,000 square feet and four at 11,000 square feet, would eventually be the setting to house 3,000 union positions, 80 operations personnel and managers. Allen Park residents and those recently laid off who wanted to learn a trade for marketability would be the first ones chosen for jobs. In addition to the promise of no tax increase for Allen Park residents, a new City Hall would be built, enabling the city offices to finally leave the old Gilead Baptist Church building on Southfield, which had become woefully inadequate.
The city would take on the responsibility of purchasing the land and existing buildings, anchored by the former Montgomery Ward distribution warehouse from the 1960s to the 1980s. They would also construct the infrastructure, water & sewer service, streets, and their new City Hall. It would be a 15% equity ownership, which would lead to a reduction of taxes since the development would be in a brownfield zone (the old Uniroyal facility was once nearby).
The city would take on the responsibility of purchasing the land and existing buildings, anchored by the former Montgomery Ward distribution warehouse from the 1960s to the 1980s. They would also construct the infrastructure, water & sewer service, streets, and their new City Hall. It would be a 15% equity ownership, which would lead to a reduction of taxes since the development would be in a brownfield zone (the old Uniroyal facility was once nearby).
Construction was slated to commence in May 2009, with the first phase to be open by September; a phase that would introduce those seeking to learn to consider the Jimmy Lifton Institute for Media Skills. Sixty-four additional acres would be developed under a Phase Two plan which would be for housing and mixed-use properties. The initial response was astounding, with inquiries coming from as far away as Belgium.
A hitch in the script starts the concernInitial agreements for moving the project along began to experience delays. Two months into slated construction which wasn't happening, Eric Cedo, spokesperson for Unity Studios, insisted everything was going well. "No delays, no fear... We just have to meet some criteria Wayne County set for (a) Renaissance Zone designation." Such a zone usually gets additional tax breaks in order to seek a developer to re-use a once-abundant property.
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"(This) project is an economic win-win-win for Allen Park residents. We did not need to raise taxes a penny to win this project. Our residents get first shot at the jobs, and they (the residents) are owners, too." "Our grandchildren's grandchildren are going to benefit from this for many, many, many years... |
However, Vanessa Denha-Garmo, spokesperson for then-County Executive Robert Ficano, insisted that it was Lifton's group which was holding up the Renaissance Zone process... a $15 million process.
The groundbreaking for Unity Studios was finally announced for August 27, 2009 at 8:00 PM, with Lifton assuring the press that it would be a ground-breaking "unlike any other." With the school's first semester to start not long afterward, and the first feature film slated for work and completion by November, the timetable was set very aggressively, and Lifton had the self-confidence to believe it could work.
The groundbreaking for Unity Studios was finally announced for August 27, 2009 at 8:00 PM, with Lifton assuring the press that it would be a ground-breaking "unlike any other." With the school's first semester to start not long afterward, and the first feature film slated for work and completion by November, the timetable was set very aggressively, and Lifton had the self-confidence to believe it could work.
But it was not quite the high-confidence level he had come into the project with. He was tiring of political bureaucracy, as well as the never-ending rumors that Governor Granholm's film tax credits could be on the chopping block.
"(It's created) negative perceptions," he lamented. "Unfortunately, every time a state lawmaker talks about reducing or ending the credits, film industry producers and potential investors run for the hills."
Lifton insisted, however, that he was not the one doing the running, and to show his adopted city good faith, he announced he was giving Allen Park a two million dollar donation to keep budget shortfalls for 2009-2010 in check. "We are all in this together," Lifton firmly stated.
"(It's created) negative perceptions," he lamented. "Unfortunately, every time a state lawmaker talks about reducing or ending the credits, film industry producers and potential investors run for the hills."
Lifton insisted, however, that he was not the one doing the running, and to show his adopted city good faith, he announced he was giving Allen Park a two million dollar donation to keep budget shortfalls for 2009-2010 in check. "We are all in this together," Lifton firmly stated.
Despite a skeptic, concerned public, Unity announces ambitious work schedule
With the groundbreaking out of the way, Lifton felt if his studio could get to work producing movies and getting them released, it might soften public opinion on what many saw as a potential scam in the works. Allen Park was on the board for a major investment some residents didn't think it could afford. People who attended a June meeting - expecting to hear about job creation - instead heard a promotion for the Lifton School and little more.
As time passed, some work actually got done. In February 2010 Unity, along with Henry Ford Community College, announced plans to co-produce a film titled "A Christmas Dream," which was to be a Civil War-era picture. The first graduating class of the Lifton school numbered 106, and these students were looked upon to help with that first film. In addition, a new class was to enroll within weeks, at an eventual cost of $871,000 to the state of Michigan.
As time passed, some work actually got done. In February 2010 Unity, along with Henry Ford Community College, announced plans to co-produce a film titled "A Christmas Dream," which was to be a Civil War-era picture. The first graduating class of the Lifton school numbered 106, and these students were looked upon to help with that first film. In addition, a new class was to enroll within weeks, at an eventual cost of $871,000 to the state of Michigan.
The students' first in-class film production was entitled "Blind-sided," about a pair of criminals falling into a get-rich-quick scheme. However, in an unintended twist of fate, life would soon prove to imitate art.
"We made a promise, a promise to ourselves and a promise to everyone we've known since we started this, that we have |
"You will always be part of our First Family." |
Money discrepancies begin faster than a wild movie plot
The spring would become a time of reckoning with Unity Studios, and the battle lines between it and adopted city were gaining definition and steam.
In early May 2010, the city sent the studio a warning of defaulting on its lease agreement, a form known as "Notice To Quit," meaning that further inaction could result in eviction of the studio. Allen Park claimed that Unity was consistently tardy on rent payments to the city, and worsened the problem with paperwork. |
Among the problems eventually discovered were: late submissions of balance sheets, profit/loss margins, payroll. All those, submitted in timely order, would give Allen Park an idea how financially solvent the studio was. An additional letter went out offering to help the studio stay in compliance. Meanwhile, the public began to grasp the full realization that Allen Park ultimately spent $25.3 million dollars in general obligation bonds, plus an additional $3 million chipped in by Wayne County, which was still recovering from bad investments at Pinnacle Race Course in Romulus.
Mayor Burtka, meanwhile, was starting to distance himself from not only Lifton, but from Unity Studios itself. The studio, he implied... not the property.
"It is important to know that the Allen Park Studio Complex has evolved further beyond Unity," he remarked. "It is regretful and disappointing." There was some movement at attracting different firms to the site, either as co-tenants or co-operators of the existing studio site. The Center For Film Studies and Global Renaissance Entertainment expressed interest in moving in, with GRE offering to buy the property outright, but no response to the offer came.
Marketing Director Eric Cedo was trying to put a positive tone on proceedings, saying that Unity had no intent to leave Allen Park, the city didn't want them to leave, and that "everyone is working together to make this project a success."
"It is important to know that the Allen Park Studio Complex has evolved further beyond Unity," he remarked. "It is regretful and disappointing." There was some movement at attracting different firms to the site, either as co-tenants or co-operators of the existing studio site. The Center For Film Studies and Global Renaissance Entertainment expressed interest in moving in, with GRE offering to buy the property outright, but no response to the offer came.
Marketing Director Eric Cedo was trying to put a positive tone on proceedings, saying that Unity had no intent to leave Allen Park, the city didn't want them to leave, and that "everyone is working together to make this project a success."
Barely a week later, Lifton readily admitted he was in disagreements with the city over the amount of rent. He claimed the company had a zero balance owed and did not owe back rent. Allen Park insisted that the debt was in excess of $42,000, and the city had until June 7th to comply with an agreement, or begin proceedings which could lead to eviction.
The studio, among other transgressions, didn't separate utility meters properly, didn't give out curriculum details, nor they did they provide a list of students or teachers. The reason for the problem was addressed to Lifton, who blamed ongoing lease negotiations, but did mention "we're actually very close on settling this."
Local legislator Douglas Geiss laid blame on industry uncertainty. "The laws were put into place," he indicated, "we have to let them gel."
The studio, among other transgressions, didn't separate utility meters properly, didn't give out curriculum details, nor they did they provide a list of students or teachers. The reason for the problem was addressed to Lifton, who blamed ongoing lease negotiations, but did mention "we're actually very close on settling this."
Local legislator Douglas Geiss laid blame on industry uncertainty. "The laws were put into place," he indicated, "we have to let them gel."
Cedo again denied there was any wrongdoing as reported by the city, including a new report which stated there was a $15,000 rent discrepancy alone. "We've been painted in this suspicion that we cannot make our payments," he said. It is interesting to note here that there was in fact $2 million held, courtesy of the Allen Park Downtown Development Authority which could have helped rectify these issues. But for an untold reason it was left untouched at this time.
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"Are we paying them for a job they're not doing?" |
By this time, there appeared to be no repairs available for the tarnished reputations of both Jimmy Lifton and Unity Studios. In his weekly Sidewinder column, News-Herald Editor Karl Ziomek portrayed Lifton thusly: "the Holly dude with long gray locks and wild colored suspenders... should have directed one of those disaster films of the 1970s: Airport or Meteor."
Striking the set and moving the studio to Detroit -- at least initially
Then in a surprised, unannounced move, Cedo explained that Unity Studios had exercised an opt-out option on their lease, as it was their right to, in September 2010. "We had an option to relocate, and we exercised that option," was Cedo's simple explanation. Lifton moved his operation to mid-town Detroit, inside Tech-Town at Wayne State University. However, the legal right to end the lease was contingent on the opinions of other tenants at the Allen Park Studio Complex, including the next-biggest tenant, Roush Industries.
What little remained of active productions in Allen Park did churn out one potential sitcom titled "The Wannabees", involving six high school students at an art institute, but the series was never picked up by a television network.
What little remained of active productions in Allen Park did churn out one potential sitcom titled "The Wannabees", involving six high school students at an art institute, but the series was never picked up by a television network.
The February Public Forum: True arguments & feelings come through
"The event made for pure political theater, and was used as a campaign springboard by a handful of drama club members whose rants and shots from the auditorium trumped the interest of residents' (questions)." "Why wasn't Unity held accountable? By no stretch of the imagination... are they out of the woods yet... I will go after them. It is a promise." |
A public meeting was finally scheduled for early 2011 to address the overall issue. Mayor Burtka helped organize the forum which he hoped would squash ongoing rumors about funding and property use. The meeting, attended by seventy people, did not go as smoothly as planned.
Attorney Todd Flood created a small rumbling when he began the meeting with a Power Point presentation on the city's property purchase. |
Councilman Tony Lalli, who initially proposed the meeting, indicated he did not include a Power Point presentation on his proposal at all. Questions were supposed to be directed at Mayor Burtka or then-City Administrator Eric Waidelich; if they could provide no answers, the questions would be referred to someone else. Attorney Flood also received criticism of being with the city for only one month, and then accused of hiding "behind the city," which he denied.
Residents also claimed the city intentionally held the meeting in the auditorium, which was not wired for Cable TV, and therefore could not be broadcast or replayed on the Government Access channel for homebound residents.
Burtka blamed those in attendance for being too boisterous and disrupting the proceedings: "Open dialog was difficult to achieve." Some observers claimed the meeting as presented (with the Power Point) was contrived solely to avoid a true give-and-take dialog.
Residents also claimed the city intentionally held the meeting in the auditorium, which was not wired for Cable TV, and therefore could not be broadcast or replayed on the Government Access channel for homebound residents.
Burtka blamed those in attendance for being too boisterous and disrupting the proceedings: "Open dialog was difficult to achieve." Some observers claimed the meeting as presented (with the Power Point) was contrived solely to avoid a true give-and-take dialog.
City and Unity partnership: An epilogue
Allen Park, therefore, received about as much good news as it possibly could, given the seriousness of the situation. By this time, Lifton had given up on Michigan altogether and moved Unity and the institute back to California.
One movie did get produced (and received credit for) at the Allen Park studio: War Flowers, starring Christina Ricci. It never saw the light of day in the theaters, as the movie was released straight to DVD.
One movie did get produced (and received credit for) at the Allen Park studio: War Flowers, starring Christina Ricci. It never saw the light of day in the theaters, as the movie was released straight to DVD.