Chicago bolsters reputation as Midwestern Hollywood, aldermen say

Mayor Lori Lightfoots’ roadmap to recovering from the pandemic called for Chicago to capture a much larger share of the nation’s film and television production.

Mission accomplished, said the aldermen on Thursday. Chicago bolstered its reputation as a Midwestern Hollywood.

Retired Cultural Affairs and Special Events Commissioner Mark Kelly said cinema was on the rise in Chicago, with 15 television productions in the city at the moment, a record.

We estimate that its economic value for this year will be approximately $ 750 million. It is now more than 20,000 jobs. And, because the Illinois Tax Credit is the only tax credit that has a minority hiring clause with additional benefits, over 50% of Illinois crews are either minorities, or women, Kelly said.

Is it sufficient? No. But compared to any other city, they were off the charts.

Kelly noted that Chicago-based Cinespace, where NBC’s Chicago Fire, Chicago PD and Chicago Med are filmed, is now the largest studio in North America.

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This local inventory of production space is expected to expand when rapper Common and Chicago-born producer Derek Dudley lead the way at any time, Kelly said of their $ 60 million movie studio on the South Shore.

This project, on seven acres at 7731 S. Chicago Ave., requires six studios for film and television production, Kelly said.

Dudley said the project could anchor a South Side entertainment district that would include the nearby Avalon Regal Theater.

On Thursday, in the hot seat during city council budget hearings for the last time, Kelly said the importance of this emerging film scene cannot be overstated.

Not just economically. Think of it like the impact of Michael Jordan. Think about how this kind of individual remade Chicago’s image to the world. Well, the shoot does too, Kelly said.

We see LA and New York through the films that come from it. We in Chicago should emerge as one of the best film production sites in this country.

The embarrassment of Hollywood riches has not been without growing pains.

During the budget hearing, aldermen complained to Kelly about the inconvenience their constituents too often suffered without warning or compensation to make way for television and film production.

Sometimes they knock on doors. Sometimes they don’t. If you are a resident and you come home, you don’t have enough time to know that your OR is going to be requisitioned for that week or for the number of days they will be there. You have to park around the corner, Ald said. Michael Scott (24th), whose West Side neighborhood includes Cinespace.

I want to make sure that every show in every block does exactly what it needs to do to make this happen.

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Kelly noted that the film office requires 48 hours’ notice for affected communities and 72 hours in neighborhoods where there is too much filming.

They have to answer it. If they don’t, we hold them accountable, he said.

And where filming becomes excessive, we will introduce a moratorium of 30 or 60 days because they need to go elsewhere. We have done it three times this year.

Regarding unequal reimbursement for production inconvenience, Kelly said $ 60,000 was recently spent to compensate residents and business owners on 61st Street alone.

It should be standardized. Everyone she expects the same as this goes ahead. Where you hear it’s not, speak to the film office, he said.

Near West Side Ald. Walter Burnett (27th) was part of a parade of aldermen more concerned about the plethora of neighborhood festivals that blind aldermen, drain police resources, or both.

Theres gears up to be a gang fight throughout the block. I’m like, Commander, they’re getting ready to shoot some guys. They just called and told me what was going on. And she says, Alderman, I have no one. They’re at all of these festivals, says Burnett.

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) said the festivals that flock to his downtown neighborhood are a great thing and a wonderful way to show off the city.

But, he added: It’s hard to answer those angry phone calls when they haven’t been built into the upstream process.