VVA outlook: 2008 shaping up to be a busy year for production studio design and construction

VVA, LLC, the leading Manhattan-based Project Management and Consulting firm and Newscorp project team members have begun construction of new television studios for News Corporation and Fox News at 1211 Avenue of the Americas. The new studios will consist of core and shell expansions to the building at the east facade facing Avenue of Americas and on the west elevation above the tenth floor roof setback. Steel was erected in Fall 2007 prior to the holiday crane moratorium, which exists in parts of Manhattan from mid-November through the beginning of January. Marc Chiapperino, managing director of VVA, is the partner-in-charge for the Newscorp project. He said, "We are proud of the long established track record we have built in the media & entertainment sector and specifically the management of Television, Radio and Recording studios, Newscorp is no exception. VVA has been managing high profile media & entertainment projects since its inception, I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of managing these specialty projects." Newscorp's expansion will increase the number of support areas for their studios, including control rooms, technical support areas, and green rooms. New mechanical, electrical, and emergency power systems are also part of the scope and deliverables. In order to have the additional studio space and critical infrastructure needed to support Fox's coverage of the November Presidential elections, this project must be completed. "We are working on an aggressive, fast track schedule in order to reach completion in the 3rd quarter of the year in time for the elections." said Richard Tesoro, senior associate at VVA and project manager for Newscorp, "This project is a unique and challenging addition to VVA's portfolio of first-rate television production facilities." News Corporation, owned by legendary media mogul Rupert Murdoch, is the parent company of such media properties as Fox Broadcasting Network, the New York Post, and the newly acquired Dow Jones. The expansion is being designed and implemented by building ownership in a build-to-suit arrangement with News Corporation. VVA has built a strong following with media & entertainment companies over the past fourteen years including Cablevision, Rainbow Networks, Thirteen/WNET, MTV Networks, and Sirius Satellite Radio for whom VVA built their first NY headquarters and state-of-the-art satellite radio studios. In addition, VVA was the project manager for Scripp's Food Networks' 110,000 s/f broadcast center, including, Emeril Live studios, and EMI Recorded Music Group's relocation of their top record labels including Virgin Records, Capitol Records, and Blue Note to a landmark building located at 150 5th Ave. VVA is also currently managing MTV's new studios and offices being built in Hudson Square. Chiapperino added, "This market is very active right now. The number of film and television productions in NYC has been increasing over the last couple of years because of tax and marketing incentives offered to productions by the Mayor's Office of Film, Theater & Broadcasting. Many TV and media companies are upgrading to HDTV, which requires additional lighting and cooling compared to the previous standard, and thus some studio renovations. Additionally, if the Writer's Strike continues, it could cause some TV shows and other productions to shut down, which in turn could generate more opportunities for studio renovation work. Overall I think 2008 will be a strong year for studio design and construction." Sarah Currie is the director of marketing for VVA, LLC, New York, N.Y.