Villa Muse Project Near Groundbreaking East of Austin

In the areas of music, film or television, Austin has never lacked its share of serious creative talent. In fact, many might argue (us included) that there are more skilled creatives around these parts, per capita, than any other entertainment city in the world. And yet, from a industry perspective, it seems that Austin plays the role of a minor league baseball team to the major leaguers of Los Angeles, Nashville and New York, farming out the big talent when it is their time to play in The Big Show. Many startup filmmakers & musicians, for example, get their start here, but once they see a large amount of success, they often have little choice but to leave if they want to take it to the next level. Indeed, Austin’s a great place to start out as a creative, and a great place to live out a creative’s existence, but if you ever want to take your success all the way, Austin’s business infrastructure is just not developed enough to meet all of your service needs. All the world-class studios and production facilities are elsewhere, and, therefore, so are some of the best creative professionals. As a result, the highly ambitious artist has no choice but to pack up and head for LA, NYC, Nashville or London, where the infrastructure they require has existed for decades.

So how do we retain artists in Austin after they “hit it big?” How do we make Austin a true entertainment industry center that can hold its own against the industries of bigger cities? Agh, such questions! Yet fear not, questioning readers; the answer may be near!

Enter Villa Muse, an innovative and ambitious project run by a team of experienced entertainment warhorses who believe they can take Austin’s entertainment industry to the next level. We first brought the story of this burgeoning project to you last April, when the details of this four-year initiative first began trickling out to the public. Here’s a brief description of Villa Muse:

WHO: Over a decade ago, local sound engineer Jay Aaron Podolnick came up with the idea for a central production complex in Austin where creatives from various disciplines could cross-pollinate their ideas. Podolnick has been putting the Villa Muse team together since that time. About 4 years ago, the entire project moved to a whole new level as the team began to grow significantly and the business model expanded to include a residential/retail/commercial community that would surround the studio complex.

Image from Villa Muse

WHAT: Villa Muse is Austin’s answer to Universal City, California, an entire creative community anchored by a central studio complex. Interestingly, Villa Muse Studio will be completely linked up over a secure, high-speed fiber network, allowing for maximized production efficiency and increased cross-pollination across distinct creative areas. Some of the most world-renowned studio designers and professionals will be involved in building and operating these facilities.

WHEN: The Villa Muse team will break ground on the project later this year. “Phase One” (including core elements of Villa Muse Studios, the main street district and the first phase of residential neighborhoods) will be complete by the end of 2009.

WHERE: Villa Muse will be built 14 miles east of downtown Austin on Highway 969 near Webberville, Texas. It’s about a 15-20 minute drive from downtown.

HOW: The entire Villa Muse project will be privately funded and Austin taxpayers will not pay a single dime. Villa Muse isn’t asking the City of Austin for any cash incentives.

This project is a direct response to Austin’s lack of world-class entertainment infrastructure, and it’s a bold attempt to bridge the gap between a mid-level entertainment industry with huge potential (which Austin is) and a mature industry with world-class production facilities and creative professionals (which Austin, says Villa Muse, could be).

“At the root of this project is our passion for the creative arts and our faith in the potential of the Austin creative community,” Paul Alvarado-Dykstra, Vice President of Strategic Planning at Villa Muse, told Austinist. “Villa Muse is more than just a bold vision; it's a team of top industry professionals who have the ability, experience and tools to make that vision a reality for Austin and the State of Texas at large."

Indeed, if there’s one item of which Villa Muse appears to have an ample supply, it’s tools. With each passing month, Villa Muse continues to attract more and more world-renowned professionals from the film, music and interactive sectors to its team, a list of powerhouses that reads more like a global entertainment industry all-star roster than an advisory board for a $2.5 billion dollar, groundbreaking economic development project.

Not only will we provide new efficiencies and cost-savings . . .
we'll also be creating a home for an entirely new type of collaboration between creatives across different areas.

While this project, if successful, would certainly give Austin’s entertainment industry the world-class production resources that it needs in order to grow, the real innovation in the Villa Muse proposal lies in the “cross-pollination” concept, which Alvarado-Dykstra described to us:

“First of all, Villa Muse Studios will facilitate start-to-finish production of any given project, such as shooting, editing and scoring a movie, at a single location – which is a significant and unique advantage. But on top of that, it will allow clients to produce projects across multiple media at the same time – for instance, not just a movie or TV show, but also the soundtrack and the videogame, plus commercials to market all of those things. There's nowhere in the world where you can do all that in the same place. Not only will we provide new efficiencies and cost-savings through integrated production and post-production workflow, we'll also be creating a home for an entirely new type of collaboration between creatives across different areas. We believe that this gives way to a huge untapped realm of possibilities in content creation, through cross-disciplinary integration and digital media convergence. We not only want to bring Austin’s creative industries to the competitive level occupied by cities like New York and L.A., we also want to create a new, cross-disciplinary area where Austin creatives can unleash their potential like never before.”

The project, as you may have noticed, has been in the news quite a bit lately. In a recent series of press releases, Villa Muse announced that Janson Design Group has been secured to design Villa Muse Studios (this is the actual studio area…the entire development will be called “Villa Muse”), and that the skilled design firm will be opening an Austin office as well.

Additionally, Villa Muse has recently announced the addition of two recording industry veterans to its team: Barry Bongiovi as General Manager of the Recording Complex (former General Manager at Right Track Recording, New York). Ed Evans as Technical Director (former Technical Director at Power Station in New York), and Michael Corenblith (who has earned two Academy Award nominations for his production design work), a leading production designer in the film and television industries who will act as a consultant to oversee the design of the project’s film complex.

Additionally, it has become clear that the project is growing in both scope and credibility. The Perryman Group, an economic and financial analysis firm based in Waco, recently completed a statewide economic impact study for Villa Muse. The results of this study showed that the development will “substantially increase the value of the property involved and will generate sizable economic impacts including more than $6 billion in spending in the Austin area during construction and between $6.5 billion and $20.2 billion in local spending each year” once the development matures (Austin Business Journal). Statewide impacts, said the Perryman study, will be even more substantial. Villa Muse has also recently requested that the City release 1,900 acres of land (which includes the Villa Muse development space as well as a construction equipment staging area) from the outer edge of its extraterritorial jurisdiction so that they can build the development with private capital, at zero cost to Austin taxpayers.

Since we last reported on the Villa Muse in April 2007, the project has quite clearly gained a huge amount of support. Many state elected officials – including Rep. Dawnna Dukes, who got a landmark entertainment industry bill passed during the last Texas Legislative Session – have pledged their enthusiastic support and have continued to work closely with Villa Muse to help make Texas more competitive in the global entertainment industries. Even Governor Perry himself has expressed his commitment to supporting an increase in production incentives during the next Legislative Session in order to attract more business to our state. “It’s now time to move forward, and we’re ready,” says Alvarado-Dykstra. The Villa Muse team now waits on the support of Austin city leaders, who must work with Villa Muse if the project is to happen in Austin (as opposed to somewhere else in Texas).

“We are definitely trying to do something out of the ordinary here, there’s no question about that,” concluded Alvarado-Dykstra in our interview. “But the potential benefits Villa Muse will bring to Austin and the State of Texas are nothing short of extraordinary.”

Contact the author of this article or email tips@austinist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By s in News on January 28, 2008 10:00 AM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

LoudMouth

I read about it and I just came up with more questions than answers. In fact, it seems like the only response to this (other than the regurgitation of the shit they're spewing) is, "wtf are these crazy mofos thinking?" So how's about you try reading some people's ideas about the project and responding to them instead of blowing more smoke up our asses?

Starting with mdhamus's questions up there and then moving on to the criticisms in this blog

http://www.austin360.com/movies/content/movies/stories/2007/04/0420garcia.html and then moving on over to the other austinist write up in which the commenters bring up some really practical questions about how this is all going to (or not) pan out http://austinist.com/2007/04/19/villa_muse_a_new_dawn_for_the_austin_creative_industry.php.

Tron in the citay

Also, a way to help the people who work behind the camera, production staff, gaffers, electricians, etc. is to bring a steady stream of high-budget productions to the Austin, hence what I understand one of the goals of Villa Muse to be.

Tron in the citay

Maybe you should hold off on imagining scenarios and do some basic internet research before taking a solid position. I haven't seen anything about this being a Simon-esque development anchored by big-box retailers. In addition, I haven't read anything about the projected cost of housing in Villa Muse, so I'm not qualified to speculate.

A quick search and maybe ten minutes worth of reading should give you enough information to engage in a more intelligent conversation.

LoudMouth

I just don't get this whole project at all. I don't understand who is going to be staffing the Starbucks and Old Navy stores, or are they only going to allow owner run businesses? How are they going to determine who is creative enough to live there? Will the performance artists and novelists and artists man the gas pumps and fry grills? Every scenerio I turn over in my mind winds up bad, so what are all those entertainment industry powerhouses seeing that I am not?

LoudMouth

I'm glad for you that it doesn't cost $400,000 to graduate from college now. Damn kid at the ACC office must have lied to me.

As for reading about the project, you're right. All I've read was here and all that was is lip service. Nothing about how much a 1/1 house in the Land of Tomorrow is going to cost since there will be so many young game designers working there and God knows they'll never find a wife. So I looked at the site and it was eye candy and not much more so tell me, Tron in the citay, what kind of affordable housing is Villa Moose bringing?

Tron in the citay

LoudMouty--I'm graduating with $30,000 in student loans to pay off, not $400K. UT in-state tuition is roughly $4K/semester, so a local graduate would have to spend a lot of time as super senior to rack up that much debt.

I'm not sure if you have read very much on Villa Muse, but it is more than a housing complex.

spee

I second that. "Buffoon." So hilariously disrespectful.

Shawn Shillington

"Buffoon" is a funny word.

LoudMouth

Just a little perturbed.

YoYoMa

LoudMouth,

I think you're mad. Are you mad? You seem mad.

LoudMouth

In reality, the only people they want to help is themselves go Cha-Ching! Cha-Ching! like a cash register.

LoudMouth

The hostility is that this is just another sprawling suburb disguised as a "artistic community" that promises to do abosolutely nada to help anyone except the developers that build it. If these developers wanted to help artists, even those outside the film commuity, they'd be building small little cheap houses for production assistants and gaffers and best boys and editors to live in. They'd have housing at the $50,000 for the kids just graduating from college who have (I don't know let's say) $400,000 in student loans to pay off.

LoudMouth

Solution: kill anyone who knows anyone.

cneko

And after anyone gets acclaim for their indie films and they want to do something more? I imagine they'd be able to afford a junker car to drive 30 mi. by then.

If you compare commuting to Villa Muse studios to what someone would have to put up in LA or NY....driving 30 mi., and Austin real estate prices are the stuff of cry babies.

I don't understand the hostility towards efforts to reduce a creative brain-drain.

I do understand hostility to gentrification, but that has been happening in Austin for the past 10 years. At least this is about making films and not more fscking web-pages and internet companies.

LoudMouth

And spare me. They still won't be able to get jobs because there's just too many people graduating. If these kids want to make films they'll make films without getting paid for it. The only people that will get jobs at this studio will be people that can afford to either live nearby or drive 30 miles a day to get to work (since I assume no buses will run out there and it's a long bike ride), young rich people who know people that would have these jobs anyway, or old farts that know people that would have these jobs anyway.

LoudMouth

I meant the Hotel San Jose you buffoon.

cneko

Hey Loudmouth,

It weren't much over 10 years ago that San Jose was a little hick cowtown suburb that no one in their right mind would want to get stuck in. I grew up in the Bay Area and I remember. It was only Silicon Valley and the DotCom explosion that took it all off in the late 90s.

I don't think RTF young new graduates would want to live at Villa Muse, but the prospects of having the resources within the Austin Area to produce big films might let them think there were alternatives from needing to jet off to NY or LA (or SF/Seattle/Chicago for Recording Studio folks). I would imagine they would like to live in studio flats closer to downtown and have the hopes of something more than just bussing tables and serving drinks for their money-making future.

mdahmus

Tron, that's all well and good, but your buddies at Villa Muse are also asking us to let them build whatever they want at the edge of our city which brings along a ton of direct costs to us - but only indirect nebulous benefits, if'n, that is, we agree to let them disannex themselves and keep their taxes.

LoudMouth

Yeah right. This will make RTF students stay, they'll be able to afford a Villa Moose, stars will suddenly want to stay there instead of the San Jose and a goose at the Austin Zoo will start laying golden eggs filled with happy yolks for happy folks and everyone can be happy and fulfilled.

Tron in the citay

Oh haters, not everything is a conspiracy designed to screw the taxpaying citizens.

LoudMouth--I live in central Austin, and the last time I checked, there isn't a spare 1000+ acres of empty space waiting to be snapped up for a development of this size.

I'm sorry if some developers make money off this project, but Villa Muse may provide a reason for large budget film and television projects to come to Texas, thus allowing the existing production community to have their dream of steady work come to fruition. Despite all of the buzz about the Austin film scene, we are lucky to have one $40 million movie per year. Austin Studios had to receive a bond package just to have freakin' air conditioning installed in one of their stages.

RTF is one of the most popular undergrad degree programs at UT, yet most of the graduates take off to LA or NY because of the lack of work in Texas. *gasp* With a full-fledged studio in their backyard, young and innovative artists may have a reason to stay!

LoudMouth

"Veeya Moosay" I like that. I also like "Villa Moose". "Be a Moose"?

kenneth1

If Rick Perry and Dawnna Dukes are boosting it, you can bet the taxpayers are gonna get screwed. This just looks like another Perry corporate-welfare proposal, where the developers get millions in "incentives," yet aren't required to pay local taxes or adhere to Austin land-use/development restrictions.

kenneth1

If Rick Perry and Dawnna Dukes are boosting it, you can bet the taxpayers are gonna get screwed. This just looks like another Perry corporate-welfare proposal, where the developers get millions in "incentives," yet aren't required to pay local taxes or adhere to Austin land-use/development restrictions.

Tarvin

Veeya Moosay is sprawl, pure and simple.

As such, it shouldn't be encouraged.

mdahmus

Exactly - heyzeus. The benefits to Austin are nebulous compared to what we're being asked to give up - property and sales taxes which help build and maintain the roads and utilities that this facility will need to connect to and other services its residents will require of the city of Austin.

Even state highways require injections of local money to keep going (unless we build them as toll roads, which then gets the suburbanite crowd up in arms) - so even if they build all their own stuff on the site interior, Austin taxpayers will still incur road costs. They'll likely need to hook up to our electrical, water, and sewer systems (or worse, build with septic). Etc.

heyzeus

Villa Muse is demanding to be released from Austin's ETJ or it'll take its ball and go home to another location. This article you've written, S, doesn't mention that this is how it's been posed to Austin. It also doesn't mention that Villa Muse is mostly in a floodplain, and that getting out of Austin's ETJ allows it to ignore COA land use controls and environmental protections. It also doesn't mention that the real aim of opting out means the City loses out on property tax and sales tax from the development. There's more to this story.

LoudMouth

That is what we need right? More overpriced suburbs on toll roads?

LoudMouth

1. How is planting "artists" (secret code for old farts that want to live on a country club but think they're staying cool by "supporting the arts" (going to the shitty Arthouse auction once a year)) in Webberville attracting them to city life in Austin?

2. Congrats to Webberville for the new tax base. Hope your schools enjoy the economic boon.

3. Way to attract and retain young new and innovative artists to Austin and keep the lifeblood flowing.