EUCLID, Ohio — James Ingalls and Allan Velez didn’t initially plan to build a film-studio campus from scratch. And they certainly didn’t start their location search on a quiet suburban street.
But when they stumbled over a long-vacant industrial property on East 219th Street in Euclid, something just seemed right.
“Coincidentally, when we were here, we ran into a film scout from Superman,” Velez said. “At the parcel, I think, right behind us, almost.”
Now the longtime friends — Northeast Ohio natives who recently moved back to the region — aim to break ground this fall on the first phase of a project called the Creative Spaces. Plans approved by Euclid’s Architectural Review Board this summer show a high-roofed soundstage and adjacent offices, designed for filming movies, TV shows and other productions.
“Films are coming here — and we could be getting more,” said Ingalls, the 28-year-old CEO of Ingalls & Co., a business that’s also involved in video production and app development.
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“I want to build the type of company that I wish existed here when I was a little kid,” he said. “Because I ended up going to Chicago to film school and then staying in Chicago to work.”
Since 2009, when Ohio rolled out its motion picture tax credit program, the state has landed more than 300 productions, from music videos and documentaries to blockbuster films. In vying for opportunities, the Cleveland area promotes its historic architecture, relatively low production costs, easy access and experienced crews.
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“Look, you have the hubs, the traditional hubs, the L.A, the New York, the Georgia, where there's so much more studio space. ... Our ultimate goal is to become the next epicenter of production, and we're building towards that,” Garvey said. “That is a process that takes a long time.”
Indoor filming currently takes place at a handful of locations, from the 160,000-square-foot TRG Multimedia space in Brooklyn to Schoolyard Studios, a reimagined school campus in Geauga County. Other productions set up shop in empty warehouses.
“We have various stages in existence and a growing industry,” said Garvey, adding that Cleveland is weathering changes in the film sector better than many other cities. “And … when streaming came in, that created a lot more demand than we had ever seen before. And because of that, over the last decade this industry has doubled in size.”
Garvey focuses on showcasing the region and building up a pipeline of opportunities — and a pool of skilled workers. He doesn’t get involved with individual projects.
“All of it is an ecosystem,” he said. “And we want that ecosystem to be as strong and robust as possible.”
Filmmakers and investors have talked about building a ground-up studio campus in or near Cleveland for years. But they’ve struggled to put all the pieces together, from financing to real estate to industry connections.
Ingalls and Velez believe they’ve come up with the right script, after years of behind-the-scenes work. In late 2024, a company tied to Ingalls’ family bought the 4.32-acre site in Euclid, according to property records.
The site is close to Interstate 90 and about a 15-minute drive east from downtown Cleveland. That proximity matters for film productions, which face financial penalties under union contracts for long shifts and shortened rest periods.
After winning architectural approvals this summer, the project team is navigating Euclid's permitting process.
“We have people lined up to get phase one built,” Ingalls said, referring to a 15,000-square-foot soundstage and an 8,100-square-foot production office. “But, obviously, these kinds of things take a lot of money.”
The initial budget is about $2.5 million. The ultimate vision for the site is a lot bigger, spanning more soundstages, a workshop and a production-design warehouse.
Ingalls and Velez said they’re still fundraising for the project.
“With our construction permits under way … owning the land outright, we’ve gotten farther than anyone else,” Ingalls said. “And we’re going to continue pushing.”
Today, the property is filled with a tangle of trees and wildflowers. Abandoned railroad tracks cut across the entrance to the site. Next door, an empty manufacturing complex is being marketed for sale or lease. The other side of the street is lined with post-war bungalows.
Euclid Mayor Kirsten Gail said the site earmarked for the Creative Spaces has been languishing for generations. Now she sees the potential for jobs, tax revenues — and a different sort of energy in that pocket of the city, just north of Euclid Avenue.
“When you think about entertainment and you think about movie production, it adds something exciting to the community,” she said. “So we’re thrilled to welcome that to the city. We’re thrilled to see a property get new life and really see the investment here.”
Michelle Jarboe is the business growth and development reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @MJarboe or email her at Michelle.Jarboe@wews.com.
