Choice Films' $21.6M, 75,000-Square-Foot Montgomery Studio Approved by IDA, Promises Jobs, Training

The Montgomery Industrial Development Agency approved financial incentives on January 13 for a new Choice Films Inc. production studio planned at 166 Bracken Road, marking a major private investment in Orange County film infrastructure. The project calls for a three-stage, 75,000-square-foot facility with supporting infrastructure and an estimated cost of $21,607,000. Choice Films is headquartered in Newburgh and maintains offices in New York City and New Jersey.

IDA approval clears one important hurdle by authorizing financial incentives, but it does not replace the town planning and zoning review that governs land use. According to IDA paperwork, the build is expected to be completed by July, pending final zoning and permitting decisions. That sequence means Montgomery officials and residents will see more public review and permit activity before shovels break ground or crews move in.

Economically, the project is structured to deliver both short-term and ongoing impacts. Construction spending of $21.6 million will generate demand for local contractors, tradespeople, materials suppliers, and related services during the build phase. The application explicitly identifies construction jobs, production and support jobs, and a pipeline for local creative talent and workforce trainees as project outcomes. If realized, those employment gains could expand the local labor market for set builders, lighting and sound technicians, grips, production coordinators, and other film-industry occupations that often circulate earnings through restaurants, lodging, retail and professional services.

From a public-finance perspective, IDA-backed financial incentives typically reduce near-term tax collections or provide payment-in-lieu-of-tax arrangements to make projects economically viable. The tradeoff for Montgomery will be weighing those up-front incentives against longer-term increases in payroll taxes, sales tax receipts and indirect business activity tied to a steady flow of film and television production. The project’s proponents stress workforce training and local hiring, which would strengthen the town’s human capital and reduce the risk that most economic benefits leak to out-of-area contractors.

Regionally, the studio represents continued expansion of production capacity in the Hudson Valley, potentially attracting more shoots that prefer proximity to New York City while seeking lower costs and larger spaces. A three-stage, full-service facility could make Montgomery competitive for multi-week productions that bring sustained local spending, rather than one-off location shoots.

For Orange County residents, the immediate things to watch are the town planning and zoning hearings and any posted opportunities for local hiring and training programs tied to the studio. Local contractors and vendors should prepare for procurement opportunities if the project moves forward. For residents eyeing jobs, the pipeline for trainees could offer entry points into a growing regional industry.

Next steps include final land-use approvals, permit issuance and the start of construction. If the July completion timeline in IDA paperwork holds, Montgomery could see its first production-driven economic activity from this site within months, signaling a material boost to the county’s creative economy.