$350 million in new economic activity; 2,000 new jobs

Published on Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Is it a race against time?

An early June Town Meeting vote in Plymouth could well determine whether investors move ahead with plans to build the largest movie studio and campus east of Hollywood on 300 acres of town land near Bourne – or abandon the project for another location out of state.

The stakes are huge, and the days leading up to Town Meeting will see all the key players trying to accommodate a slew of questions related to the economy, the environment and the region’s quality of life.

“A negative vote [less than 2/3] will be a message to Plymouth Rock Studios that their project is not welcome in the community and they will look at other options outside of Plymouth,” said Kevin O’Reilly, president of Creative Strategies & Communications Inc., a Plymouth company that is consulting to the investment group.

“The company has already invested $2.5 million and expects to spend another $2 million on studies before the Town Meeting vote,” he said. “It would be unrealistic for them to spend additional money on permitting if Plymouth Town Meeting members say ‘no’ to the special permit process and the land transfer negotiations on June 9.”

Meanwhile, Plymouth Rock Studios has created an unprecedented groundswell of support from the business community. The Plymouth Area and South Shore chambers of commerce have formally endorsed the plan, and many other business groups as far as Cape Cod have informally backed it.

And for good reason: It promises at least $350 million in projected spending and 2,000 jobs for a new, highly technological industry in a region that has been steadily losing business and high-earning jobs.

Also strongly behind the project is state Sen. President Therese Murray, who represents Plymouth on Beacon Hill. Not only will she be instrumental in shepherding the project through state channels, but the project calls for a new interchange off Route 25 that would relieve traffic on Bourne Road – which will need federal funds and approval.