1913 Studios announces the purchase of 721 Springfield Street in Dayton, Ohio. The 210,000 square foot building will house three large production spaces, more than 60 offices and pre/post production support spaces that will support the next generation of cutting edge filming and media production. Construction is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2022.
“1913 Studios is excited to make this commitment to Dayton,” Joey DiFranco, co-founder of 1913 Studios. “This city has incredible infrastructure and a talent pipeline in terms of technology, media production, and the arts. We are looking forward to building our company headquarters here.”
Over the past year, 1913 Studios has been in conversations with organizations such as the City of Dayton, Montgomery County, FilmDayton, the Dayton Development Coalition, JobsOhio, and others as they refined their vision for the space. The facility will be a vertically integrated production studio that includes development, production, and editing suites all under one roof.
“We’ve worked hard to cultivate Montgomery County into a business-friendly area, and we’re excited that 1913 Studios has chosen to build here,” said Montgomery County Commissioner Judy Dodge. “This new, high-tech company is adding to our already diverse economy, and the content produced here will put the Dayton region on the map for media production.”
DiFranco and his 1913 Studios co-founder Seth Hummel both call the region home. DiFranco, a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, returned to Dayton in 2019. Hummel, who completed post graduate studies at MIT, is a Dayton native and lifelong resident who has started and grown a number of businesses in the region. “Dayton has a well known history of innovators who have created industry leading technologies. We plan to continue that tradition by cementing this city and 1913 Studios as the premier multimedia production center of the Midwest,” said Hummel.
“This project is such a creative way to breathe new life into a space,” said Maranda Camden, business development manager with Wilcon, the Dayton-based general contractor on the project. “The way 1913 Studios will creatively reuse this massive space underscores their commitment to Dayton. Wilcon is thrilled to be part of this long-term vision and energy that will be concentrated here.”
Rounding out the project team is the Dayton-based architecture firm MODA4.
“Dayton’s architecture and building stock provides so many development opportunities,” said Jamie Owens, Director of Business Development at MODA4. “Having spent years working on The Arcade, we can’t wait to dig into another large project that demonstrates what can happen when a building is creatively modified with aesthetics and technology befitting the 21st century.”
ABOUT 1913 STUDIOS: 1913 Studios will be home to a state-of-the-art production facility supporting technology, content development, gaming development, media production and the arts in Dayton, Ohio, a region that embraces opportunity and is supportive of rapid growth.
According to Dayton Regional Film Commissioner Lisa Grigsby, ” 1913 Studios are going to be a game changer for the film industry in Dayton. Bringing new jobs, internship opportunities and National attention to the students of the Tom Hanks Motion Picture School at Wright State University, FilmDayton knows that the playing field in Dayton just got bigger and we are ready to take on the challenge.”
