Glass shop considered for film facility

JOE FRIES Monday, March 30, 2009 Penticton Herald

Osoyoos already has its $10-million baby, now the head of the Okanagan Film Commission says Penticton’s shot at stardom may be right around the corner. Commissioner Jon Summerland says five production companies have toured the cavernous former home of Oldcastle Glass, with an eye to turning it into studio space. The potential suitors came from the U.K., the U.S. and Canada, and represented companies looking to shoot TV series and feature films, he noted.
"Everybody’s liked it, but the ceilings are not high enough," Summerland said, but "We’re still pushing because it’s a great facility." Boasting 53,000 square feet of mostly warehouse space, along with loading docks and close proximity to major highways, the Rosetown Avenue location, which has been vacant since 2007 and is available for lease, has a lot to offer. "It’s a pretty clear spanÉ and it has all these great cranes and stuff which are excellent for moving around your set pieces," Summerland said. But the relatively short-lived nature of film projects may be a problem for the building’s owner.

"Some of the interest from the movie people is shorter term than maybe our clients would look at, but they’ll look at everything," said realtor Gary Gierlich. "We’ve had all sorts of interest." He said half of the building has 22-foot ceilings, while the film industry would prefer a 30-foot clearance, but "There’s room in there to build sets and do whatever you need." Gierlich said the space has also attracted interest from people wanting to use it for manufacturing, storage and even paintball, but it may be simply too big. "To date, it’s all inquiries and no written deals," he noted. Same goes for the film commission. "You’ve got two projects looking in Penticton right now - very, very, very close," Summerland said, although he declined to talk specifics. "I can’t at this point, but soon enough you will hear," he said, adding the production companies are "way beyond the initial scouting."

A $10-million Paul Gross film is set to start shooting near Osoyoos soon, and Summerland is optimistic more shoots in the area will follow. "I would say the South Okanagan has always been on everyone’s radar, but now that we’ve got more and more infrastructure, more and more crew, I would say we’re about to explode down there."