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Manhattan just got its biggest behind-the-scenes glow-up in decades.
This week marked the official opening of Sunset Pier 94 Studios, a 232,000-square-foot film and television production campus set right on the Hudson River—and, notably, the first purpose-built studio facility ever constructed in Manhattan. Yes, somehow it took until 2026.
The massive complex occupies Pier 94 on the Far West Side and was developed by the heavyweight trio of Vornado Realty Trust, Hudson Pacific Properties and Blackstone Real Estate, in partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Gensler designed the building itself and it looks the part.
Inside, the studio offers six massive sound stages with up to 36-foot clear heights (plenty of room for ambitious sets and lighting rigs), 145,000 square feet of production offices and support space, a dedicated mill for building sets and on-site parking, a rarity in Manhattan. Offices have natural light and open onto Hudson River views, which may be the nicest backdrop a stressed-out PA has ever had.
New York State recently expanded its film and television tax credits, causing demand for studio space to surge, especially for spaces that don’t require schlepping an entire cast and crew out to Queens or Brooklyn. Manhattan has long been the missing piece in the city’s production puzzle, so Pier 94 is meant to fix that.
It’s already working, too. Paramount Television Studios has signed on as the first tenant, leasing two sound stages and production offices to shoot season two of Dexter: Resurrection, with additional deals expected to follow soon.
Beyond cameras and call sheets, the project includes some public perks like new restrooms for Hudson River Park, 25,000 square feet of waterfront open space, improved bike path safety and funding for workforce training programs run by Manhattan Neighborhood Network and Brooklyn Workforce Innovations.
All told, the studio is expected to support around 400 permanent jobs and generate an estimated $6.4 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years. Not bad for a pier that used to host trade shows.