By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
ELLICOTTVILLE — The Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency heard earlier this week from an Olean couple who plan to bring a little bit of Hollywood filmmaking to the Southern Tier.
Murphy Tom, the founder of Panvenni Films and his wife Sharon Tom, production administrator; Bob Forness of Olean Business Development Group and Tim Clark, Buffalo-Niagara film commissioner spoke with the IDA about plans for a 20,000 square-foot soundstage and production-related space in Olean.
Besides the soundstage, the facility would include a mill shop, equipment bay, green room, makeup and wardrobe, production offices, screening, editing and podcast suites. The facility would be capable of film, television and streaming production, original programming, editing, audio, color, finishing and secure media workflows.
The business model is built on studio rental, equipment and production services, commercial clients and educational collaborations. Concerts, comedians, speakers, podcasts, screenings, events and a proposed regional film festival are also in the mix.
New York state production incentives make film, television and streaming productions attractive to producers, Clark told IDA board members. Eligible expenses in Upstate communities can provide incentives above the base 30% in the rest of the state.
Murphy Tom said the aid is not only to film in Olean, but to make Olean part of the story. There are opportunities throughout Cattaraugus County and across the Southern Tier for filming scenery and unique local buildings and architecture. In addition, the county is a less expensive location for film crews. Hotels, restaurants and retail would benefit.
“Repeat production activity can support new service businesses and make the area more attractive to unrelated employers and investors,” Murphy Tom said.
Kinley Corp. recently visited a Great Point Studio in Buffalo to see what a soundstage and production facility look like, Murphy Tom said. The company is preparing a preliminary floor plan for Panvenni Films.
He said the company would be looking for a phased payment in lieu of taxes agreement with the IDA. The timing will be based on financing. Panvenni Films is looking at a combination of private financing, loans and grants.
Clark told the IDA he was at the meeting to support the Toms project. Cattaraugus County has a history in filmmaking going back to The Natural, part of which was shot in South Dayton, and Planes, Trains and Automobiles, which featured car scenes films on Route 219.
Clark said there are sufficient hotels in the Ellicottville and Olean-Allegany areas to accommodate film and production crews for movie or television projects. The reason former Hollywood productions are branching out to other areas is that the cost is lower. “Western New York is a blank canvas for these (film) companies,” he added. “The mountains, the terrain.”
Another local benefit is the exposure an area gets in a television series or movie seen worldwide, Clark said. With a possible federal tax credit being added to the mix, video and filmmaking in New York could really take off.
Murphy Tom said Panvenni Films is looking at a former brownfield site near the Hampton Inn on Buffalo Street for the soundstage and production facility.
“We’re starting a new industry here,” Murphy Tom said. He has been talking to St. Bonaventure University and Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES about hiring students and providing intern opportunities.
IDA executive director Corey Wiktor commended the Toms for their commitment to bringing new opportunities to Olean and Cattaraugus County.
The IDA also accepted applications for project inducements from two companies.
Whitetail Country Sports World, a longtime Olean business that was recently sold to Jake Boerger and Steve McClain, submitted an application for sales tax exemption and a PILOT.
The sales tax exemption is on purchases and installation of furnishings, fixtures and equipment at the more than 40-year-old fishing and hunting store. The inducements will help retain the eight current employees and add two more positions over the next two years.
A public hearing will be held over the next few weeks and the IDA will vote on the project’s inducements. The sales tax exemption is valued at $10,000. There was no value set on the 14-year PILOT.
Also accepted was an application from 1786 Campground LLC on Lower Jones Road, Coldspring, which plans to invest $1.6 million into the new recreational vehicle campground on 40 acres.
Plans call for a five-phase project with 92 RV campsites. The first two phases with 134 sites and a toilet building, are scheduled to be ready in June 2027. Full build-out would occur the following year with 92 sites and 60 storage spaces.
The estimated sales tax exemption is $120,000, with a mortgage tax exemption of $13,750. No value was assigned to the PILOT application. A public hearing will be scheduled in the next few weeks and the IDA will vote on the inducement package next month.
The IDA board also approved a $715,400 budget for 2027. With anticipated income — mostly from applications and fees — of $1.8 million, the IDA is looking at a profit of $1.1 million next year.
Discover more from Olean Star
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
