Hollywood's movie presence is growing in Connecticut. Greenwich-based Blue Sky Studios plans to expand its digital animation headquarters and add dozens of jobs as it continues to expand.
According to Governor Dannel Malloy’s office, Blue Sky is receiving funding through the state Department of Economic and Community Development to expand its office space by 43,000 square feet and add the 70 new positions.
Once complete, the facility will total 150,000 square feet, including “seating for up to 140 artists, conference rooms, a screening area, editorial space, and a data center,” according to a news release.
Blue Sky says the expansion will enable it to speed production time and rely less on outsourcing. The company is best known for making animated feature films such as the "Ice Age" series, "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who" and "Rio".
Under the DECD program, the studio is eligible for a $3 million loan for space and equipment upgrades and a tax credit of 20 percent on infrastructure costs up to $3 million.
Blue Sky has grown from 300 to 400 employees since it moved to Connecticut from White Plains, N.Y. in 2009.
