November 19, 2024
HED Partners with Third Coast Music to Transform Chicago’s South Side with a Landmark Music Campus
Chicago is an extraordinary city with a vibrant and storied history. In addition to its unique architecture, unparalleled dining, and beautiful shoreline, Chicago has emerged as the Midwest’s hub for music, television, and film. With the construction of multiple movie and recording studios to accompany the diverse talent that Chicago attracts, our city has the infrastructure to accommodate various production needs.
But Chicago is still missing a pillar of cinema, which is why three musicians with decades of combined experience in the entertainment business have created the nonprofit Third Coast Music. Their mission is to foster the rich music culture of Chicago through educational and community outreach, while developing infrastructure to create new recording opportunities. To
that end, they have developed plans for an all-inclusive music campus featuring a world-class scoring stage.
This major recording studio would comprise a full-service facility including a Dub stage, Foley/ADR stage, screening room, and mixing and mastering rooms to enable the complete realization of cinematic projects in Illinois. A scoring stage of this caliber would be the first of its kind in the Midwest, providing a multitude of employment opportunities and eliminating the need for local talent to travel to other major production destinations to fulfill their recording and post-production needs.
Third Coast Music has been awarded the historic Stock Yards Bank building and adjacent lot for this monumental project, a cornerstone of Chicago’s industrial history in the South Side community. This hundred year- old building has been vacant for fifty years, and the City of Chicago has long awaited a cause worthy of its revival.
Situated on the South Side, their music campus is poised to serve the music industry as well as the local community. In addition to a state-of-the art scoring stage, the campus will include performance/event spaces, a music museum, creative incubators, classrooms, and a café. Furthermore, the campus will serve as a center for Third Coast Music’s operations and that of other nonprofits, fueling community-based initiatives and opportunities to nurture musicianship, entrepreneurship, academic excellence, and leadership.
But Chicago is still missing a pillar of cinema, which is why three musicians with decades of combined experience in the entertainment business have created the nonprofit Third Coast Music. Their mission is to foster the rich music culture of Chicago through educational and community outreach, while developing infrastructure to create new recording opportunities. To
that end, they have developed plans for an all-inclusive music campus featuring a world-class scoring stage.
This major recording studio would comprise a full-service facility including a Dub stage, Foley/ADR stage, screening room, and mixing and mastering rooms to enable the complete realization of cinematic projects in Illinois. A scoring stage of this caliber would be the first of its kind in the Midwest, providing a multitude of employment opportunities and eliminating the need for local talent to travel to other major production destinations to fulfill their recording and post-production needs.
Third Coast Music has been awarded the historic Stock Yards Bank building and adjacent lot for this monumental project, a cornerstone of Chicago’s industrial history in the South Side community. This hundred year- old building has been vacant for fifty years, and the City of Chicago has long awaited a cause worthy of its revival.
Situated on the South Side, their music campus is poised to serve the music industry as well as the local community. In addition to a state-of-the art scoring stage, the campus will include performance/event spaces, a music museum, creative incubators, classrooms, and a café. Furthermore, the campus will serve as a center for Third Coast Music’s operations and that of other nonprofits, fueling community-based initiatives and opportunities to nurture musicianship, entrepreneurship, academic excellence, and leadership.
These initiatives will include after-school and youth programs, workshops and master classes for musicians and artists, and employment opportunities to gain hands-on experience in television and film production, marketing, law, construction, and technical support. With the backing of Illinois government and industry leadership, Third Coast Music has assembled an incredible team to bring their vision for this campus to fruition. This includes Los Angeles-based architect Peter Grueneisen and his firm nonzero\architecture, HED, and the IBT Group. Additionally, Ramsey Historic Consultants will advise on the thoughtful renovation of the bank building to preserve its Chicago landmark status. The team will also pursue state and federal landmark status for this iconic structure.
Chicago has been a major player in developing the soundtrack of our lives, paving the way for countless musical and artistic innovators, from Nat King Cole to Chance the Rapper. Third Coast Music intends for its music campus and scoring stage to provide a gathering space that captures and nurtures the vibrancy of our diverse communities and reinforces our great city as a major destination for cinema and music production.
Now is the time to compose the next chapter in the soundtrack of Chicago! Third Coast Music and their partners are currently working to secure funding from Corporate, Foundation, and Individual sources. All donations and sponsorships are tax deductible under their nonprofit 501(c) (3) status.
Chicago has been a major player in developing the soundtrack of our lives, paving the way for countless musical and artistic innovators, from Nat King Cole to Chance the Rapper. Third Coast Music intends for its music campus and scoring stage to provide a gathering space that captures and nurtures the vibrancy of our diverse communities and reinforces our great city as a major destination for cinema and music production.
Now is the time to compose the next chapter in the soundtrack of Chicago! Third Coast Music and their partners are currently working to secure funding from Corporate, Foundation, and Individual sources. All donations and sponsorships are tax deductible under their nonprofit 501(c) (3) status.
Learn more about Third Coast Music