Downtown Music Holdings (Downtown℠), the world’s leading music services provider, held a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday marking the beginning of construction on a state-of-the-art 10,000 square foot recording studio complex located in New York’s iconic Standard Oil Building (26 Broadway) in downtown Manhattan.
Downtown Music Studios will occupy the entire top two floors of the building, the very space where John D. Rockefeller played squash on his own private court. The space has been unoccupied for many years. With expansive 360 degree views which include the Statue of Liberty, the new complex recognizes the importance of New York City to music’s creative community.
The new studio facility will have five separate writing and recording rooms and is large enough for orchestral and cast album recording sessions, a feature uncommon for recording studios in Manhattan. The studio is being designed by renowned architectural and acoustic designer Martin Pilchner.
In attendance at the ceremony were Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Downtown Founder and Executive Chairman Justin Kalifowitz, Downtown CEO Andrew Bergman and Downtown’s Studio Director, Zach Hancock. Also in attendance were Jeanne Houck, Executive Director of Sound Thinking and Jennifer Gil, Project Director of Sound Thinking, who have partnered with Downtown to offer free programs to area youth looking to explore careers in the music industry.
Also in attendance were many executives and artists from the independent music community in town to celebrate Indie Week, the annual conference for independent record labels and music publishers.
“Downtown has been so successful because we put a priority on serving the creative community in every aspect of their business,” said Downtown CEO Andrew Bergman. “Establishing Downtown Studios is an important continuation of that promise, as we create one of the first new studio complexes of this size in Manhattan in many years, building an important resource for the artists and labels who rely on us to help them propel their careers forward.”
“Downtown Music’s new studio space will be a hub of creativity and opportunity,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “This state-of-the-art facility will cement Manhattan's place at the center of the music industry and catalyze our recovery while supporting local students' interest in music production."
