The city is going to plow $3 million into a building in DUMBO that once housed the nation’s largest coffee roaster to develop a new “incubator” for media startups.
In making the announcement yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg said the 18,000-square-foot space at 20 Jay St. would welcome film, TV, advertising, social-media, gaming and marketing artists and entrepreneurs by next spring.
“All of these industries are increasingly merging together,” he noted.
More than 100 years ago, the space was where the Arbuckle Brothers operated the largest coffee roaster and packager in the nation.
The Independent Filmmaker Project is overseeing the initiative, which will include a 98-seat multimedia screening room and room for “transmedia,” where elements of a single story are provided over multiple platforms.
“So comics might provide a backstory, games might allow a user to explore the world and a television series could present unfolding episodes,” the mayor said.
“Now, if you don’t understand transmedia, don’t worry — you or your children will be using it,” he said.
Officials estimated that the “Made in New York” media center would accommodate up to 250.