CITY HALL — An alderman whose ward regularly stars in movie and TV productions wants them to pay for lost parking revenue in which the city typically gets stuck with the bill.
During City Council 2017 budget hearings this week, Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) said, "When it comes to the film production companies making movies that do quite well at the box office, and they're using our assets, they're using our streets, and they're inconveniencing our neighborhoods, and they're taking up parking spots, I think we deserve to be compensated for that."
Hopkins, whose ward includes Old Town and stretches to Wicker Park and Bucktown, said he had no interest in charging neighborhood groups and other nonprofits that close down streets for festivals. "But in the case of professional production companies — filmmakers, TV shows, etc. — I have quite a few of these production companies very active in my ward right now," Hopkins said, "and they're closing off streets and taking revenue parking spots away on a regular basis.
"These are commercial, profit-making enterprises, and they're highly lucrative," Hopkins added.
According to Chief Financial Officer Carole Brown, the city is obliged to make good on the lost revenue with what's called "true-ups" as part of the infamous parking-meter deal. Construction companies typically are charged for lost parking revenue when they shut down streets, but street fairs and movie and TV productions are not. She said Budget Director Alexandra Holt was already looking "quite extensively" at the idea.
On Tuesday, however, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration was more cautious.
"The growing film, television and commercial production industry in Chicago creates jobs and continues to boost the local economy, generating more than $1.3 billion in economic activity since 2011," said mayoral spokeswoman Molly Poppe. "Nationally, cities and states aggressively compete for this industry, and the administration will continue to work to balance the potential impact filming has on street closures without impacting the city’s ability to remain competitive and continue to attract filming to Chicago."
According to the administration, movie and TV production in Chicago has grown annually over the last five years, bringing in a total of more than $1 billion in local spending over that time. A single season of one network TV series averages $30-$40 million, while employing as many as 400 people.
NBC, which has a cottage industry of Chicago-based shows on its fall schedule, expects to spend $150 million in Chicago this TV season, employing 1,300 people.
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