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cultural center and film hub may rise from the old Chicago stockyards, with a nonprofit's plans to transform two historic sites into a music production campus. Third Coast Music won the right to purchase the Stock Yards Bank & Trust building for $1.9 million, with plans to develop an $80 million campus at 4150 South Halsted Street in Canaryville.

    The project involves renovating the bank and a vacant lot where the historic Stock Yard Inn once stood. The campus will feature an 8,000-square-foot scoring stage within the 31,700-square-foot bank building, allowing film composers to produce scores locally. This capability is currently lacking in Illinois, despite a $600 million annual film and television production spend.

    The construction of the scoring stage is expected to cost $56 million, while $24 million will be allocated for redeveloping the historic building into a multipurpose educational and cultural hub. Revenue from scoring stage rentals will help sustain Third Coast's broader mission. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Columbia College Chicago support the proposal, pending City Council approval.

    In related news, Loop Capital Real Estate Partners is developing Regal Mile Studios, a 222,000-square-foot filming studio in Chicago's South Shore with five soundstages, a gym, cafeteria, and recreation space. Construction could start by 2026 if approved.