ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Michigan has landed a $146 million film and television production complex.

And project spokesman Roger Martin said Allen Park residents and laid-off auto workers will get "first crack" for jobs at Unity Studios Inc.'s 750,000-square-foot facility just outside Detroit.

In early March the Center for Film Studies began training students in set design, screenwriting and a number of other film-related jobs at locations in Troy, Farmington Hills, Ferndale and Warren.

To learn more about classes, visit www.centerforfilmstudies.com or call 248-545-2648.

The project was formally announced Tuesday afternoon in Allen Park, where the complex will be built on 104 acres of land.

Allen Park Mayor Gary Burtka said the "very large studio complex" would be built near Interstate 94 and Southfield Road -- right behind the Big Tire.

The facility is to provide production services, including equipment rentals, sound and music recording facilities and animation design.

"We are not only bringing new investment to the burgeoning film production community in Michigan, we are putting in place the infrastructure for an industry that will support long-term job growth and opportunity in new, creative sectors," Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm said in a statement.

Unity said the complex initially will provide 83 direct jobs and that number is expected to grow.

Burtka sees the project as a lifesaver for many jobless people in the area. "What it will do is it will put people that are out of work to work and help them stay in the city."

Michigan has been drawing more moviemakers since tax incentives went into effect last year. Officials in February announced planned production studios in Detroit and Pontiac that are expected to bring thousands of jobs.

In addition to the studio site, other commercial, retail and residential development would occur in tandem with this development.

Forty-foot walls would be built around the studio for security.

Burtka said the Allen Park Council and the Administration have done "everything we possibly can" over the last five months to make the deal happen.

"We've already looked at every empty building in the city and what we're trying to do is get it ready so when the spin-off businesses start to come, we're able to put them into an existing building," Burtka said.

People who live and work in Allen Park are excited about the idea of new business and the prospect of having Hollywood stars drop by.

"I would like to see a different heartbeat for the city," said Dimitre Adili, who runs a restaurant in Allen Park. "We'll have to switch to red carpets for the floor instead of black carpets."

"I think this is going to open up a whole new area for the film industry itself," said Burtka.

The project is the brainchild of former Detroiter Jimmy Lifton, a Hollywood movie-maker who is happy to bring the project back to his hometown. But Lifton did not just come back for sentimental reasons. "Really, the deciding factor besides having a soft spot in my heart for my hometown, really, is the workforce. And I have to tell you, the ability to come in and work with and develop at a quick pace the kind of talent that we need to sustain an industry, you can't duplicate that in many places," Lifton said.

To submit your contact information to the city for job opportunities, visit the City of Allen Park's Web site.

Ferndale-based S3 Entertainment Group has also partnered with a Texas-based production company to create the first TV series to be filmed and produced in the state of Michigan.

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Also, check out S3 Entertainment's Film Industry Training (FIT) Program.

Previous Stories:

• April 1, 2009: $60M Studio Deal Brings Movies To Mich.
• March 5, 2009: Hilary Swank Movie Crews Move In
• February 25, 2009: Clooney Spotted At DTW Airport
• January 29, 2009: Audition Adds to Mich.'s Film Industry