Cocktail #8 - FilmNorth Opening

Cocktail #8 comes courtesy of the FilmNorth opening yesterday. We had about 1,000 people stop by over the course of the four-hour open house. It was a success beyond my wildest dreams.


This project has been a fascinating labor of love since Colin from D/O Architects reached out to say the building was available off-market and did we want to collaborate on it, almost exactly four years ago. 


From due diligence to initial designs to arranging for the historic tax credits (the first time I have taken them past the application phase and into development), to the funding (including also the NMTCs, the bonding, TOD, and private gifts), to the logistics, it's been a wild ride.


I've been integrally involved with every moment of it, from raising funds to planting the patio.


And my team, from the FilmNorth staff to consultants we've worked with (special props at Jennifer Halcrow) to our bankers to the board to everyone in between have been amazing. Incredibly big props to Andrew Peterson and Colin Oglesbay. You guys are amazing.


The opening was amazing. The building is magic and beautiful. But it was not until I saw it filled with people, talking together and dreaming about creating and meeting others and eating good food and being in collaboration that it was evident what we can be moving forward. FilmNorth exists because of people working together. We need each other. This is your place and I hope to see you here all the time.


There's a lot more to do. There are funds to raise and programming to do and a whole expansion coming up (Brian Westemeier, let's talk about that LED wall!). But for this moment, I could not be happier about the glow of yesterday. Thank you all!








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