I recently spoke to some people who were confused by the “feller buncher communique“, so it seems a refresher is in order. There are many people who participated in the movement to defend the forest, even those who lived in the forest for a time, who never fully learned about the plans to clearcut 155 acres to build a gigantic soundstage complex between the South River and I-285. This area has been under imminent threat of destruction since permits were granted in 2021, AND THE DESTRUCTION IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW!

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Here’s a map from 2021:

Description of the expansion fro shadowboxstudios.com: Shadowbox Studios Atlanta – Phase II: Immediately south of its existing Atlanta studio, the Platform is developing a 1.2MM square foot expansion on a 155-acre parcel. Upon completion, the two phases will function as a single integrated campus totaling in excess of 2MM square feet.”

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Much of the confusion comes from the focus that was placed on the 40-acre parcel that is the focus of the South River Watershed Association’s “Stop the Swap” lawsuit. This is the land that largely overlaps with Intrenchment Creek Park (ICP), aka Weelaunee People’s Park, and it is land that many people have a first-hand experience of defending. Before it was closed to the public, it was a more strategic area to camp in due to its gray-area status as an arguably public park and its immediate proximity to the Cop City site. But Millsap sold Blackhall Studios in 2021, retaining the rights to the name Blackhall and ownership of the 40-acre parcel, and the soundstage complex eventually rebranded as Shadowbox in 2022. Since the sale, it’s been unclear what Millsap’s plans for ICP are. He obviously hated protestors living on “his” land, and the feeling was mutual, but this was never the main area under threat. Shadowbox Studios has had permission to cut the other 155 acres of forest for the past three years.

When APD Chief Schierbaum claimed that the equipment targeted on January 16 belonged to a Cop City contractor, I was skeptical. But since that press conference, I have independently verified that both Brent Scarbrough and Brasfield & Gorrie are directly involved with the construction work on Shadowbox property. It appears that our adversaries have consolidated forces. Just as the APF has ramped up construction activities for Cop City in the past week, Shadowbox Studios is also moving forward with tree-clearing and construction. Since the January 16 arson, they have only doubled down, bringing a dozen new pieces of heavy equipment to a small area just off the ramp that goes from Exit 52 of I-285 West onto I-675 South. They installed a fence, multiple cameras, and a police guard.

The Atlanta Police Foundation, Shadowbox Studios, Brasfield & Gorrie, and Brent Scarbrough have all decided that the risks of continuing (albeit with increased security) are tolerable; it’s up to us to prove them wrong.

Last week, when some courageous people saw the destruction of the forest happening before their eyes, they took swift action to stop it. But we must acknowledge that ever since the movement effectively ceded ICP in March 2023, we’ve all been dropping the ball. We cannot just wish one or more guerrilla groups capable of a sustained on-the-ground struggle into existence; we have to become them.

-some anarchist who still gives a shit about the forest!

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Existing Shadowbox locations in Atlanta:

Atlanta Phase I – Main Campus
1415 Constitution Rd SE, Atlanta, GA 30316
Chief Production Officer: eric@shadowboxstudios.com

Atlanta Phase I – East Campus
Main Building: 3475 International Park Drive SE, Atlanta, GA 30316
Maintenance Facility: 3495 International Park Drive SE, Atlanta, GA 30316

Atlanta Phase I – Grove Campus
Main Building: 3342 International Park Drive SE, Atlanta, GA 30316

Other Shadowbox locations currently under construction:

Shadowbox Studios Los Angeles
13th and Arch Street, Santa Clarita, CA 91321

Shinfield Studios, a Shadowbox Studios Facility
South Avenue, Shinfield, Reading, United Kingdom RG2 9LH

Shadowbox executive:

Jeff Weber – Chief Development Officer
(949) 955-3555
Jeff@JWeberGroup.com
2697 N Vista Glen Rd Orange, CA 92867
[address confirnation: https://app.regrid.com/us/ca/orange/anaheim-santa-ana-garden-grove/294437]

Shadowbox funders:
Commonwealth Real Estate LP / Commonwealth Asset Management Holdings LLC – majority shareholder
cwamgroup.com

Silver Lake Technology Management, L.L.C. – invested $500 million in 2022
silverlake.com

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Old news article about the project:

 

“Major movie studio files proposal for massive DeKalb County expansion project” – March 05, 2021

 

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Dekalb County and one of Georgia’s biggest movie studios is looking to grow their footprint in the metro Atlanta area in the very near future.

 

Blackhall Global Partners, LLC, announced it has filed permits with the county to build a studio facility on its 155-acres adjacent to the current Blackhall Studios property in the southwest part of the county. The group says the $250 million expansion project would create a new purpose-built studio facility next to the current Blackhall Studios location.

 

BGP says the expansion would create an impact of over $1 billion to the county, and would make them the largest studio facility in the state. They also say the project will add nearly 5,900 jobs for the county coffers, while not being a part of the land exchange they had with the county in 2020.