Douglas C. Steiner

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Douglas C. Steiner
Born1960 (age 63–64)[1]
NationalityAmerican
EducationStanford
Occupation(s)Real estate developer[2]
Studio chairman[2]
OrganizationSteiner Equities Group[2]
SpouseMarried 1988-2000[1]
Children3
Parent

Douglas Craig Steiner is a Brooklyn-based real estate developer who developed properties in New Jersey and New York and other states.[2][3] In addition, he was chairman of Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, New York, the largest studio in the United States on the east coast.[2][4]

Early years[edit]

Steiner grew up in South Orange, New Jersey. He worked at one point as a gardener during his college years.[1] Initially he wanted to be a novelist but while studying creative writing at Stanford, where he was editor of Stanford's humor magazine, he found writing to be "torture."[4] After graduation, he lived for six months in Paris, supported by his father David S. Steiner, but returned thereafter to work at his father's real estate development firm.[1]

Real estate[edit]

At his father's firm, Steiner worked to develop numerous properties, such as office expansions and condominiums. He describes himself as a control freak; for example, he insists that office temperatures be kept at 63 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year.[4] In recent years, his firm is constructing an L-shaped 56-story condominium tower called The Hub, at 333 Schermerhorn Street, which has been predicted to be the tallest building in Brooklyn after completion.[5][6]

Steiner Studios[edit]

Exterior of Steiner Studios in 2007.
Aerial view of the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1965, with the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid. The Navy abandoned the site in 1966.

The father-son team created a film and TV production company called Steiner Studios. In 1999, they won the right to develop the Brooklyn Navy Yard into a film and TV production complex, which opened in 2004.[4] The Yard had been a massive military complex, which closed in 1966, and later became a manufacturing center.[7] Developing the complex had been projected to cost around $400 million and would require twelve years to finish. Plans called for an underwater stage as well as restoration of the Naval hospital, originally built in 1838 using marble.[4] The transformation of the Brooklyn Navy Yard had been forecast to be completed by 2018.[7]

Numerous films and TV shows have been made at the production facility, including the 2006 movie Fur starring Nicole Kidman and Robert Downey Jr.,[8] the 2005 film The Producers starring Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane and Uma Thurman,[8] as well as Spider-Man, Sex and the City, and Boardwalk Empire.[1] The Steiner Studios site is 15 acres, according to several reports.[8][9] The site has been expanded numerous times to include a parking lot with 1000 spots and five massive interconnected state-of-the-art soundstages.[3] Development was beset by obstacles such as the September 11 attacks[3] in 2001 as well as cutbacks in a tax-credit program by New York State in 2009.[10] He helped bring in Wegmans supermarkets to the Brooklyn Navy Yard project.[11] In addition, he led efforts to bring academic programs focused on media to the city; for example, he worked with Carnegie Mellon to offer an "integrated media program" consisting of an academic program focused on the arts and technology, in conjunction with Steiner Studios;[12] and he has worked with the City University of New York to have its Barry R. Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema located at Steiner Studios.[13]

The company benefits from New York's movie production incentive program. Steiner donated $40,000 to incumbent New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2022 campaign. The company spends $10,000 a month on lobbyists.[14]

Personal life[edit]

Steiner has three grown children.[1] He collects art by Gary Panter, Suzan Pitt and Jane Dickson, and said he prefers "weird, disturbing or strange art."[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Katherine Clarke (December 1, 2012). "The Closing with Doug Steiner". The Real Deal. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e Vivian Marino (November 18, 2010). "Douglas C. Steiner". The New York Times. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Matea Gold (July 10, 2005). "N.Y. Eager to Play Lead Role in TV-Film Industry: The city is attracting more productions thanks to tax credits and its new star: 280,000-square-foot Steiner Studios". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e MICHELLE HIGGINS (March 21, 2014). "Real Estate Developers in Movieland". The New York Times. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  5. ^ Lore Croghan (December 9, 2015). "A tale of two towers: 333 Schermerhorn St. will be Brooklyn's tallest building". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  6. ^ Kelly Rizzetta (February 13, 2012). "Steiner Family To Build 50-Story Rental Hub In Brooklyn". Law 360. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  7. ^ a b C. J. HUGHES (October 30, 2015). "Reinventing the Brooklyn Navy Yard". The New York Times. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  8. ^ a b c "'Fur' to be shot at N.Y. studio". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. April 6, 2005. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  9. ^ Staff writer (April 5, 2005). "Kidman, Downey team up". USA Today. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  10. ^ Matea Gold (February 6, 2009). "N.Y. tax-credit program that lured film and TV shoots runs out of funds: Studios weigh options after the state reveals that $515 million allocated through 2013 is already exhausted". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  11. ^ Staff writer (May 20, 2015). "Steiner delivers supermarket superstar Wegmans to BNY site". Real Estate Weekly. Archived from the original on April 8, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  12. ^ Brian Steinberg (November 20, 2013). "Carnegie Mellon To Create NYC Campus Focused on Arts, Technology: University campus is part of Bloomberg-administration effort to spur Gotham growth". Variety. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  13. ^ Staff writers (November 19, 2014). "CUNY Graduate School of Cinema is Accepting Applications for Next Fall". Jewish Voice. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  14. ^ Rubinstein, Dana; Fandos, Nicholas (2023-04-26). "As New York Boosts Tax Breaks for Movies, Some Critics Pan the Program". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Douglas_C._Steiner&oldid=1218516552"