38 Studios announces it has executed a lease for an office building in downtown Providence and will relocate the company’s headquarters to One Empire Plaza. 38 Studios has chosen this unique location to initiate and create a Rhode Island video game cluster.

“The staff at 38 Studios is incredibly excited about our relocation to Providence and we expect to be the first of many relocating knowledge-economy companies that will take advantage of the opportunities Rhode Island provides,” said Jen MacLean, Chief Executive Officer of 38 Studios. “Providence has some of the best students in the nation, a vibrant arts community, and a dynamic urban environment with easy access to public transportation. We look forward to working closely with the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation and local businesses in the months ahead to plan how our company’s growth can also benefit the state of Rhode Island.”

“I commend 38 Studios for quickly securing a location for the company’s new headquarters in Rhode Island,” said Governor Donald L. Carcieri.   “38 Studios presents Rhode Island with a tremendous economic development opportunity.  This investment creates 450 high-paying jobs, provides job opportunities for our college graduates in a fast growing industry, and will attract other interactive and entertainment companies to Rhode Island.  Located in the heart of the capital city and surrounded by our universities and strong arts community, I am confident that 38 Studios will serve as a touchstone for growth in the interactive entertainment and digital media industry.”

The Executive Director of the RIEDC, Keith Stokes, commented, “38 Studios’ announcement of their new headquarters location is a major milestone in the company’s relocation plans to create 450 high-wage, high-skilled jobs in Rhode Island.”

The new site, based in downtown Providence, is located Downcity in the arts and entertainment district, a central location that proved attractive to 38 Studios due to its vibrant mix of office buildings, restaurants and entertainment venues and its proximity to multiple universities rich with talent such as the University of Rhode Island, Johnson & Wales University, Brown University, and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

Said Umberto Crenca, Artistic Director, AS220, “I am very excited about the commitment of 38 Studios to locate in downtown Providence. The clustering of creative and digital industries so close to internationally recognized schools such as RISD, Brown, JWU, and URI can be the trigger that propels Providence into its future. The city’s diversity, historic architecture and strong arts and culture have helped it to create a high quality of life that is attractive to creative types. Richard Florida’s predictions are coming to pass: Creative people are drawn to interesting, dynamic and diverse communities; creative industries are drawn to talent and a new economic model is born.”

One Empire Plaza is a six-story 104,000-square-foot building located diagonally across Empire Street from Trinity Repertory Company. The parcel contains a pedestrian plaza and is bordered by Empire, Washington and Walnut Streets, as well as the pedestrian portion of Westminster Street.

“The new location of 38 Studios will be a significant economic boost to downtown, the City and the State,” added Daniel Baudouin, Executive Director, The Providence Foundation.  “In addition to the high paying jobs and disposable income that 38 Studios will produce, their downtown location should result in the development of a strong, growing cluster of businesses in digital media and design, two potential targets of growth for downtown and the State.”

About 38 Studios
38 Studios, an entertainment and IP creation company founded in 2006 by Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher and avid gamer Curt Schilling, is developing an original fantasy IP driven by the creative and artistic visions of pop-culture icons R.A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane. Entertainment products will include a massively immersive Online Entertainment Experience™ that transcends the traditional MMOG genre, novels, comics, toys, movies, TV and games. For more information, visit www.38studios.com.