Both aim to cater to the increasing amount of film production taking place in Manhattan and the outer boroughs. There were 19,309 location shooting days last year as compared with 14,858 the previous year, according to the New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting.

Jay Fine, president and CEO of Steiner Studios, tells GlobeSt.com that Steiner Studios features five soundstages ranging from 16,500 to 27,000 sf with grid heights of 45 feet. "Everything needed for a production is under one roof," he says, adding that there will also be production support areas, dressing rooms and offices as well as a commissary, screening rooms and other on-site production services. Due to the large sizes of the production stages, Fine says he expects studios to look to the area for large-scale production movies.

Another key selling point is the city as a backdrop itself. According to Steiner officials, the navy yard offers historic Civil War and World War II era buildings and views of Manhattan. And the city is helping in the effort to hire locally-—it has just advertised for a hiring manager to lead the effort.