Governor celebrates grand opening of The Boiler Shop, honoring legacy of film pioneer Eric Witt
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michael Coleman
Office of the Governor
September 1, 2026
Governor celebrates grand opening of The Boiler Shop, honoring legacy of film pioneer Eric Witt
New $73 million facility will train New Mexico's film and media workforce
ALBUQUERQUE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham today joined state, city, and industry leaders to celebrate the grand opening of The Boiler Shop, a newly renovated $73 million film and media training facility at the historic Albuquerque Rail Yards.
The Boiler Shop will house Central New Mexico Community College's (CNM) Film and Digital Media Center and the New Mexico Media Arts Collective (MAC). The facility's MAC studio will be named the Eric Witt Studio, honoring the late Eric Witt — known throughout New Mexico’s film industry as “Mr. Film.” Witt — widely regarded as the architect of the state’s film program — was recruited by Gov. Bill Richardson in 2003 to expand New Mexico's film production incentive. Witt died in 2023.
“The Boiler Shop reflects New Mexico’s commitment a world-class film workforce, meaningful jobs in the arts for New Mexicans, and a future built on the strong and durable foundation Eric Witt laid,” said Lujan Grisham.
The project was funded using $35.1 million from CNM, $22.9 million from the state's Economic Development Department, and $15 million from the City of Albuquerque. It features industry-standard soundstages, post-production suites, and flexible production spaces. The center will serve students statewide and is expected to enroll 260 CNM film and digital media students, with the Opportunity Scholarship allowing eligible students to attend tuition-free.
“We’re proud to celebrate the opening of this world-class facility, made possible through our strong partnerships with the State of New Mexico and the City of Albuquerque,” said CNM President Tracy Hartzler. “By transforming the iconic boiler shop, we’ve created a dynamic institution where students, aspiring filmmakers, and community members can gain crucial skills and prepare for exciting careers in creative fields. This facility honors history while investing in our future — expanding opportunity, bolstering New Mexico’s film and digital media workforce, and adding new energy to Downtown Albuquerque.”
The historic building, dating to the late 1800s, once employed nearly a quarter of Albuquerque’s workforce. The project received a Heritage Preservation Award earlier this year from the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division.
“Eight years ago we decided to take the Rail Yards back and chart a path forward that would truly lift up downtown and our whole city. Today we drive that spike home with the opening of the first tenant at this historic site in 70 years,” said Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller. “We cannot overstate how transformational this will be, bringing hundreds of students to this area and providing a bridge for our kids to access our incredible film industry. Thankfully CNM and the state shared this vision and stepped up to really make it happen.”
The Media Arts Collective will begin offering training on Sept. 21, offering associate degree programs in Film Production, Digital Media, and Film, along with certificate programs for post-production and film crew technicians. Since its creation in 2022, the Media Arts Collective has served 452 students from colleges and universities across the state. The Collective has issued 300 industry-ready certifications in that timeframe.
“This new facility gives New Mexico something it has never had: a place to train our own people for the full range of careers the creative economy now demands, from set-ready crew to postproduction to the emerging technologies reshaping the field,” said Mateo Frazier, MAC executive director. “We are building a workforce that stays here, works here, and owns a piece of what New Mexico creates.”
New Mexico's film incentive, created in 2003, was expanded from a 15% to a 25% base under Gov. Richardson. In 2019, Gov. Lujan Grisham more than doubled its annual cap and added a rural production uplift tax credit for productions filming outside of Albuquerque or Santa Fe. Lujan Grisham’s incentive package helped drive more than 650 productions and roughly $3.65 billion in direct economic output since. The film industry supports more than 6,200 jobs statewide.