Gateway Studios & Production Services’ St. Louis Campus Opens In May

After four years of construction, Gateway Studios & Production Services (GSPS) will open its $150 million, cutting-edge rehearsal and production studio complex in May on a 32-acre campus in Chesterfield, Missouri.

Every aspect of the 300,000-square-foot GSPS complex was built with the needs of touring professionals in mind.

“From the layout of our studios to the technical infrastructure, our team of experts in the live entertainment and production industries developed this facility to provide an optimized environment for music touring rehearsals, television and film production, and corporate events,” said Trey Kerr CEO of GSPS.

Located within the greater St. Louis area, GSPS is now accepting bookings for the industry’s newest rehearsal destination and showcasing the facility’s design and features with an in-depth 3D tour of Gateway Studios via gsps.com/studios.

The complex is designed around three purpose-built studios – each named for their respective overhead grid height and sized to accommodate every production from arenas to NFL stadiums. The construction team includes general contractor AJ Brown and architect GMA Architects, LLC.

Studio 80 is the largest dedicated rehearsal studio in North America at 52,500 square feet with an 80-foot grid height and a 2-million-pound grid weight capacity – enough to support the heft of a giant California redwood tree. The studio has a 10,800-square-foot receiving/staging area with six loading docks, a drive-in ramp, shore power for six buses and 15,000-square-feet of dedicated dressing rooms with ensuite private bathrooms, offices and a catering lounge.

“Studio 80 excites us the most – it’s truly a game-changer,” said Kerr. “We built this space to give artists and production teams the ultimate environment to fine-tune every detail before hitting the road. Beyond the size and technical capabilities, we can’t wait for people to experience the world-class artist lounges, dressing rooms, and in-house catering – it’s a space designed to make rehearsals as seamless and comfortable as possible.”

Small details went into the design like etching the floor to match the ceiling grid for laying out production elements and eliminating corners for easy load-in.

Studio 75 features 15,000 square feet of rehearsal space, a 75-foot grid height and a 1-million-pound grid weight capacity. Designed for mid-size productions, Studio 75’s amenities include a 4,000-square-foot receiving/staging area, three loading docks, a drive-in ramp and 8,000-square-feet of dedicated dressing rooms with ensuite private bathrooms, offices and a catering lounge.

Studio 65 offers 12,500 square feet of rehearsal space, a 65-foot grid height and an 800,000-pound grid weight capacity. The smallest of the three spaces, highlights of Studio 65 include two dedicated loading docks, a drive-in ramp and 5,683-square-feet of dedicated dressing rooms with ensuite private bathrooms, offices and a catering lounge.

In addition to the studios, the complex includes 15,700 square feet of open space with a 48-foot ceiling with rigging points at 42 feet. Added features include a 3,400-square-foot receiving/staging area, one dedicated loading dock with leveler and truck power, a drive-in ramp and two offices with dedicated restrooms.

GSPS is also offering online digital tools to optimize pre-planning and visualization for production professionals. Onsite, the facility is equipped with redundant high-speed fiber-optic Internet access from two independent service providers, with capabilities up to 100 GB when needed. A 5.5 MW independent backup generator system ensures an uninterrupted power supply, providing reliability and peace of mind for production needs.

“Gateway Studios is built to handle the increasing demands of modern productions with cutting-edge technology,” offered Kerr. “Our studios offer massive grid weight capacities, ranging from 800,000 pounds in Studio 65 to 2,000,000 pounds in Studio 80, to support complex staging, while dedicated loading docks, truck power, and drive-in ramps streamline logistics. With these innovations, Gateway Studios is not only built to meet the demands of today’s most advanced productions but is also prepared to support the evolving needs of the industry well into the future.”

Building in St. Louis was part of the overall mission strategy.  

“St. Louis is an ideal location due to its central position within the U.S., making it easily accessible for touring artists and production teams,” said Kerr. “The area boasts a wide selection of hotels to accommodate crews of all sizes, a variety of restaurants and convenient access to major airports and retailers.”

In addition to facilities, GSPS delivers integrated turnkey audio, video, lighting, integration and fabrication solutions for live music touring, television, film, sporting, corporate events and festivals.

“Gateway is dedicated to providing the highest level of service in live entertainment production, bringing together world-class rehearsal studios and a full spectrum of 360º vendor support under one roof,” said Kerr. “Our facility is designed to meet the needs of touring artists, production teams, and event organizers by offering cutting-edge technology, seamless logistics and top-tier accommodations for all types and size productions.”