A plan to boost Oahu’s economy by tens of millions of dollars each year is being offered by one Honolulu City Council member.

On Tuesday, Augie Tulba introduced Bill 59, which would, if adopted, provide greater real property tax incentives for eligible film studio facilities to locate on the island.

The measure’s intent would continue Hawaii’s decades-long tradition of seeing films and television shows made here, from perennial crime shows like “Hawaii 5-0” and “Magnum P.I.” to blockbuster features like “Jurassic Park” and “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” among numerous others, the measure notes.

Bill 59 also highlights the launch of the Academy for Creative Media at the University of Hawaii’s West Oahu campus, which will give more opportunities to local students to enter the media world in coming years.

For Tulba, his measure would also give local residents good-paying jobs in the film and media industry without leaving the state. He added that by state estimates, calculated between 2017 and 2022, the local film industry generated $400 million annually and supported over 4,200 jobs in Hawaii.

“This could be a billion-dollar industry and a new leg to the economy, besides tourism,” Tulba told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser by phone. “We saw what happened during the pandemic: the only thing that was really working was the film industry, because they were able to work in the bubble … and they were still able to produce quality film and TV productions.”

But Tulba said Honolulu needs to do more.

With frustration, he noted how actor Jason Momoa’s upcoming limited series for Apple TV+, “Chief of War,” that is supposed to depict the Hawaiian Islands at the turn of the 18th century under the reign of King Kamehameha I, is not actually filmed in Hawaii.

“We could have easily gotten over $400 million if it stayed, but it went to New Zealand,” said Tulba, alluding to that show’s reported $340 million production budget. “Our challenge has always been we don’t have the right infrastructure.”

He said that with the right infrastructure in place, things could be quite different. “I think it’s going to create good, quality films, but it also brings a whole new industry,” he said.

To create those film jobs, Bill 59 seeks to give real property tax incentives to “eligible film studios.” As drafted, the measure asks that studio owners construct or develop their new film facility with a minimum $100 million investment for “improvement costs,” and see that the facility is completed within five years of the dedication taking effect.

In addition, the proposed ordinance would see an eligible film studio offer the use of studio time at discounted rates to local filmmakers, promote workforce development through the creation of internship programs for college, university or vocational school students pursuing degrees in film or media studies; among other conditions.

According to Bill 59, in 2020, the state reported 17 film productions had claimed $24.7 million of Hawaii’s film tax credit, and qualified film expenditures amounting to $128.1 million.

But Bill 59 is not alone in the state’s long history of attempting to draw the mainland film industry to the islands.

According to the measure, state-level legislation — since the year 2000 — has sought to encourage film and television projects to Hawaii, via tax credits and other financial incentives. And during the 2023 state Legislature session alone, 13 bills were introduced relating to more film tax credits and related inducements to see film productions gain a larger foothold here.

Similarly, another city measure — 2021’s Bill 45, introduced by Tulba and former Council member Carol Fukunaga with a goal to incentivize new industries on Oahu including film production — had gathered momentum but stalled earlier this year.

“The administration really wanted to see (Bill 45) pass, but there were lots of challenges,” Tulba said, adding part of the problem with the measure was that it was too broad, encompassing too many types of industries. “And a lot of the Council members had a lot of questions.”

Despite its problems, Bill 45 had gained a number of supporters — chief among them, Mayor Rick Blangiardi.

During the Feb. 28 Council Committee on Budget meeting, the mayor extolled the parts of Bill 45 aimed at bringing more film production to Honolulu, something he believed would be a massive money-making venture.

“We’re looking at a more than billion-dollar business, and I’ll go on the record in saying that,” Blangiardi told the panel. “And I’m looking at creating a lot of great jobs, high-paying jobs.”

But that measure never left the budget committee.

Still, Tulba said Bill 45’s most pressing problem is that it expires at the end of this month. “I could have reintroduced the bill, but instead I wanted to reintroduce something specific,” he added.

Meantime, locating a place to house future film studios on the island — perhaps in urban Honolulu or possibly in West Oahu, part of the Council district Tulba represents — would be a good starting point.

“I look at my side because I’m continually about how can I grow the economy on my side of the island, which still has lots of land, and we’ve been talking about ‘Second City’ for a long time,” Tulba said, adding that locations for film studios near Kapolei could be ideal. “This is a perfect opportunity because of the film school at UH, and because of the amount of land, and it’s still an opportunity to build affordable where locals can buy.”

He added “at the end of the day, I hope this bill, if it passes, will create a buzz so that the people who want to invest in Hawaii will go: ‘I want to take advantage of this bill, because I know we can not only make amazing films but we can build a business.’ That’s the kind of vision and hope that I have, and I think the mayor’s on the same page.”

Bill 59 is expected to be heard for its first reading at the full City Council meeting on Tuesday.