Local government and film leaders celebrated the groundbreaking of the Stanley Event Center and Blumhouse Space at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park Thursday, a $60 million arts and culture destination that is the first phase of a project to preserve and improve the Stanley Hotel.

Perched on a hill just outside Rocky Mountain National Park, the Stanley Hotel is a popular tourist destination as the inspiration for Stephen King’s “The Shining.”

The Colorado Economic Development Commission approved the Stanley Film Center in 2015 as a Regional Tourism Act project, and the center will serve as a 10,000-square-foot exhibit space and multi-genre film and music venue dedicated to horror film history and culture. Through the RTA, the state is contributing $46 million to the project.

On Thursday, Gov. Jared Polis, Estes Park Mayor Gary Hall, Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum, Grand Heritage Hotel Group President John Cullen and other local leaders celebrated the groundbreaking of the project’s first phase.

The project is expected to take three years and is intended to preserve, expand and improve the Stanley Hotel campus, a news release following the groundbreaking ceremony said.

Polis lauded the state’s film scene, saying the project will support the growing film workforce and economy in Colorado.

“Colorado’s artistic culture, strong workforce, rich history, and breathtaking landscapes are skyrocketing us to the best state to work in the film industry,” Polis said in the news release. “We are proud of our booming film industry and the incredible art it creates. That’s why the state has doubled down on our investment into this important sector.”

In 2024, Polis and the legislature established the Film Incentive Tax Credit and funded it at $5 million per year for five years. The legislature also approved the Tax Incentive for Film Festivals, which will support the Sundance Film Festival moving to Boulder.

Eve Lieberman, executive director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, said the project will help attract new out-of-state visitation.

“When the Economic Development Commission approved the Stanley Film Center as a Regional Tourism Act project, the state recognized its unique potential to attract new out-of-state visitors to Colorado, spur business growth in the region and create new jobs,” Lieberman said. “We are thrilled to celebrate today’s groundbreaking, an exciting milestone that brings this extraordinary project one step closer to completion and amplifies Colorado’s reputation as a place where film and the arts are celebrated.”