NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - New York Sen. Chuck Schumer is asking the feds to make it easier for New York City to build a movie studio that would rival Hollywood.

The federal government is holding up the final approval for Kaufman Astoria Studios to build an architecturally flashy movie lot gate — a la Hollywood — at 36th Street and 35th Avenue in Astoria, Queens. It would transform one block of the street into New York’s only modern-day outdoor movie studio.

WCBS 880′s Rich Lamb reports

“One thing that California has over us is that it has an outdoor movie studio,” Schumer told WCBS 880′s Rich Lamb. “We don’t have any outdoor movie studios in New York City.”

The outdoor studio could accommodate rain machines, snow machines and sets, and Schumer said that the outdoor studio could serve as a catalyst which could transform New York’s film and TV industry for decades.

What do you think? Is an outdoor movie studio in Astoria a feasible and worthwhile idea? Offer your thoughts and comments below…