King County executive unveils new film production facility on Harbor Island

SEATTLE — King County Executive Dow Constantine on Saturday unveiled a new film production facility at the former Fisher Flour Mill on Harbor Island.

According to a release, “The 117,000-square-foot sound stage is King County’s first major public investment to bring back a once-thriving film industry and hundreds of family wage, creative economy jobs as the region rebounds post-pandemic.”

The former flour mill has been transformed into two sound stages.

The facility was purchased by King County 18 years ago and was going to be used to potentially ship solid waste. However, contractors rewired and built soundproof walls, among other work, which cost about $1.5 million.

“We transformed this vast warehouse into a creative space with stages, sets, and shops to put hundreds of people to work in good, union jobs making films right here in King County,” said Constantine. “This is about making a smart public investment to help this creative industry grow and thrive here in King County. We don’t want Vancouver or Portland — or Atlanta — to keep serving as Seattle’s stand-in. We’re ready to spotlight the amazing talent of our region.”

The facility has already appealed to a creative economy tenant, according to officials. A Hollywood episodic production, which wishes to remain anonymous, is preparing to use the space and is hiring hundreds of local crew members.

According to the release, Northern Exposure was the last major episodic television production in Washington. It was set up in a Redmond warehouse, producing six seasons that began in 1990 and wrapped up in 1995. It generated more than $50 million in in-state revenue for each season.

From the release, the ultimate goal of the project is to “… create the infrastructure needed to land a wide variety of projects — from feature films to commercials — which pay union wages to carpenters, electricians, prop masters, costume designers and other trades.”

Cox Media Group