KING COUNTY, Wash. — What was mostly an unused warehouse on Harbor Island in Seattle is now a state-of-the-art 117,000-square-foot soundstage.
On Thursday, King County Executive Dow Constantine and leaders from the film industry celebrated the grand opening of Harbor Island Studios. It's King County's first major public investment into growing the local film industry, with a price tag of $1.5 million.
"This was a real effort to turn something that was nothing, into something that will be a major asset to our region," Constantine said during the opening on Thursday.
The county purchased the warehouse in 2002.
The project to renovate what was once the Fisher Flour Mill was announced in April of 2021.
Crews rewired and built interior sound-proof walls to make it suitable for filming.
The project was pitched as a way to provide the film industry infrastructure it has lacked in the area for years and create local film industry jobs.
"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," reads a statement from Constantine after the project was announced.
The effort to draw the film industry back to the Seattle area continues to grow.
In April, the Seattle City Council appointed members to the new Seattle Film Commission. The commission, which will include 11 members, represents a different area of the industry and will provide insight on ways to strengthen the film industry and community in Seattle.
Despite gaining notoriety within the film industry, city officials previously acknowledged many productions have opted to head to Canada and Oregon.