Title
A MOTION expressing the county's support for the plan to convert Building 2 at Magnuson park into a creative commons soundstage facility and encouraging project proponents to provide access, programming and opportunities at the facility for users and residents of and near Magnuson park.
Body
WHEREAS, the regional film and media industry, and the related creative industries, which are video gaming, content creation, television and web series and virtual reality, have long needed a professional production center, and
WHEREAS, Building 2 at the city of Seattle's Magnuson park is the largest publicly owned, free-span building north of Los Angeles, and
WHEREAS, this historic building has been home to significant film production for over more than twenty years, and
WHEREAS, the lack of a moderns sound stage facility in the area is hurting the film and creative arts industry in the King County region, and
WHEREAS, since February 2016, a film and transmedia advisory group, comprised of twenty-four industry leaders and influencers, has been convening and collaborating to construct a model and a business plan that will work for Building 2 as a public/private partnership, and
WHEREAS, the proposal will provide a multitude of community benefits from skill training and apprenticeships in industries that offer family-wage jobs and commercially affordable business space, and will expose the community to the latest innovations in content creation technology, and
WHEREAS, execution of this plan would revitalize our statewide film industry, develop and retain talent, advance content for emerging technologies, offer job skills training and develop and retain the workforce in the film, transmedia and virtual reality sectors, while offering commercially affordable real estate for industry businesses and nonprofits;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
The county hereby expresses support for the project to convert Building 2 at Magnuson park into a creative commons soundstage facility public/private partnership that will benefit the Washington state creative arts community and grow our creative economy. The county further encourages project proponents to provide access,
programming and opportunities at the facility for users and residents of and near Magnuson park.