What Does the CREATE48 Lease Cover?
The one-year lease grants Seattle-based nonprofit CREATE48 Media Network operational control of the entire 89,000-square-foot Harbor Island Studios complex. It keeps the publicly owned facility active during a fragile transition period. The arrangement is intended to support the region’s growing film industry and strengthen the creative economy.
The agreement covers two soundstages, large production areas, offices, greenscreens, and other technical resources needed for film and video work. It allows continued regional production activity while King County retains ownership and CREATE48 manages day-to-day operations. Similar adaptive-reuse strategies in other cities have gained momentum as rising construction costs make existing facilities more practical than new development.
Operations and Public Access
Permitted uses include professional projects, workforce development programs, creative career support, community workshops, public events, and equipment rentals. Production professionals and local filmmakers can access the space during the interim term for active work and industry participation.
The lease also keeps the facility open for public film-related events, including CREATE48’s Seattle 48 Hour Film Project. This remains in place while no permanent future use has been set.
Why Did Harbor Island Studios Get This Lease?
Funding threats, legal constraints, and the risk of closure pushed King County and CREATE48 Media Network to approve a one-year lease for Harbor Island Studios.
In November 2025, the county had nearly cut studio funding. That uncertainty raised the risk that the facility could shut down before a long-term plan was completed.
The lease gives Harbor Island Studios short-term stability. It also gives officials time to review the studio’s economic impact and determine the fair market rental value required by law.
County leaders also saw the studio as important infrastructure for western Washington’s film industry and broader creative economy.
Keeping it open preserves production space, jobs, community engagement, and business activity connected to filmmakers and crew.
The lease also creates time to plan for a future beyond public support. The focus is on stabilization, operational continuity, and diversifying funding before month 13.
How Will Harbor Island Studios Pay Rent?
Shielded by a unanimous King County Council amendment, Harbor Island Studios will not pay rent for the first six months of its one-year lease.
That temporary waiver keeps operations running into June 2026.
The rent waiver delays immediate costs, but it does not settle how lease funding will work afterward.
Fair Market Value Looms
King County is legally required to pay fair market value to its Solid Waste Division.
The annual rental value is set at $1.5 million.
A new rent assessment and economic impact study will help determine future payment expectations.
Similar debates in fast-growing markets like Nashville show how economic impact studies can shape decisions about public benefits, tourism revenue, and long-term development priorities.
- Six months of rent are waived under the amendment.
- Maintenance funding rose from $90,000 to $120,000.
- Officials want payment methods that avoid the general fund.
Uncertain Funding Path
CREATE48 Media Network will oversee operations.
County leaders are seeking non-general-fund sources for rent beyond the waiver period.
Why Harbor Island Studios Matters to Filmmakers
For regional filmmakers, Harbor Island Studios fills a long-standing infrastructure gap that western Washington lacked for decades.
At 117,000 square feet, with two sound stages, large greenscreens, production offices, and expansive work areas, it gives creators a professional base the region had been missing.
That scale matters because it supports feature films, documentaries, commercials, and local short films in one place.
The studio also matters because it helps keep work in the region.
More than 150 productions have used the site since 2021, creating opportunities for local talent, including carpenters, electricians, costume designers, and prop masters, often at union wages.
For independent filmmakers, the facility offers resources to produce original stories, build careers, and eventually reach audiences through community screenings and other local exhibition opportunities.
What Happens After the One-Year Lease?
That value now collides with a far less certain reality after the one-year lease expires on June 30, 2027. County officials say no guarantee exists beyond that date.
The property could enter a sale process at any time afterward, leaving future ownership unresolved and the studio in limbo.
Immediate Risks After Expiration
Current access depends on either a building sale decision or a new long-term agreement. Community negotiations are continuing, but no permanent organizational partner has been finalized.
- County leaders are developing a long-term strategy for regional sound stages.
- No future general fund support is expected for ongoing studio maintenance.
- Booking requests remain queued because projects cannot be scheduled beyond June 30, 2027.
For now, the lease acts as a temporary reprieve. It allows programming to continue while financial limits and real estate uncertainty shape the next phase.
Assessment
Harbor Island Studios secured a one-year nonprofit lease that preserves a rare production foothold in Seattle during a period of limited affordable film space.
The arrangement ties rent to CREATE48 support, reducing near-term occupancy pressure while keeping the site active for filmmakers.
Its short duration also leaves future control unresolved.
When the lease ends, the studio’s stability will depend on whether funding, public backing, and long-term site commitments can be converted into a more durable operating position.
