The military is one of the largest employers in Alaska, and it may be about to join forces with another growing industry: the movie business.
Speaking at the Alaska International Air Cargo Summit, officials from the Department of Commerce said Kulis Air Force Base could become the new home of the state’s burgeoning film industry.
Local airport management said they’re considering proposals to lease portions of the base to private production companies, who would develop the abandoned hangers into Alaska’s first film campus.
"I think the probability of using it on an interim basis is probably fairly high,” said John Parrott, manager of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. “There aren't a lot of hurdles for short term use, the FAA understands that type of situation."
The Department of Defense is scheduled to transfer the base to airport management on September 15, and Parrott said the airport could move forward on potential leases as soon as October.
Rich Wilson, a consultant working for the Department of Commerce, said there has been a flood of interest in the partially vacated base.
While private sector film companies continue to develop new facilities, Wilson said leasing the base would provide a vital boost to a fast-growing industry.
“Until the private sector develops its own campus and facilities to accommodate the larger feature films, for example, then we may be able to use this,” Wilson said.
