The Seattle Office of Economic Development and Seattle Center are partnering to temporarily repurpose the former Cascade PBS building, at the corner of 5th and Mercer Streets, to attract, grow, and keep production teams in Seattle. The M5 Creative Building is designed to house a mix of businesses including feature film and episodic series productions, commercial filming productions, and audio and tech companies and organizations.
The 40,000 square feet building will offer affordable short-term access to administrative office space, conference rooms, makerspace, rehearsal, exhibition, event, recording, tech, and film production space. Applications are now open for businesses, creative entrepreneurs, and nonprofit organizations interested in utilizing the M5 Creative Building.
“Creativity and innovation are at the core of Seattle’s identity as a city. Optimizing our built environment presents real opportunities as we seek to transform Downtown into the thriving neighborhood we want to see, with a vibrant atmosphere for residents, workers, and businesses across sectors right in the heart of our city,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. Our Office of Economic Development and Seattle Center are modeling the kind of collaboration and innovation we hope to foster among users of the M5 Creative Building. Together we are advancing our One Seattle vision for a thriving creative economy.”
“We’re very excited about this opportunity. We know that production space, meeting rooms and office space are in demand. Adding M5 Creative Building to other creative spaces like Harbor Island Studios and King Street Station will strengthen our Creative Economy sector and allow greater cross industry collaboration. This investment in physical space for the Creative Economy is integral, it helps us foster an inclusive economy and as the Creative sector is a significant economic driver, from music, film, graphic design, gaming, production, and more, they drive job creation and growth across all of Seattle’s business ecosystem,” says Markham McIntyre, Director of the Seattle Office of Economic Development.
Underserved businesses and organizations are prioritized. Space is available for a day, a week, a month, or more. Applications are open on a rolling basis for:
- Temporary office space for film production: Workstations, offices, small prop and wardrobe storage for working film productions.
- Temporary office and production space for Creative Production organizations: Workstations, offices, small item storage for working non-film creative sector production.
- Events, Workshops, Training: One-time or recurring use for creative sector events, activities, workshops, and training.
- Hot Space: Sign up for single-time weekday use of desk, office, or conference room space.
“Seattle Center is thrilled to partner with the Office of Economic Development to support film and music production in our community in the former Cascade PBS Building,” said Marshall Foster, Director of Seattle Center.
On January 31, Cascade PBS (formerly known as KCTS and Crosscut) moved to 316 Broadway Avenue from the building they built and occupied at Seattle Center for nearly 40 years. Seattle Center’s long-term plan is to pursue a new use for the 5th and Mercer Block that will generate revenue to support Seattle Center’s public mission and add civic life and vitality to the campus. OED will lease a portion of the building from Seattle Center for one year. The arrangement will offset Seattle Center’s costs of operating the building, while activating it with a use that complements our campus. Seattle Center will retain the remainder of the building and grounds for operations activities while Memorial Stadium is under construction.
What People are saying:
“This is a true investment in equitable revitalization of downtown both in cultural activity and economic and workforce development through film production. Affordable production office and working space is critical for productions and can make the difference between work coming to Seattle and moving to another region. This opportunity will meet needs by providing equitable access to creative production space in Seattle – especially for our local, underserved creative communities,” says Seattle Film Commission Chair Kat Ogden.
“Washington Filmworks focuses on attracting film production and developing local film talent and the M5 Creative space is a game changer for our pitch to produce projects in Seattle. Not only do we expect to bring our bigger budget production incentive projects to this turnkey space but also see it as an incubator for our emerging local talent,” says Washington Filmworks Executive Director Amy Lillard.
About the Office of Economic Development Creative Economy Program
The Office of Economic Development’s mission is to build an inclusive economy where everyone in Seattle can fully participate in and benefit from our prosperity.
In Seattle, the creative economy includes 61 different occupations that represent 250,000 jobs in the metro area. These jobs, particularly those in the arts, film, music, and nightlight, are not only power economic drivers but are part of what makes our region special.
Our goal is to drive growth within the creative economy through strategies and investments that open doors and remove barriers to individual, business and community wealth building opportunities – especially for communities that have been systemically excluded.
About Seattle Center
Connect to the extraordinary at Seattle Center, an active civic, arts, and family gathering place in the core of our city and region. Seattle Center’s 74-acre campus, centered around the International Fountain, is part of the Uptown Arts & Cultural District and home to Climate Pledge Arena; more than 30 cultural, educational, sports, and entertainment organizations; and a broad range of public and community programs. In everything it does, Seattle Center’s mission is to create exceptional events, experiences, and environments which delight and inspire the human spirit to build stronger communities.
Seattle Center has expanded its role to provide maintenance and public safety services for Seattle’s new Waterfront Park, a series of new public spaces on Seattle’s downtown waterfront between Pioneer Square and the Seattle Aquarium. Seattle Center supports managing these new waterfront public spaces in partnership with the non-profit Friends of Waterfront Seattle, which offers the community a range of recreational and cultural programming. www.seattlecenter.com