Kulis is open for business: prime real estate for Alaska film industry.

AuthorStricker, Julie
PositionBUILDING ALASKA SPECIAL SECTION

It's been a long-standing rite for Alaskans to try to identify where on earth Alaska-themed movies were filmed. It was seldom in Alaska, although that is changing. And as more movie producers look north, they are seeking support facilities and locations for their productions. The recently shuttered Kulis Air National Guard Base in Anchorage is one location that is generating a lot of interest.

"We have had lots of film producers touring it and looking at it as a good place to base productions in," said Katie Gage, land manager at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. She is in charge of leasing the property.

"We've had quite a bit of interest," she said, adding that she cannot release names of interested parties. "It's looking pretty good."

HOME OF THE BRAVE

For 50 years, Kulis played a key role in helping keep Alaskans safe. The home of the 176th Wing of the Alaska Air National Guard was a shelter and aid distribution center in the aftermath of the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake. Kulis Guard members deployed to Fairbanks to help that community bail out from the 1967 flood, evacuating many residents to Kulis and flying dozens of loads of food and supplies to the devastated community.

In 1990, the 210th Rescue Squadron was added to Kulis, which strengthened its role as a hub for hundreds of search and rescue missions over the years.

But in 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended Kulis be closed. The 176th Wing moved to new quarters at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in 2011 and the shuttered base was turned over to the State of Alaska. After decades in the military arena, Kulis is now open for civilian business.

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PRIME REAL ESTATE

"Basically, all comers are welcome," said Wanetta Ayers, division director of the Office of Economic Development. "The airport is taking lease applications and they're engaged in a process of determining what the lease rates will be and about what (the lease) process looks like."

Kulis is a 127-acre facility just south of and adjacent to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities took over the keys to the facility on Sept. 15, which means they will be assuming operating costs for the property. Over time, the property will be used for aviation. But in the short-term, there isn't enough aviation interest for the entire facility, so other uses are being suggested.

The land-use plan recommends the airport...

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