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A familiar face was in Soldotna the other day telling the city council about a new Web tool available to the city and to organizations looking to relocate to Soldotna or other locations in Southcentral Alaska.

Bill Popp, who was a special assistant to the Kenai Peninsula Borough mayor, now heads up the Anchorage Economic Development Corp.

The Anchorage Prospector tool being touted by Popp lets real estate agents and corporations from elsewhere in the country see what Soldotna and other communities have to offer as clients look to relocate to the Kenai Peninsula.

"Today, 90 percent of the site selection search begins on the Internet," Popp said.

He told council members the largest part of site searching is done after hours and on weekends.

"The Web tool is free for all to use," he said.

Besides searching for a specific area, users can search by the type of building they are seeking, whether it's an office building, industrial building, retail or warehouse, and how much land is available for purchase or lease.

The Web tool enables users to create site-specific demographic analyses, map businesses by industry, and use interactive maps to identify an optimal location for their company. Demographic reports include population characteristics, consumer expenditures, labor force and employment wages.

Popp said the search tool, accessible on the Internet as AnchorageProspector.com, covers the Kenai Peninsula, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and Anchorage.

Among a city's features listed on the Web site are airports, colleges, golf courses, hospitals, parks and schools.

Market demographics also are included, according to Popp, who said the site provides a client base and an employee base, as well as identifying local competition information.

"The Prospector tool is being used by 170 towns across the country," he said.

Referring to Anchorage Prospector, Popp said there is no cost to list a property and no cost to use the tool.

At the economic development corporation in Anchorage, Popp said the effect of the Web tool equates to: "We hook 'em, the communities land 'em."

Phil Hermanek can be reached at phillip.hermanek@peninsulaclarion.com.