909 Ninth Avenue Makeover

The building as it looked this spring.

 For those who have not noticed, the old glass curtain of 909 Ninth Ave has come down and been replaced with a more appealing dark blue facade of glass. Work started this spring and finishing touches are currently under way. The building was built in the 1970s and housed Union/Unocal 76, a California oil company, until it merged with Chevron in the mid 2000's for which a Chevron sign adored the top of the building. After Chevron's Anchorage headquarters left the building for the new JL Tower in Midtown a couple years ago, the building had since sat empty. The Alaska State Legislature had taken interest in possibly occupying the building as it (still) looks to leave its small crammed 4th Avenue offices. Of course now former (as of this most recent primary election) state senator Linda Menard had particular interest in seeing the Legislature occupy 909 Ninth for she happens to own property right across the street from the building (which explains why that property had long displayed [and still displays] a Linda Menard sign despite the fact that her district is way out in the Valley). Now it appears that the NANA corporation will be taking over as the main tenant for which they have apparently decided that their new digs needs an update. And thank goodness for that. I had long thought that the gold tinted glass needed to come down as it just screams corporate 1980s Trump-esque glam.

Artist rendering of the new facade.

Facade work earlier this summer.