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| As seen from the corner of 8th and A. |
I drive down A Street into Downtown Anchorage on a regular basis and thus immediately noticed the demolition of an old Salvation Army chapel and the erection of a sign showing a rendering of what was to be built in its place. Going at 35 mph, it's kinda hard to read what exactly was being built, but the quick glance I was able to get of the building made me think maybe it was new office space. A few days later I walked up to the sign to get an actual reading of what was going up only to learn of the grim news. Yes, Covenant House, the shelter for homeless runaway youth, is at full capacity and needs a new, larger home. Like the Neighborhood Clinic being built in Midtown (see earlier post), the new Covenant House apparently also needs more financial donations ($2M more) in order for the project to meet its completion. Among the top contributors so far for the project is First National Bank Alaska, the Gillam Foundation, and the Rasmuson Foundation. In seeking continued financial support, Covenant House has also launched a campaign called
Our House is Full along with the website www.ourhouseisfull.org. Construction is taking place on the block bordered by A Street, Barrow Street, 7th, and 8th Avenue. If there's any bright spot to this new development, it's that the Covenant House will be located away from the more healthier west-end of Downtown. It seems over the years Town Square Park has become a haven for troubled youth, and it's safe to say that the location of the Covenant House right across the street from the park was a major factor in contributing to the erosion of the parks attractiveness. We'll be following up on this project as it continues its progress.
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| Demolition of the old building. |
