Summer in the City - Construction Rundown

CIRI's new headquarters under construction.

Here's the annual summer construction rundown. As I've mentioned in an earlier post, we will not see anything major going up like we had in summers past. We will, however, see more activity than we had in previous years. And if like me, you too lived in Anchorage through the 1990s, then you too are probably grateful that at least we're getting some construction taking place. In fact, I think this may be the most busiest summer since the start of the 2010s decade. I suppose I should clarify that when I refer to construction projects in town, I'm thinking of major ones. If it involves steel girders hoisted into the air by cranes and multiple levels going up, then I am more inclined to record them on this blog. I'm also open to recording smaller residential projects that are unique in their handling of land-use and density. I am fully aware that every year the city gets a new fast food restaurant or big-box store, but I'm not so eager to capture those things as I may have been in years past.

The most high-profile project taking place this summer is the construction of the eight-story headquarters for the CIRI native corporation. CIRI has attained quite a high profile in recent times with their opening of the Tikhatnu Commons and the erection of wind turbines on Fire Island, both of which are recorded on this blog. Now, CIRI has acquired the site formally occupied by the Fireweed Theater and is in the process of building a new headquarters for itself. Apparently, the master plan is to fill the former theater site with other office buildings, perhaps mirroring the Centerpoint development in south midtown which was once home to a trailer park neighborhood until 2002. You can find more on the building along with a hokey PR video and live webcam here. Architecturally, I love the glass facade that it is set to have. It reminds me of the new U.S. Federal Building in San Francisco. ...Okay, kind of. The building will also have great visibility for it will be in the view of motorists traveling both directions on the Seward Highway.

UAA Engineering Building

Nearing completion in the U-Med district is the UAA School of Engineering building. Construction on it began last summer, but it is only now that the project has really took to the air. Built across the street from the new nursing building, there is a proposal floating around to connect the two buildings with a skybridge hanging over Providence Drive. Additionally, because the new building sits on a former parking lot on campus, the university is planning construction of a parking garage across the street (another reason for said skybridge). As far as I can tell though, the world has not ended, as some faculty members and students had expected with the loss of so many parking spaces. This building is the latest in a series of projects that have made some U-Med lovers uncomfortable when it comes to the district's changing identity. In fact, one block from this site, construction of a new First National Bank branch has resulted in the clearing of a sizeable patch of woods.

Alaska Airlines Center

                                                                   

Speaking of which, we also have the Alaska Airlines Center. Construction of the arena started in 2012, and it is expected to open later this year. This was probably the most traumatic of projects in the U-Med district as a large swath of forest across the street from Providence Hospital was mowed down for this building. The most notable controversy,  however, is the fact that the Alaska Airlines Center will not have an ice rink  despite hockey being the premiere sport of the university. Perhaps to make up for that, it was recently announced that a year-around restaurant will open in the arena, complete with an outdoor deck. Breaking from traditional university policy, alcohol will be served in the restaurant -- surely to the joy of students in the nearby dorms. Architecturally, I don't know what to say. It's not all that great looking... One thing I like about this project is that there will be a grand pathway leading to the building from the street side. The campus's student-friendly pedestrian environment is basically being extended to the other side of Providence Drive.

Finally, there's this. It's no 188 WNL, JL Tower, or Centerpoint West. It's just a non-descript class A office building for lease. Gracing the building with a grand name was apparently not a priority. It is a decent looking building though. While this building is viewable from C Street, access to it requires going through Business Park Boulevard. 

                                                                                                                 

So here are your urban contributions to the mishmash cityscape of Anchorage, Alaska for the summer of 2014. While it's great to see a small handful of medium-to-high-density sites go up, it is also disheartening to see the pattern continue of buildings surrounded by parking lots and landscaping. Whether it's the new CIRI headquarters, or the building mentioned just above, a vision of the future with sustainability in mind is absent from these projects. In a city that is post Title 21 Rewrite, most developers can't shake off the Le Corbusier in them. For me, the most promising project is the UAA School of Engineering building, for it is built up against the street and has a bus stop at the foot of it (you can see it in the picture). It's also nice that the Alaska Airlines Center is across the street from People Mover's U-Med district bus stop hub. As a result, six bus lines will be going to the arena.