The city of Anchorage is now witnessing what will undoubtable go down as the most significant — and controversial — demolition work in the city's more-than-100-year history. Demolition work at the 4th Avenue Theater is now fully underway as part of a larger redevelopment project being overseen by Peach Holdings LLC — which, in addition to the historic theater, now owns every property on the block. The demolition puts an end to a decades-long battle to preserve and restore the building.
While much of the artwork and other artifacts inside the theater will be taken down and transferred to the city, the building itself is to be demolished entirely. According to the building's owners and city officials, internal structural problems were too severe to warrant a full restoration of the Art Deco-styled building. Issues concerning asbestos and lead were also brought up by the mayor, Dave Bronson. Additionally, Peach Holdings LLC states that restoring the Lathrop Building — the official name of the building housing the theater — back into operation as a theater or other similar use did not pencil out. However, Trish Neal, board president of the Alaska Association for Historic Preservation, disagrees about the building being in such poor condition and told Alaska Public Media in an interview that the opinions of structural engineers vary widely.
As for my take, I just want to write that I'm actually quite surprised that the entire building is coming down. In May, when Peach Holdings LLC unveiled their sweeping redevelopment project to the press, it was speculated afterward on social media that a portion of the theater, or perhaps just the facade, would be preserved. This speculation was due to the 4th Avenue Theater appearing seemingly untouched in the renderings for the new development. And a number of years ago, the owners made a slight reference to the possibility of the building being gutted of the actual theater space while disguising its new use by maintaining the facade. I therefore assumed that this was to be the case following the announcement of this new project. As of now, it is reported that the theater's facade will be knocked down, and a reconstruction of the facade will take its place — it's something I find a bit bizarre. Projects around the world have creatively preserved and utilized old facades for the ground level of new high-rise buildings — a new project doing just that is about to get underway in Seattle — so I don't see why the same could not be done with the Lathrop Building.
This project is going to be quite a gamble, and I am quite nervous about how this will pan out. As alluded to earlier, the Lathrop Building is just one of several buildings to be demolished. The Adams Building next door will also be razed, as will the two-story building that once housed Woolworth's. First National Bank, which is next to the former theater, will have to vacate its premises after being at the same location for more than 50 years. Apparently, the owners of Cabin Fever had held out and refused purchase offers from Peach Holdings for its two-story building at the corner of 4th Avenue and G Street. Ultimately, however, a deal was made, and Cabin Fever along with an adjoining business will be moving across the street to recently vacated space. The nine-story First National Building will also be demolished, with plans calling for it to be replaced with a new high-rise of similar height.
I think I'll go ahead and wait until construction begins on the new redevelopment project before I discuss more about it. For now, this is about the 4th Avenue Theater. I have been going past the old theater every week since this summer, and it was this morning that I saw the theater in its current half-demolished form. Its mutilated appearance is quite grisly, and it actually hurt to see the building looking the way it does now. The thick concrete that makes up the building is going to make for a slow-going demolition, I guess. All I can think of is the unfortunate circumstances the theater, and the city, found itself in. Sitting largely abandoned since 1982, there are adults today entering middle-age who have never had the opportunity to step inside the theater. But nobody walks down 4th Avenue or the surrounding streets anymore — it's a product of the automobile age and suburbanization. Downtown needs new investment. But the argument, of course, is how that new investment should be handled. From now, it will be up to Anchoragites and visitors to Anchorage in 50 years, in 100 years, to decide whether demolition of the 4th Avenue Theater was worth it.
