As of the writing of this post, the 4th Avenue Theater has been completely demolished, and demolition of the neighboring Adams Building, another building that has stood for many decades, has begun. For those who have not been keeping up with the news and are wondering what the demolitions are all about, it is part of a $200 million dollar redevelopment project being called "Block 41" by the developer, Peach Holdings LLC. The new development is to include Class A office space, retail, a hotel, housing, parking, and entertainment venues.
Though artist renderings of the project were unveiled last spring, an article from Alaska Public Media confirms that the final architectural design is yet to be decided. This comes as no surprise as the renderings that were unveiled, displayed above, feature both the 4th Avenue Theater and the Adams Building beneath what looks to be a four-story structure (an official floor count has thus far not been given, from what I can tell). This initially caused confusion as some on social media speculated that this meant the theater was not going to be demolished after all. Of course, we now know that preserving the theater or at least the facade was not part of the plan. But with the developer saying that "elements" of the theater will be recreated, it has left people guessing as to the final design. We do know that the neon letters of the theater's marquee were taken down and stored away before demolition commenced. Whether the letters will be brought back for a new sign remains to be seen.
In all, every building on this block — except for the former Key Bank tower, which is presently undergoing refurbishment — will be demolished. Downtown Anchorage has not seen a demolition site at this scale since the 1980s, when whole blocks were demolished to make way for numerous redevelopment projects, including Town Square, the 5th Avenue Mall, and the ARCO tower. Before the '80, demolitions sites at this scale were last seen in the aftermath of the 1964 Good Friday earthquake.
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| Demolition has started on the Adams Building |
As I shared in my last post on this subject, I'm quite shocked that the developer went ahead with demolishing the 4th Avenue Theater in its entirety. It was very jarring to see the half-demolished theater in person when I went to visit the site late last summer. I never had a chance to watch a movie in that building, so I don't have any sentimental memories of the place, but nonetheless it was shocking to see it in its torn-up state. You think you are prepared to see it half demolished, but you really are not. I think it's safe to say my shock is over the fact that this was the most notable and famous building in all of Anchorage. And that's why this project is a gamble.
I can understand demolishing the building but saving the facade. Countless projects across the globe have made use of old facades and incorporated them into new buildings. To demolish the theater in its entirety is a very gutsy move. It will be interesting to see what ultimately gets built, but unfortunately, I think future generations will look at whatever is built and bemoan the fact that the theater, with its ornate Art Deco architecture that stood out from a sea of '80s office buildings and utilitarian strip malls, was demolished to make way for whatever replaces it.
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| A new tower (left) will replace the First National Building |
I wish this project all the success it can get. As an urbanist, I'm a fan of new projects, and I love to see construction cranes in the air. Indeed, I am one of those who thinks a high-rise building is more attractive during its construction phase, with all its steel beams exposed to the elements before the curtain wall is installed. The worst-case scenario is that the project stalls and a giant parking lot in the heart of downtown Anchorage is all the city has to show for it. It certainly would not help the current mayor's legacy, a legacy that is already tarnished by resignations and investigations. Here's to hoping Block 41 really does bring life to this part of downtown.
