Block 41 Redevelopment Project

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. 

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. 

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.  

Stone Law Building Rises in Downtown

Construction has continued at a rapid pace at the corner of 5th Avenue and A Street in downtown Anchorage, site of what will become the Stone Law Building. As the name makes quite clear, the new building will be home to Stone Law Group, an Anchorage-based law firm that I believe already has a presence downtown. Despite the building being just two stories, it appears that it will be split to house two tenants. A real estate website lists the building as having restaurant space. 

Architecturally, I appreciate that the building's corner that faces the intersection will be curved. Facing a one-way street on the outer boundary of downtown, it softens the building's impact as drivers coming from the Glenn Highway into downtown approach it. As for the building's main color, while I originally thought of it as a bit odd, black does seem to be the fashionable color of choice for building facades these days, as can be seen when looking at the new building projects that arose recently in downtown Anchorage. I'm also glad to see that the building goes up to the sidewalk, giving that street corner a more urbanized definition. Interestingly, a closer look at the artist rendering shows what appears to be a large taxidermized bear ready to greet at the entrance. Should this bear actually materialize and be visible from the street, it will make for an excellent "welcome to downtown" marker. 

The Stone Law Building replaces a mid-century, one-story building that once housed the Rice Bowl, a restaurant that offered Chinese-American cuisine. By the 1990s, the restaurant had abandoned that building in favor of another location, and the building had since remained vacant with the exception of a brief time when it was a cafe in the mid-2000s.  

Well-known Local Retail Moves Into Downtown Anchorage

Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop, a popular family-owned bakery that has been in operation for just over a decade, has completed the move to its new location at 718 K Street in downtown Anchorage. Located in a former medical clinic, the bakery will later be joined by Johnny's Produce, a shop that serves smoothies as well as fresh produce. Also moving into the building are La Bodega, a wine and liquor store with a loyal customer following, and That Feeling Co., a cafe that also sells houseplants. A physical therapy office is also expected to later join in what is being called the K Street Market. I'm quite astonished that this many businesses will be housed in one single-story building, but nevertheless, this is very promising news for this portion of downtown.

For those unfamiliar with the area, the building is located at the corner of K Street and 7th Avenue in a portion of downtown that is bordered by three major thoroughfares. While the three-lane one-way thoroughfares that make up the perimeter are bustling with fast-moving traffic, the area within this eight-block portion of downtown is characterized by its quiet two-way streets and unassuming businesses. It's an area that is ripe with potential for residential development in the core of the city. I have long identified this area as being a great candidate for such development, as has the city, as seen by the construction of Elizabeth Place, an apartment building that was built with financial help from the municipality three years ago. But while the opening of Elizabeth Place was a significant marker of achievement for the area, the opening of K Street Market is equally significant.

Until now, this area was known for housing small law firms and other non-public-facing businesses. But in order to attract residents, retail needs to have a presence. Thanks to the opening of K Street Market, that essential component is now in the area. In an interview, the owner of Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop mentioned the revitalization of downtown as being among her goals while also stating, "We're hoping people bike and walk here and make it part of their lifestyle." With the new shops opening in an area primed for residential development (and just one block away from the new Elizabeth Place apartment building), it's clear that the owners involved in this new venture share the same vision for the area as everyone else who wish to see a healthy downtown with residents living north of 9th Avenue.

As for the building itself, 718 K Street will retain its mid-century modern appearance. Built in 1958, the building housed a clinic for decades and watched as its nearby neighbors, Providence Hospital and Alaska Regional Hospital, left downtown for more open space. I myself was briefly a patient at this clinic toward the end of my high school years in the mid-2000s. My doctor was a bit of a cranky guy, but at least I got exposed for the first time to The New Yorker magazine and its droll cartoons while in the waiting room. As a one-story building, I think this might be, in my mind, the most aesthetically pleasing building in Anchorage. It exudes 1950s modernism and is uniquely characterized by its colored glass blocks sprinkled throughout the facade. I do worry, however, that should the area successfully transform into an urban residential neighborhood, there might be a community-led effort to preserve the building under the guise of historical preservation. Despite some of its charm, the building, with its blank walls and setback from the sidewalk, does not contribute to the area's street life but rather turns away from it by having its main entrance face its rear parking lot. I hope one day to see elements of the building's brick and colored-glass facade adorn the ground level of a six-story mixed-used building, with retail at ground level and residential units above.  

Downtown Anchorage in 1980

Just wanted to share this impressive aerial photo of Anchorage that was posted on Twitter the other day. The photo, taken from the eastern end of downtown, was purportedly taken in 1980. Visual evidence immediately suggests this must indeed be the case as both the ConocoPhillips and Atwood buildings on 7th Avenue are noticeably missing from the scene (both would be completed later in 1983). The reason why this photo really grabs me is that it finally reveals to me what the site of the present-day Anchorage Museum looked like before the 1986 expansion — arguably the most dramatic expansion in the museum's history. But before I get to that, I want to note some other interesting points about this photo.

A before and after view looking down 5th Avenue.

Through this photo, we get a clearer view of what the site that is today home to the 5th Avenue Mall looked like shortly before the mall's construction and 1987 opening. I already had an idea of what the block looked like then, but it required detective-like work of scanning through numerous ground-level photos, often taken years, if not decades apart, thus resulting in a hard-to-grasp idea of what the block looked like by this time period. We also get a view of the block that is now entirely occupied by the mall's parking garage. We see that only half of the block was lined with buildings, while the southern half had become surface parking by this time period. The businesses on the northern half of the block were mostly made up of bars; that end of the block was on 4th Avenue, after all. 

Photo by Stephen Cysewski. This block no longer exists.

Interestingly, today the block has sort of flipped and it is now on the 5th Avenue side that businesses can be found, as the parking garage is a mixed-use structure housing retail space at the ground level. Unfortunately, however, retail has struggled to take hold below this garage, and most of the retail spaces today lie vacant. I suspect that the garage's location next to C Street does little to help matters. Since becoming a major arterial road, C Street has become the unofficial demarcation point that divides the more prosperous west downtown from the more stagnant east. I know I've alluded to C Street in this manner in previous posts over the years when discussing the boundaries of west downtown Anchorage. 

Overall, I think this block was better off as it was in 1980. I don't like parking garages — nobody really does. I'm sure city leaders were celebrating the demolition of that collection of "seedy" businesses on 4th Avenue at the time. But when compared to what faces 4th Avenue now, those buildings, and the businesses they housed — no matter what kind of judgement and prejudice they may have endured — were far better for the overall streetscape and vitality of the area. I suppose the overall economic trade-off leans in favor of the parking garage as it meant thousands of residents were coming back downtown for modern retail shopping, vastly outweighing what economic benefit those bars were bringing in. But the fact that a trade-off had to be made in the first place speaks to the sad state of affairs in which automobile traffic and the storage of cold steel machines must take priority over established businesses that supported the livelihoods of its owners and employees, all in the name of economic well-being. Ideally, both the mall and the businesses on 4th Avenue would co-exist without the need for a garage, though I suspect some will go further and argue that a truly ideal world would be one in which there is no mall to begin with. After all, shopping malls represent commerce relocating to the suburbs in order to remain near the American upper and middle classes whom had fled city centers in the second half of the 20th century. Urban malls were a remedy to this problem, but with largely mixed results.   

The same stretch of 4th Avenue today.

Finally, I want to get back to what initially intrigued me the most about the aerial photo. I know that the Anchorage Museum in its current incarnation is the fifth generation in a series of changes that go back to the museum's first major upgrade in 1973. But while I was around for the museum's latter two upgrades in 2008 and 2016, I was not witness to the museum's pre-1986 existence. That is to say that while a portion of the original 1968 building (and its 1970s slight extension) survived the sweeping 1986 upgrade and provided me some clues, I largely had no idea as to the original building's relation to the block it once solely occupied. Questions like, "Did it occupy the entire block?", and even, "What direction did the building face?" lingered in my mind whenever I thought about the original museum's footprint. This picture answered all those questions. What immediately surprised me was the fact that there was once surface parking on the property. I realize this should not be particularly shocking — this is Anchorage after all — but when the post-1986 renovation is all you've ever known, it can nonetheless be jarring to see a familiar urban site in a suburban-style layout. 

Naturally, a photo like this is also encouraging because it demonstrates that suburban-style properties can indeed evolve to make maximum use of the land and increase the density of a given area. It reminds me that, for instance, the Office Depot on 5th Avenue and Cordova Street, with its on-site surface parking lot, does have the potential to be replaced with something that contributes meaningfully to downtown. But what's particularly striking is that not only was the Anchorage Museum not afraid to kill off its surface parking lot, but it did not bring back on-site parking even when the opportunity presented itself again decades later. When the neighboring fire station was demolished in the late 1990s to make way for the 2008 museum expansion, the westside of the block, today parkland, could have easily become a parking lot. After all, we live in a suburban nation in which development must cater to drivers, with their demands for convenient parking and drive-through access. But rather than resurrect free on-site parking, visitors to the museum have to find parking in the surrounding city blocks (and often for a fee). A subterranean garage does exist beneath the 1986 portion of the museum, but it isn't large enough to accommodate all visitors, and it's closed during weekdays. It was quite an admirable move on the museum's part to choose good urban form over automotive convenience. 

Aside from the museum, I cannot really think of another large-scale example in Anchorage in which post-war suburban development has given way to a dense, pedestrian-friendly development. The only place that comes to mind is the 188 WNL tower in midtown. Once housing a single-story restaurant with a large parking lot, the site is now home to a 14-story tower that extends out to the sidewalk with room for retail space at street level. In contrast to its car-oriented surroundings, 188 WNL is decades ahead of its time, which was the reason why I dubbed it "Project of the Decade" years ago. With the city running out of developable land and a climate crisis at our hands, formerly car-oriented sites like the Anchorage Museum and 188 WNL represent the way forward for midtown, east downtown, and other commercial hubs in the Anchorage bowl. 

The 1973 extension is the oldest remaining piece left in the museum complex.

Downtown Anchorage Construction Rundown

It's been years since I've last posted a construction rundown list, so I thought I should get on this now that we do have a few projects that are either under construction or have been recently completed. 

Key Bank Plaza Renovation

It's hard to believe that the Key Bank Plaza was built a half-century ago. But indeed, the midrise building opened in 1972, then as the home to Alaska Mutual Savings Bank. Having been built during one of the more unfortunate periods of architecture, it isn't really surprising to see this building get a facade makeover. The building was damaged by the 2018 earthquake, and with the departure of Key Bank and the flagship Starbucks store, the owners apparently decided now was the time to give the building a facelift. I should note that Peach Investments owns the building -- the same company that owns other properties on the same block, including the First National Building and the 4th Avenue Theater. If I recall correctly, they also own 188 WNL in midtown. The new facade will without a doubt make this the boldest piece of mid-rise architecture in the city. Right now, I would say the most unique-looking building in Anchorage is the ASRC building in midtown. But unlike the ASRC building, the new facade for the former Key Bank Plaza has more grace and aesthetic appeal without trying too hard. According to the architects, the facade is meant to evoke the form of glaciers -- a design inspiration you would have thought would be tried by other developers by now. Fun fact: as a teen in the early 2000s, I thought at the time that the Key Bank Plaza would be a good candidate for a complete facade makeover. My idea for a design was nothing like what we're seeing now though. 

Condominiums on the Park Strip

            

I'm really happy with the way these two condominium blocks turned out. Each replacing single-family homes, both buildings house four units each, and they continue the trend of residential densification along Delaney Park on the 10th Avenue side. I dream of one day seeing both sides of the park strip lined with two to five story buildings with the park serving as a common space for recreation and relaxation. Each weekday morning would witness "the great crossing" in which South Addition residents would walk en masse across the park to their jobs in downtown (this already happens to a small extent). There is just so much potential for 9th Avenue and 10th Avenue. Delaney Park, originally a firebreak and then a runway, is such an incredible asset for downtown Anchorage. Unfortunately, the 9th Avenue side of the park from L Street onwards hasn't seen new construction in decades. With there being a strong call for housing in downtown, 9th Avenue seems like a logical place for low to mid-rise residential buildings. Back to the two condominium blocks under review here, I'm really glad that there is no garage or driveway in the front. Residents here walk down the stairs and onto a path linking to the sidewalk. In the late 2000s, another set of condominiums further east on 10th Avenue were built as snout housing, with the garage taking up prominent space in the front. It's not a pretty site...

Bootleggers Landing

Here is another residential development that has come into being since my time off. Bootleggers Landing is among the latest residential properties to sprout up in the Bootleggers Cove neighborhood just west of downtown. The property contains eight units in total with each unit being three stories tall. A garage fitting one car is also included with each unit. Considering that there is no garage visible from the street, it's safe to conclude that parking is in the rear -- another win for this development. Instead of a garage greeting passersby, the Scandinavian-inspired building features mini lawns with a sidewalk reaching up to each door; these are basically a modern take on rowhomes. I should note though that there is one garage entrance in the front, which is how vehicles access the back area. What I found personally interesting as I drove up to see this development for myself was the shapeshifting form it takes as I drove towards it going west on 8th Avenue. Coming from the east, the building appears as a large black windowless mass -- a very striking and unusual site for any neighborhood. This is due to the fact that the units and their windows are slanted westward so as to get the most out of the view of Cook Inlet to the west. But the result is you get a building that is akin to Darth Vader when approaching from the east. I suspect some will see this as a design flaw that does not take the neighborhood into consideration, but I find the building to be a great addition to the neighborhood nonetheless. Its architecture is beautiful and looks to have been designed using superb materials. And of course, more density is always welcome. Previously, the site was a grassy empty lot that housed a small cottage that had been on the site for many decades.   

Downtown Edge North                            

Another new housing development in downtown that I checked out sits not in Bootleggers Cove, but on the northern bluff of downtown overlooking Ship Creek. Downtown Edge North saw construction commence in 2018, when a warehouse occupying a small portion of the unoccupied land was demolished. The project, which is located on Christensen Drive, was made possible with cooperation from the Alaska Railroad, which is leasing out the land on a 95-year term. The development is to contain 22 condominium units, according to The Peterson Group. I'm not sure whether the project was downsized as an earlier news report in 2018 stated the project was to contain 35 units. When I drove by the site late last year, it appeared that roughly half the units had been completed, with the rest of the site remaining vacant. I'm hopeful the project will be fully realized. Unlike housing in Bootleggers Cove, residents at Downtown Edge North will have more immediate access to downtown Anchorage businesses, giving it a huge advantage over other condominiums in the area. The housing project also sits right next to the starting point of the coastal trail that goes out to Kincaid Park.  

Coastal Place

Heading back to Bootleggers Cove, Coastal Place is a condominium completed in 2021 and located near the top of the bluff. In the photo above, you can see the Peterson Tower looming close behind. With the best views of the inlet coming from the top of the bluff, it is not surprising to see a development like Coastal Place come into being at this location. Prior to construction, a small cottage sat on the property for a number of decades. As of January 2022, half of the six units have been sold. Not surprisingly, the two units on the top floor were the first to go off the market as they each contain a 2,000 square foot private deck on the roof.   

Susitna Flats

Among my more favorite projects to rise out of downtown Anchorage recently is the Susitna Flats apartments. Located at the west end of 9th Avenue facing Delaney Park, the building contains eighteen units -- twelve one bedroom and six two-bedroom units, with parking underground. Though rent starts at more than $2,000 per month, I'm just glad to see new apartments go up downtown. For so long, downtown Anchorage has had a drought when it comes to apartment construction. Not including Elizabeth Place, another new apartment building mentioned earlier in this blog, I believe the last time new apartments came into the market in downtown was around 2009 with the opening of the McKinley Tower Apartments -- yet that was merely a restoration of an apartment building that fell into disuse decades earlier. When I saw construction start on Susitna Flats three years ago, I had assumed this was just another condominium, especially given its location next to Bootleggers Cove. 

The wall of facades running along the Delaney Park strip.

Besides being apartments and not condominiums, I'm also glad to see this building extend the wall of building facades that face the Delaney Park strip on the 9th Avenue side. From L Street westward, there is a bit of a consistent wall of three-story building facades that face the park. Yes, there are major gaps between some of the buildings, but for Anchorage standards, this is the closest we'll get to the Central Park feel. The addition of Susitna Flats gives this stretch of 9th Avenue a nice bookend, though if there is one thing I would wish for, it would be for the Susitna Flats to be at least one floor higher. 

Qanchi Place

Finally, I want to return back to the heart of downtown Anchorage where we find this recently converted apartment building. Located on 8th Avenue, this four-story building was originally built in 1961, and until becoming apartments was home to Duke's 8th Avenue Hotel. Cook Inlet Housing Authority had since acquired the property and converted it into a 28-unit apartment building with one and two-bedroom units. Rent starts at $750 with the website stating that income restrictions may apply. With Qanchi Place now complete, downtown Anchorage is now home to two new apartment buildings in the central business district. It's quite a feat, considering that the heart of downtown has not had new housing of this sort and at this scale in decades. This was made possible thanks to Cook Inlet Housing Authority, which besides Qanchi Place was also behind Elizabeth Place. 

Elizabeth Place - Downtown Anchorage

Elizabeth Place includes ground-floor retail.

Unlike in 2010 when I made a list of the top ten projects to rise in Anchorage during the 2000s, I did not publish such a list for the closing of this last decade. But I've thought to myself that if I were to decide on what was the most significant project that would top the list for this last decade, it would probably have to be Elizabeth Place. Yes, there have been multistory housing projects built elsewhere in the city, not to mention more high-profile projects such as a dramatic museum expansion, but the significance of Elizabeth Place is its location in the heart of Downtown Anchorage. Numerous media sources reporting on the recently completed Elizabeth Place have given different timespans, with one source saying this is the first downtown residential development in ten years, another saying this is the first development in 30 years, and still another saying this is the first residential project since 2006. But the residential developments being referred to were not in the heart of downtown. There were of course a number of trendy multistory residential buildings built in the Bootleggers Cove neighborhood as well as in South Addition, but while the term downtown often tends to include those two neighborhoods (and even Government Hill), they do not makeup the downtown core. It is true that in 2006 a four story condominium was built on 7th Avenue and Cordova, but again, it is not in the downtown core. In terms of residential construction in the commercial center (between L Street and C Street), it has indeed been more than 30 years.

I can't say this for sure, but from what I know of, the last significant housing development in the core of downtown is the old Duke's 8th Avenue Hotel, which by the way has recently been restored into apartments by Cook Inlet Housing Authority (the same non-profit behind Elizabeth Place) and is now called Qanchi Place. Though it was formerly a hotel, there have in fact been Anchoragites who called that place home (I personally knew a family friend living there in the late 1990s). This property has been around long enough that you can see it in the 1963 postcard of Anchorage from my last post! Having been built in 1961, it has been over half a century since dense housing came to the heart of Downtown Anchorage.    

Hopefully Elizabeth Place will act as a wetting of the feet from which other developers would come into downtown to build market-rate housing on other sites, particularly those occupied by surface parking. The quest to fill empty lots in west downtown has played out over the course of several years as evidenced by my post back in 2014 when the city sold downtown property it owned in hopes that the land sale would spur redevelopment. For a long time I have looked to the surface parking spaces, including the one now occupied by Elizabeth Place, and imagined them being home to a wealth of five to six story mixed-use residential developments. Whether we see other developments follow remains to be seen. But with trendy developments around downtown's periphery continuing to be built, the area continues to further cement itself with a unique identity which should in turn attract more people and thus more demand for downtown living, including inside the core. With Downtown Anchorage already among the top desired neighborhoods in polling, I'm optimistic for downtown in the long run.

  

The Man Who Laid Down the Anchorage Grid

Anchorage townsite, circa 1915

Just thought I'd post this piece written by Charles Wohlforth in which some more details about Andrew Christensen's private life is revealed. Christensen's name has been thrown around quite a bit this year as Anchorage celebrated its 100 year anniversary. For those not familiar, Christensen was a federal official who oversaw the city's founding and was in charge of laying down the street grid for the Anchorage townsite -- today's downtown Anchorage. He also served as the auctioneer as plots on the new townsite went on the market (a reenactment of the auction was held earlier this summer). Of course you may also know him for there is a street that bears his name running from the railroad depot up to 3rd Avenue. But for me at least, what kind of tarnishes him from being a "heroic founding father" of Anchorage was his negative attitude toward the Anchorage area later in his life. While FDR was moving Depression-era farmers to the Mat-Su two decades later, Christensen (now back in the States) penned a piece for Time Magazine in which he bitterly referred to the Southcentral region as a wasted and futile effort when it came to economic development and self-sufficiency. His days in Anchorage too were not without controversial moments. He bitterly fought with the Forest Service and plowed forward with the establishment of a red light district within the Chugach National Forest boundaries. He also denied Dena'ina people entry to the townsite.

Something I did not knew until reading this new article was that Christensen lived until 1969, reaching the age of 90. It makes me wonder whether he was aware of the development taking place in the Anchorage townsite in the 1960s. Once a quiet home to cottages and backyards, by the late 60s it became home to several commercial buildings including the Hill Building, First National Building, Anchorage Westward, and the Captain Cook Hotel. All of this development taking place on his grid.

More info on Christensen and the city's founding can be found here.

Former Covenant House Location Gets Redo

The corner of 6th and F Street.

It's only now that I happen to be in the area of 6th and F, so I just thought I'd snap this photo of the redevelopment of the former Covenant House location. The project is being undertaken by Pfeffer Development, the same company that is currently building a low-rise in midtown and recently completed a First National Bank branch in the U-Med District. Occupying the former youth homeless shelter will be a Steam Dot Coffee, a new restaurant and bar called The Williwaw, and a revived Blues Central on the second floor. The one major thing Pfeffer's company did to the building was add an elevator shaft to the east of the building. With the elevator, patrons will be able to dine on the roof. For those who are curious, the Covenant House moved out of the building a few years ago and moved to a new larger building in east downtown. The building was originally home to the YMCA as early as the 1950s. The Williwaw will be owned by the same group that owns Humpy's and Flattop. Not surprising considering its location. This section of downtown is really starting to become something of its own. In related news, it may be safe to say Mark Pfeffer is counting on the building to receive many customers as plans are in the works to build a 16-story mixed-use tower on the 7th Avenue end of F Street. That project too is being developed by Pfeffer Development. 

4th Avenue Theater Part of new Mixed-use Tower Project

Yup, read all about it here. If you've already read the story, the Fang's (the husband and wife duo behind the proposal) and their company Peach Investments should sound familiar. About 15 years ago they proposed building a 20+ story tower on 5th Avenue in the empty lot next to Key Bank, right behind the 4th Avenue Theater. As goes with many proposals, the project fell through and nothing came of it. The proposal just reported by the Dispatch News a few hours ago today appears to share many of the same elements of the previous proposed high-rise. Like the circa 2000 proposal, this new tower will be over 20 stories (28 to be exact). Additionally this proposal like its previous incarnation will also be mixed-use with office space, hotel, and residence (oh, and retail). But what's the major difference between today's proposal and the one from 15 years ago? Well in 2009 the Fang's bought the neighboring 4th Avenue Theater at a foreclosure auction for $1.6 million. In the time since then, they have kept mum about what their plans for the theater were. When the issue of the outdoor breezeway on theater property became an issue with regards to public misuse last year, a Peach Investments representative declined to comment when asked what he meant when saying they might "remove the issue" altogether. He went on to say he was advised by Peach not to discuss anything related to the 4th Avenue Theater. Needless to say, those kinds of words coming from the property owners was quite discomforting for us fans of the beloved theater.

And so with the purchase of the theater, this new proposal seeks to extend its footprint from 5th to 4th Avenue which means incorporating the 4th Avenue Theater and a neighboring property into the development. Though no specifics were cited in the article, it appears that elements of the theater's façade will be retained. I go by this conclusion simply because it is totally not unheard of for developers to cleverly retain a historical façade while replacing the rest of the building with a completely new development. The Hearst Tower in midtown Manhattan is one of the more high profile projects that come to my mind (the tower was built in 2004, while the base was built in 1928). Anyways Peach Investments is hoping to score tax breaks for their current proposal which means going before the Anchorage assembly to do some convincing. Whether or not that will happen remains to be seen, but we may have an answer soon. As for my thoughts -- well I'd like to see the project penciled out some more before I can come to a judgement. If done correctly, this could be a great project.

Downtown Surface Lots Expected to see Development

A congressional bill expected to be signed by President Obama includes a provision that allows the municipality to sell five parcels of land in downtown Anchorage that previously had restrictions placed on them. This includes the land beneath the Egan Convention Center on 5th and E Street, which formerly was only allowed to be used for civic purposes. The ADN has an article on the story today in which Mayor Sullivan pointed to the nearby Anchorage Marriott tower and noted that a development such as that would be possible on the lots being sold by the city. Three of the lots to be sold are in the area of 7th and I Street, which as you may know is in bad need of development as it is currently overrun by surface parking lots. 

Once upon a time these asphalt blocks had small cottages with gardens and lawns, but while a few remain today, much of the neighborhood was knocked out during the oil boom years of the 1970s and 80s, causing much uproar among Anchorageites and prompting a historical preservation movement. Anyways, for at least the last decade, I have imagined a better downtown Anchorage in which the empty blocks on the western end of the townsite are filled with five or six-story apartment/condo blocks, complete with commercial retail on the ground floor facing the street. 

Presently, you can live along the edges of the downtown townsite, such as Bootleggers Cove, South Addition, or Government Hill, but finding a living arrangement within the townsite bounded by 9th Avenue to the south, L Street to the west, 3rd Avenue to the north, and C Street to the east is quite difficult. Three years ago when I was in Antwerp, Belgium, I took this photo of residential buildings that I thought were a good example of what I'd like to see in west downtown. Finally I have an excuse to use this photo!

Taken in Antwerp, Belgium. Great city btw, worth a visit.

Re: Bubba's Anchorage or yours?

I've been itchin' to update the blog for the past month after a year long absence, but it was this piece from Ivan Moore on this weeks Press that motivated me enough to get back to posting. With the completed Title 21 codes being "edited" in a backroom by former Assembly member Dan Coffey with the help of business interests on the Muni's dime, it's nice to see many people outraged over what's happening. I wouldn't have expected this considering the ultra exciting and exhilarating world that is municiple zoning and building codes... but citizens are aware and the Anchorage Press in particular has had its fingers on the pulse for the past few weeks. This weeks Ivan Moore column was especially direct:

[...] "I want a vibrant, modern downtown with great hotels, cool shops and pedestrian-friendly walking areas, with all the sleazy, decrepit stuff gone (the Avenue Bar especially). I want to be able to walk there, drive there, bike there or bus there and even in the dead of winter be able to get around easily without slipping over or having to hike over snow berms". [...]

Ignore the bit about the Avenue Bar... that's just personal tit for tat as he and the owner of the Avenue Bar are not best buddies... it's not a sleazy place btw. Also to the mayor's credit, he did introduce the idea of having People Mover buses operate with the same light changing tech as found in emergency vehicles so as to speed up bus service and provide further incentive for riders.