The U.S. House today voted to sell a 9-acre lot in Anchorage to the Municipality, at fair market value. The property at 40th and Denali Street is one of the largest undeveloped lots in Midtown. The late Sen. Ted Stevens intended the site to be the Alaska location of the National Archives. With his support, the government bought the land in 2004 from real estate developers John Rubini and Leonard Hyde for $3.5 million. But when Stevens lost his Senate seat, the project had no champion and was never constructed. Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan wanted the land as a transit hub. The transition manager for Ethan Berkowitz says the mayor-elect is still considering the best use for the land. The bill next moves to the Senate.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her atlruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Lizhere.
