Anchorage, we have a problem. More and more people are leaving our city. Economists are now predicting an economic slowdown due to a long-term decline in our population.
We also have an opportunity. We’re competing with the rest of the country to offer a great quality of life – and that’s a competition we can win. But we need to invest in ourselves and double down on the things that make Anchorage great.
Over the past year we collected project ideas from all across the Municipality. We went to community council meetings, contacted community groups, businesses and nonprofits, consulted neighborhood plans, and put out a broad call online for project ideas. People told us what they love about Anchorage, and what they want to see improved.
We evaluated over 300 project submissions to identify ideas that were feasible, impactful, and kept coming up over and over again.
For too many Anchorage residents, and many visitors, winter is a season to endure, to avoid while waiting for our short summers. We can change that, by making it easier, more comfortable and affordable to be active outside in the winter These projects will create a system of trailside facilities that have:
Downtown is the heart of our city, it’s the first impression we give to visitors, and it needs an upgrade. This project will bring more life back into downtown all year round with a focused investment in the core of downtown including:
This project would fund an initial phase of the project to bring new multi-use development, including a new baseball field, new housing, and new retail and commercial development.
The upgraded stadium would be designed around year-round use, including a heated, indoor pavilion and some heated outdoor seats along with good lighting. The design would allow the field to be flooded with water to create an ice rink.
East Anchorage Sports Center – a facility available to all Anchorage residents, located in East Anchorage to make indoor recreation more accessible in a part of our Municipality that currently has no such facility. This facility will make more options available for Anchorage residents that are looking to run, play pickleball, soccer, tennis, volleyball and other sports year round.
Eagle River Sports and Recreation Facility – The Eagle River community has been working for years to bring a recreation facility to Eagle River, particularly for youth sports. Let’s make it happen!
This one is for our kids, and for families that want their kids to have fun and educational activities all year round. In cities across the country, children’s museums are go-to stops for families and highlights for kids.
Create a new community, arts, and recreation space in the heart of Girdwood, available to all Anchorage residents and visitors – including dedicated space to display local art, amenities to support RV camping, and infrastructure to support local recreation like biking and skating.
