There is no corner of America that big box retail has not affected. The residents of Anchorage, Alaska, who may have wanted to leave big box developments to the lower 48 states, have a battle on their hands. Here’s their report from the frontlines in Anchorage: “A deal has been brokered by the city to place 120,000 sf of retail and surface parking for 1,000 cars in a corner of our neighborhood of Mt. View on a 20+ acre parcel held by the municipal Heritage Land Bank. It’s next to a major highway. The neighborhood business district just a few blocks away stands to be devalued, and the proposed development also is impacting plans to develop an arts and cultural district in Mt. View, which is the most densely populated and ethnically diverse part of Anchorage, with low income and other stresses. Historically, Mt. View has been leveraged by outside interests continuously since its annexation by Anchorage 51 years ago. stopping this development could reverse this trend.
For local contacts in the anti-big box effort in Anchorage, contact [email protected]. For similar stories, search Newsflash by “Alaska.”
