Spenard Neighborhood Anchorage, Alaska

Project Description

When the Town of Spenard was founded, it was a simple lumber camp outside of the Municipality of Anchorage boundaries. In the 1970s, Spenard became a hub for employees of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline that transported oil across Alaska. Much of the housing in the Spenard neighborhood consists of the hastily-built cabins and mobile homes from the oil boom days. Spenard has a poverty rate twice that of the Anchorage average and is burdened with a deteriorating, older housing stock and absentee landlords, as well as bars, nightclubs, gambling clubs, pawn shops, etc. Spenard Road, a major artery for Anchorage, carries many commuters from the suburbs to jobs downtown, contributing to traffic and pollution, without much incentive for drivers to stop and support the neighborhood economy. This historic context has created the Spenard of today: a diverse community wishing to break free of its history and create a new name for itself as an artist hub, and a place that residents are proud to call home with new housing, open spaces and amenities.

The nonprofit Cook Inlet Housing Authority (CIHA) has committed to uplifting the Spenard neighborhood. CIHA moved its main offices to the intersection of 36th St. and Spenard Rd. in 2004. In the past twenty years, CIHA has purchased a number of underutilized or abandoned properties in Spenard including a strip club, auto repair shop, and other commercial and residential properties. Across the street from CIHA’s headquarters once stood the Tesoro Olson Gas Service Store and Alpina Auto Repair. First opened in 1964, the gas station served commuters on Spenard Road for nearly 30 years before closing in 1995. The auto shop continued to operate, amassing more than 35 abandoned vehicles over its many years of operation. The 1.73-acre site dominated a major intersection in Spenard and was no longer in character with the positive direction the neighborhood was heading towards.

CIHA was in the process of purchasing the site across the street from Tesoro Olson Gas Service Store/Alpina Auto Repair, a former strip club that the Housing Authority has since redeveloped into mixed income housing. During its pre-purchase due-diligence, CIHA identified groundwater pollution on the site that originated from an underground storage tank on the former gas station and garage parcel. CIHA began the process of purchasing the Tesoro Olson Gas Service Store/Alpina Auto Repair site in order to remediate the source of the pollution. CIHA purchased the site in 2012 with plans to replace the underutilized site with much-needed new, affordable housing stock.

To better understand the scope of contamination and identify cleanup options at the former Tesoro Olson Gas Service Store, CIHA utilized both an EPA Targeted Brownfield Assessment (TBA) and an Alaska DEC-funded Property Assessment and Cleanup Plan (PACP). CIHA then applied for, and was awarded, a $200,000 EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant in 2016. This grant freed up other grant funding to be used for other parts of the development process. CIHA used EPA funding to remove abandoned vehicles, debris and drums, and replace petroleum- contaminated soil with clean fill. The cleanup was completed in 2017, paving the way for the construction of affordable housing. The funding made both projects possible by removing contamination that has migrated off site, and reusing two community eyesores.

CIHA completed 3600 Spenard Apartments with 33 mixed-income apartments in 2018 at the former strip close site, and Ch’bala Corners, 48 new intergenerational multi-family affordable apartments, in September of 2022. Ch’bala is the upper Cook Inlet Dena’ina word for spruce tree. During its grand opening, a spruce tree was planted in the future community park that will soon be built on the property. According to the Alaska Native News, Carol Gore, former president and CEO of CIHA stated at the ribbon cutting, “Ch’bala Corners is a celebration of the tenacity and commitment of a lot of partners and many years, to transform a neglected corner of Spenard into safe, affordable housing for elders and families.” She further emphasized the high demand for affordable housing and stated, “Building a foundation for healthy and thriving residents in this centrally located neighborhood, where they have access to transportation, employment, recreational and retail opportunities is how we empower people and build a stronger community.”

These two projects at the intersection of Spenard Rd. and 36th Ave. are examples of CIHA’s dedication to the Spenard community. Today, Gabe Layman, CIHA’s President and CEO since June 2023, along with its leadership team, continue to stand by its mission of “…creating housing opportunities that empower our people and build our community”.