HousingAnchorage · April 9, 2026
buildable land, but stuck
Anchorage has more than two dozen buildable lots frozen by infrastructure costs, and the Assembly wants $30 million from the state to unlock them.
Daily Alaska staff · April 9, 2026 · Anchorage
Anchorage has more than two dozen buildable lots frozen across the city, including Powder Ridge, the former Regal Totem site, a former Carrs-Safeway on Gambell Street and a Midtown parcel known as the Archive. The Anchorage Assembly voted unanimously on March 26 to ask the Alaska Legislature for $30 million to pay for the infrastructure needed to open those sites to housing.
The sites need sewer line extensions, road upgrades and street lighting before construction can begin. Alaska law prevents utilities from funding that work for future customers, so developers must cover the full cost themselves, a burden that makes affordable and middle-income housing projects financially unworkable on land that is otherwise ready to build.
Oil prices have risen amid global conflict, and Alaska could see close to a billion dollars in unexpected revenue this year. The Assembly views the request as a one-time opportunity to unlock housing development for decades to come.
If the state approves the funding, Anchorage can begin building on the frozen sites.
In this story
Questions people ask
Why can't developers build on Anchorage's empty lots?
They're stuck waiting for sewer lines, road upgrades and street lighting. Alaska law won't let utilities pick up that tab, so developers have to pay the whole cost.
How much state money does Anchorage want?
The Assembly voted unanimously on March 26 to ask the state for $30 million.
What sites are frozen by infrastructure costs?
More than two dozen lots across town, including Powder Ridge, the old Regal Totem site, a former Carrs-Safeway on Gambell Street, and the Archive in Midtown.
What happens if the state gives Anchorage the $30 million?
The infrastructure would be fixed, and developers could start building on the frozen sites.
Evidence
Sources
Claims and where they come from
- The Anchorage Assembly voted unanimously on March 26 to request $30 million from the state. · adn.com
- More than two dozen buildable lots across Anchorage, including Powder Ridge, the former Regal Totem site, a former Carrs-Safeway on Gambell Street, and the Archive, are frozen. · adn.com
- Alaska law prevents utilities from funding infrastructure for future customers. · adn.com
- Alaska could see close to a billion dollars in unexpected oil revenue this year. · adn.com
Produced with AI assistance, narrated with Slav Lund's voice clone with his consent, and reviewed by a person before publishing. How we use AI →