{
  "story": {
    "slug": "the-valley-s-new-front-door-2026-06-23",
    "headline": "the valley's new front door",
    "deck": "There's a brand new front door to the Mat-Su Valley, and it didn't cost local homeowners a dime.",
    "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/story/the-valley-s-new-front-door-2026-06-23",
    "section": "Economy",
    "area": null,
    "published_at": "2026-06-23T20:00:00+00:00",
    "updated_at": "2026-10-02T06:15:34.660905+00:00",
    "body_md": "The Matanuska-Susitna Borough opened its new Gateway Visitors Center at mile 36 of the Glenn Highway, the first right after the Parks and Glenn interchange heading toward Palmer. The project took nineteen years to reach completion, with construction breaking ground last March, and it was paid for with grants and matching dollars rather than property taxes. The 9,400 square foot building now houses the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau along with space for community events.\n\nFor Valley residents who host family and friends each summer, the center gives them a free, ready-made resource to point visitors toward as soon as they arrive. The building includes displays on activities available in all four seasons and on the history and culture of the Mat-Su Valley.\n\nInside, digital kiosks let visitors build a custom trip by choosing where to stay, eat, and visit. The kiosks then map out the drive with times and distances and send the finished plan directly to a visitor's phone.\n\nThe center also includes a designated selfie spot with the Chugach Mountains as a backdrop. The Gateway Visitors Center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.",
    "sources": [
      {
        "url": "https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/06/19/new-gateway-visitors-center-good-first-stop-when-planning-visit-mat-su-borough/",
        "label": "alaskasnewssource.com"
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    "slug": "the-valley-s-new-front-door-2026-06-23",
    "summary": "The Matanuska-Susitna Borough opened its new Gateway Visitors Center at mile 36 of the Glenn Highway near Palmer. The 9,400 square foot building, funded by grants and matching dollars over a nineteen-year project, houses the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau and offers digital trip-planning kiosks. It is open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.",
    "key_facts": [
      "Gateway Visitors Center is located at mile 36 of the Glenn Highway, the first right after the Parks and Glenn interchange toward Palmer",
      "The building is 9,400 square feet",
      "The project took nineteen years, with construction breaking ground last March",
      "The center was funded with grants and matching dollars, not property taxes",
      "The center houses the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau and a classroom for community events",
      "It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m."
    ],
    "faq": [
      {
        "a": "At mile 36 of the Glenn Highway, the first right after the Parks and Glenn interchange heading toward Palmer.",
        "q": "Where is the new Gateway Visitors Center?"
      },
      {
        "a": "It's a 9,400 square foot building funded with grants and matching dollars, not local property taxes.",
        "q": "How big is the visitors center and who paid for it?"
      },
      {
        "a": "See displays on four-season activities and Valley history, use digital kiosks to build a custom trip with maps and drive times sent to their phone, and take a selfie photo with the Chugach Mountains in the background.",
        "q": "What can visitors do at the Gateway Visitors Center?"
      },
      {
        "a": "It's open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.",
        "q": "What are the center's hours?"
      }
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        "claim": "The Mat-Su opened a new Gateway Visitors Center at mile 36 of the Glenn Highway, the first right after the Parks and Glenn interchange toward Palmer.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
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        "source_label": "alaskasnewssource.com"
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      {
        "claim": "The 9,400 square foot building took nineteen years to complete and broke ground last March, funded by grants and matching dollars.",
        "confidence": "reported",
        "source_url": "https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/06/19/new-gateway-visitors-center-good-first-stop-when-planning-visit-mat-su-borough/",
        "source_label": "alaskasnewssource.com"
      },
      {
        "claim": "The center houses the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau and features digital kiosks for custom trip planning.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/06/19/new-gateway-visitors-center-good-first-stop-when-planning-visit-mat-su-borough/",
        "source_label": "alaskasnewssource.com"
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      {
        "claim": "The Gateway Visitors Center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
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        "area": "Mat-Su",
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        "name": "Gateway Visitors Center"
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    "event_dates": [
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        "date": "2026-06",
        "label": "Gateway Visitors Center opens"
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    "disclosure": "Produced with AI assistance, narrated with Slav Lund's voice clone with his consent, and reviewed by a person before publishing.",
    "generated_at": "2026-10-01T05:21:17.987+00:00",
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