Eagle River's hart of downtown: redeveloping retail, rezoning height.

• Author: Bohi, Heidi
• Position: TOWNS IN TRANSITION

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While other Alaska communities struggle with everything from divided local politics, to far-reaching social issues and shrinking budgets, the Chugiak-Eagle River area's needs are fairly modest and the wish list attainable. It would ask for enough money to: build a community center that accommodates 300, expand the Olympic-size McDonald Center ice arena, and push for a little extra economic development in Birchwood, an adjacent burg, so there would be more quality jobs that can support a family.

NOT JUST RESIDENTIAL

For the most part, though, this bedroom community of Anchorage is simply happy to have an emerging downtown center that offers the mix of activities, essential services and variety of retail that appeals to the locals. "As recently as the mid-'90s, you still had to travel to Anchorage get a pair of underpants for your kid," Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce Director Susan Gorski says, noting the arrival of big box stores along with evidence of thriving small retailers.

With about 23,000 residents in Eagle River and another 8,000 in the adjacent settlements northwest of Eagle River--Chugiak, Birchwood, Peters Creek, Thunderbird Falls and Eklutna--the surrounding communities along the Glenn Highway, including personnel from Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base, live in Eagle River. Although many locals drive into Anchorage for work, more and more they are able to drive down the street for everything else, as Eagle River develops as the retail hub between Anchorage, Palmer and Wasilla, and celebrates the dramatic rise in shopping, dining and the availability of medical and dental services.

REDEVELOPED MALL

Developing the new Town Center and public library is the next step toward increasing its "heart of downtown" appeal, Gorski says. The idea for the public-private partnership came to life after the 100,000 square-foot Valley River Center--previously the anchor mall for the community--sat empty for seven years after Safeway and Pay Less both moved out, leaving 80 percent of the mall dark. The core area of Eagle River had been linked by this "broken mall" and the Eagle River Mall, so when businesses pulled out the community lost its connectivity, John Rodda, lifelong Eagle River resident and director for Chugiak-Eagle River Parks, Recreation and Community Development says.

Although the chamber and the community agreed that using the vacant space made perfect sense and would pump new energy into...