Loussac manor raced: first housing project in works.

• Author: West, Gail
• Position: Ripe for Redevelopment

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Six-and-a-half acres of prime Anchorage real estate in Midtown--near downtown and between A and C streets--is set this summer for one of the state's largest housing redevelopment projects. Loussac Manor, an Alaska Housing Finance Corp. 62-unit, public-housing complex built in 1967, has been razed and will be completely rebuilt into nearly twice as many rental units. This redevelopment has a projected cost of more than $35 million.

According to Doc Crause, AHFC's director of construction, a recent study by Anchorage engineering firm USKH, showed Loussac Manor had outlived its effectiveness for the corporation and for residents. With that, AHFC went to the public and sought proposals from developers to convert the property--receiving six responses from local and Lower 48 firms. After close scrutiny, AHFC chose an all-Alaska team for the project. Led by Cook Inlet Housing Authority, the development group includes kpb architects and Olberding White, an all-woman architectural firm, GMC Contracting, The Peterson Group and F-E Contracting.

A WOMAN'S TOUCH

"We have a tremendous amount of expertise and innovation with the talent here in Anchorage," said Carol Gore, president and chief executive officer of CIHA. "We paired a highly experienced architectural firm with a young, all-woman firm to leverage innovative ideas and smart, local knowledge. We also paired the contractors--GMC Contracting will do the horizontal, The Peterson Group will do the residential vertical, and F-E Contracting will do the commercial work for the community building. By doing this, we leverage the best skills of each contractor while meeting an aggressive delivery timeline.

"The last piece of our strategy was to partner with some social-service providers. Camp Fire was already running an active program in Loussac Manor, so we engaged them on an exclusive basis to help design the new community center. We also have a dollar-for-dollar match from the Municipality of Anchorage's parks foundation for community gardens, and we partnered with the Salvation Army, which is currently building a recreation center near Loussac Place. That means older children in the new development will have the opportunity to use that center and younger children will have Camp Fire as an after-school program. The community building will provide an on-site office, computer room and a gathering place for other activities and services."

AHFC brought about $29 million of the...