One notable old building has been added and another notable old building removed from the official Legislative Housing List as state lawmakers, their staff and others involved with the upcoming session at the Alaska State Capitol prepare to arrive.
Given Juneau’s tight year-round housing situation in recent years, the annual scramble for legislative housing during the four-month session (or longer, if one or more special sessions are called) has also gotten more intense. But providing some relief this year is the conversion of the historic Assembly Building, built in 1932 and located across the street from the Capitol, which was gifted by the city to the Legislature for the purpose of converting the space to housing.
Workers near completion of converting the historic Assembly Building to legislative housing on Tuesday. Officials said work should be completed in time for people to move in Jan. 10. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The work is scheduled to be complete in time for people to move in Jan. 10, Jessica Geary, executive director of the Legislative Affairs Agency, stated in an email earlier this week.
“The property manager shows that currently 24 of 33 units are rented,” she wrote. “Seven of those units are rented to legislators with the remainder rented to staff.”
However, missing from this year’s official housing list is The Driftwood Lodge, a 62-room (including 32 suites) guest facility built in 1964 that was purchased last winter by the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. Tlingit and Haida President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson said at the time the lodge’s proximity to Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall and the site of the Juneau Indian Village was what initially motivated purchase efforts.
The lodge has been used by legislators and staff as housing during sessions for decades. But controversy arose at the end of last year’s session when Jeff Landfield, editor of the Alaska Landmine, alleged in a June 1 article the “new owners of the Driftwood in Juneau have transformed a charming hotel into a nightmare.”
Landfield reported non-session guests were unusually disruptive during the Alaska Folk Festival in April, and there were numerous disputes with management including people either unable to stay for periods booked after the official last day of the session and/or the rates charged during that period.
Geary and Peterson, in interviews with the Empire responding to the Landmine article, stated discussions between Legislative Affairs and lodge officials appeared to resolve the issues of contention. In subsequent interviews this week, both said the past issues had nothing to do with the Driftwood not being included in this year’s official housing list.
“To my knowledge, nothing else has happened,” Geary wrote in her email. “I had met with them last year at the conclusion of session, and everything was worked out and seemed fine. Prior to activating the 2024 housing list, we phoned them and left a voicemail, as well as sent two separate email messages asking if they wanted to list with us. As we didn’t receive a response in the affirmative, it is my opinion that the Driftwood chose not to list with us this year.”
Peterson, on Thursday, confirmed Tlingit and Haida opted not to register for the official housing list, as they are trying to focus on tourism and other opportunities.
“It was just kind of like we didn’t really see a need to,” he said, referring to offering legislative housing. “If they want to do that they’re welcome, but honestly we’re trying to focus on some plans, make some improvements, things like that.”
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
