In this Sept. 17, 2017 photo, Capital City Fire/Rescue cleans up after fighting a fire at 526 Seward Street, next to the Terry Miller Legislative Building. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

In this Sept. 17, 2017 photo, Capital City Fire/Rescue cleans up after fighting a fire at 526 Seward Street, next to the Terry Miller Legislative Building. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

New future for burned-down B&B? Legislature may buy downtown building to expand Capitol complex

The Juneau Community Foundation and Alaska Legislature are considering a move to add more space to the Capitol complex downtown.

According to a June 15 memo from Legislative Affairs Agency director Jessica Geary, the agency is considering whether to acquire 526 Seward Street, a former bed and breakfast that caught fire in September 2017, killing two people.

[JPD identifies fatal fire victims, investigation into cause continues]

“Since then, it has been occupied by vagrants and is a liability in its current state,” Geary said in the memo. “The Juneau Community Foundation has offered to purchase the building and give it to the Legislature if desirable.”

The joint House-Senate Legislative Council, which makes decisions for the internal workings of the Legislature, declined to consider the matter at its meeting Tuesday, but the building could be a topic of discussion at the council’s next scheduled meeting in August. It has not been scheduled.

“It’s all very conceptual at this point,” Geary said by phone.

Wayne Jensen, a member of the Capitol committee of the foundation, said by phone that “the opportunity to add some property was attractive,” and in its present state, “I don’t think the building has a lot of value for anybody.”

Online registries list the home’s price as $299,000.

According to Geary’s proposal, the foundation would “also help with the demolition costs, currently estimated to be $100,000-$200,000.”

Before the building’s windows were boarded up, Geary said vagrancy was a significant problem.

“Our security detail were catching people in the building pretty much every other night, and we didn’t have jurisdiction,” she said. “There was a real concern they would start a fire, and if the thing went off again, it could be really, really bad.”

The long-term plan for the site is to turn it into storage. That would allow the Legislature to stop renting space in the Goldstein Building (on Seward Street across from Wells Fargo). The Goldstein Building space costs $40,000 per year.

In addition to that cost savings, Geary suggests acquiring the building will reduce the risk to the Terry Miller Building, which is feet away from the burned hulk.

In a separate suggested action with the foundation, Geary said the Capitol’s four columns “need to be shored and honed,” a process that involves filling cracks with epoxy, leveling and polishing the columns. That “large and important project” would cost about $300,000. Half the cost would be paid by the foundation.

The columns were reinforced with rebar during the recent extensive seismic retrofitting project at the Capitol, but there was not enough money in the project’s budget for the aesthetic work proposed now.

“We had of list of things that were on sort of our bucket list (during the retrofit). That was one that didn’t get included,” Jensen said.

As with the Seward Street building, a decision on that item was deferred.

The Community Foundation’s capital fund has ample resources to cover the expenses, Jensen said.

In Tuesday’s meeting, the Legislative Council approved a $144,402 contract for Microsoft software licenses, approved a two-year renewal of its contract with LexisNexis for publication of state statutes, adopted a three-year technology plan for the Legislature, and accepted the cordial resignation of legal director Doug Gardner.


• Contact reporter James Brooks at jbrooks@juneauempire.com or 523-2258.


More in News

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Aurora forecast through the week of Nov. 17

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

Juneau Police Department cars are parked outside the downtown branch station on Thursday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
JPD’s daily incident reports getting thinner and vaguer. Why and does it matter?

Average of 5.12 daily incidents in October down from 10.74 a decade ago; details also far fewer.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Monday, Nov. 18, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

The Douglas Island Breeze In on Wednesday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
New owner seeks to transfer Douglas Island Breeze In’s retail alcohol license to Foodland IGA

Transfer would allow company to take over space next to supermarket occupied by Kenny’s Liquor Market.

A butter clam. Butter clams are found from the Aleutian Islands to the California coast. They are known to retain algal toxins longer than other species of shellfish. (Photo provided by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)
Among butter clams, which pose toxin dangers to Alaska harvesters, size matters, study indicates

Higher concentrations found in bigger specimens, UAS researchers find of clams on beaches near Juneau.

An aerial view of people standing near destroyed and damaged buildings in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene flooding on Oct. 8, 2024 in Bat Cave, North Carolina. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Members of U.S. Senate back disaster aid request amid increasing storm severity

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration’s request for nearly $100 billion in natural… Continue reading

Media members and other observers gather at the Alaska Division of Elections office on Wednesday evening as the results of all ballots, including ranked choice tabulations, were announced. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Ranked choice voting repeal fails by 0.2%, Begich defeats Peltola 51.3%-48.7% on final day of counting

Tally released Wednesday night remains unofficial until Nov. 30 certification.

Looking through the dining room and reception area to the front door. The table will be covered with holiday treats during the afternoon open house. The Stickley slide table, when several extensions are added, provides comfortable seating for 22 dinner guests. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)
The Governor’s House: Welcoming Alaskans for more than 100 years

Mansion has seen many updates to please occupants, but piano bought with first funds still playable.

The language of Ballot Measure 2 appears on Alaska’s 2024 absentee ballots. The measure would repeal the states open primary and ranked choice voting system. (Andrew Kitchenman/Alaska Beacon)
Count tightens to 45-vote margin for repealing Alaska’s ranked choice system going into final day

State Division of Elections scheduled to conduct final tally at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Most Read