Mayor Dave Bronson will be holding a town hall event to hear the public’s thoughts and concerns regarding the Anchorage Assembly’s proposed plan to purchase and turn the Arctic Recreation Center into a homeless shelter.
The Anchorage Assembly, after foiling the mayor’s plans to create a navigation center where people who are living on the streets can get the help they need to destabilize their lives, plans to start its own homeless shelter by purchasing the center for nearly $13 million with the intent of turning it into a year-round homeless shelter for those who are not eligible, due to their behaviors, to stay at other shelters. The Assembly is lobbyists the Legislature for assistance with the project.
The plan is to turn the property over to former Assemblyman John Weddleton, who has started a nonprofit to get into the homeless business, which is where all the money is in government these days. Weddleton lost his seat on the Assembly to Randy Sulte in 2022.
The town hall will be held on Friday, March 24, from 6:30-8 pm inside the gym at the Arctic Recreation Center, located at 4855 Arctic Blvd, Anchorage, AK 99503.
