Naming commission asked to suggest new names for Golden Lion housing site and to review several park renamings

The Anchorage municipal health department and municipal manager asked the naming commission to develop four candidate names for the former Golden Lion Hotel, now a housing property, a commission member said. The department will review the recommendations and submit one for formal nomination.

Commissioners discussed timing: construction on the site is expected to finish before the end of the year, and the department plans to move forward after construction and lease-up. A commissioner said the commission could offer naming-recommendation services — for example, proposing four options and helping community groups shape a nomination.

The meeting also identified at least three parks likely to come before the commission: KFQD Park, Frontierland Park (in South Addition) and Centennial Park. Commissioners noted that the Parks and Recreation Commission provides an advisory opinion on park namings and that the commission must notify community councils (via the Federation of Community Councils) as required by municipal code. The transcript records that different community councils may overlap the site near the Golden Lion property, and commissioners discussed the need to coordinate notice to each council.

On renaming logistics, commissioners discussed celebrating new names (ribbon cuttings or small ceremonies), who would cover costs and the practical matter of signage and plaques; some sign costs were cited at roughly $15–$20, while plaque funding can be less consistent and may require community fundraising.

Because the group lacked a quorum, commissioners did not vote on any naming recommendations; they agreed to begin outreach to neighborhood councils and to develop a short list of potential names for the Golden Lion site for discussion at a future meeting.