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Juneau residents urge pause to Telephone Hill demolition, warn of financial, cultural risks
Summary
Dozens of residents and nonprofit leaders urged the Juneau Assembly to pause demolition of Telephone Hill until redevelopment plans and developer commitments are secured, citing historic‑preservation concerns and multi‑million‑dollar feasibility gaps.
Dozens of residents, preservation advocates and service providers pressed the Juneau City and Borough Assembly on April 6 to halt plans to demolish homes on Telephone Hill until the city lines up workable redevelopment plans and developer commitments.
Community members said the assembly’s request for bids to demolish seven historic houses—paired with an estimated $5.5 million demolition and site‑preparation cost—risks producing a vacant lot if no developer follows through. Joshua Adams, an incremental developer from Juneau, invoked New London, Connecticut as a cautionary example: “You cannot build a future by erasing your past,” he said, urging the city to require enforceable developer commitments before demolition.
The appeals were consistent: speakers asked the assembly to pause the demolition bid and use the RFQ/RFP process to test what developers can realistically deliver. Molly Emerson, a project developer on Capitol Avenue, told the assembly that “demolition without first knowing what development is feasible or likely…
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