New-concept Wasilla housing project under way

June 6, 2006

By MARY AMES

Frontiersman

WASILLA - Golden shovels digging into the vacant patch of gravel east of the Wasilla post office Sunday signaled the start of a development that may become a model for other cities in Alaska.

Valley Residential Services has had plans in the works for combined residential housing and commercial buildings for a couple of years, and construction starts now.

The mission of VRS is to provide low-income housing for people with special needs.

&#8220We fill a need no one else fills,” said Garry Forester, chief financial officer. &#8220We are never going to get ahead of the curve.”

VRS has a five-phase plan for Wasilla. Its concept is to have viable commercial businesses on the first floor of a building, with housing units on the second floor.

First in line is a new Treasure Loft, said Phyllis Sullivan, chairman of the board. The plan is to have the thrift store operating in its new digs by the winter, with efficiency apartments above the store ready for occupancy in summer 2007, she said.

Today's groundbreaking is for a 15,000 square-foot building with 20 one-bedroom units on the second floor.

&#8220Our aim is to build, maintain and manage housing for mentally and physically challenged people,” Sullivan said. &#8220It will be

a beautiful, wonderful, enhancement of downtown when it is

finished.”

Within a quarter-mile radius of the site, Wasilla has a

post office, Carrs grocery store,

a bank and schools, said

Mike Norton, development coordinator.

&#8220So our team worked with the idea of designing a downtown pedestrian-friendly neighborhood,” Norton said.

No other city in Alaska has the type of housing for people with special needs that VRS is building in Wasilla.

&#8220East Village in Minneapolis has a similar concept taking form,” Forrester said. &#8220But there is nothing like this in the state. As far as leading edge, we're there.”

Sponsored also by the Mat-Valley Christian Conference, the final project will have single-family homes, senior-citizen housing, multifamily homes and the space for commercial business or nonprofit offices, Forrester said.

&#8220It will cost between $40 to $50 million when all is said and done,” Forrester said.

Anchorage is talking about creating a similar housing and commercial set up, and so is Palmer, according to John Weaver, chief executive officer. But neither city has selected a site or design yet.

&#8220This could be a springboard,” he said.

Contact Mary Ames at

352-2284 or mary.ames@

frontiersman.com.