Mayor Suzanne LaFrance celebrates the demolition of the former Big Timber Motel

Today, Mayor Suzanne LaFrance kicked off the demolition of the Big Timber Motel building at 5th Avenue and Unga Street. The long-vacant structure has posed persistent public safety hazards for over a decade. Its removal marks a significant achievement in Mayor LaFrance's ongoing efforts to address dangerous and blighted properties across the Municipality.

Since taking office, Mayor LaFrance's administration has focused on increasing housing across the Municipality, including rehabilitating or removing vacant and abandoned buildings to encourage housing redevelopment and eliminate safety risks.

Municipal Code Abatement officials have worked to address violations at the Big Timber site since 2011. The building was vacated about 10 years ago, and since then, the structure has seen repeated code violations, improper security, and uncompleted safety repairs - ultimately becoming a severe public nuisance that consumed vital emergency response and municipal resources.

"Tearing down the Big Timber is a huge win for nearby neighborhoods," said Mayor Suzanne LaFrance. "Not only was this building unsafe, but it was a community concern and a strain on our first responders for years. Demolition of the building protects the surrounding neighborhoods, preserves municipal resources, and prepares a utility-ready lot for future redevelopment."

The Big Timber demolition is part of a broader push by the LaFrance administration's Code Abatement team to hold negligent property owners accountable and remove structures far past the point of viable repair. While the Municipality is paying the upfront costs of the demolition, a lien will be placed on the property to recoup the full amount of the cost and restore funds to taxpayers.

When working with vacant and abandoned properties, Code Abatement often finds structures are not secured properly, poorly maintained, or are neglected completely, creating hazards for surrounding businesses and neighbors. These buildings often attract dangerous behavior and occupants, leading to further decay, fires, and frequent calls for emergency response. Many municipal resources can be used in one location in an attempt to keep people safe and prevent further damage or criminal activity.

To help Code Abatement monitor potentially problematic sites, the Municipality requires property owners to register unoccupied properties on the Vacant and Abandoned Registry and to secure the properties from unwanted entry.

After an initial allocation from the Anchorage Assembly into the Municipality's nuisance property abatement fund, Code Abatement demolished 10 high-nuisance structures in 2024. In 2025, the Municipality focused heavily on legal enforcement against severe nuisance property owners-establishing legal pathways to streamline future enforcement and recover costs. Building on that momentum, the Municipality removed a nuisance property on Kona Lane earlier this year and is slated to demolish four more properties in 2026, in addition to the Big Timber Motel.

By removing structural hazards in their entirety, the Municipality aims to protect surrounding neighbors, safeguard first responders, and open up utility-served infill parcels to support economic revitalization and redevelopment.

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​Contact: Emily Goodykoontz [email protected] 1 (907) 205-6683

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