McKinley Tower prior to rehabilitation, ca. 1990
McKinley Tower Apartments in 2007 |
National Register Nomination
McKinley Tower Apartments
Anchorage, Alaska
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2008
PROJECT OVERVIEW
MacRostie Historic Advisors LLC prepared a National Register nomination for the McKinley Tower Apartments in 2008 as part of the building's historic rehabilitation and associated historic tax credit certification approval process. McKinley Tower Apartments, built in 1950-1951, is a 14-story International-style skyscraper. When it was built, it was modern, sleek, and among Anchorage's first high rise buildings.
On March 27, 1964, a magnitude 9.2 earthquake occurred in south central Alaska, dramatically impacting Anchorage. McKinley Tower Apartments was severely damaged in the quake. After the earthquake, structural damage was repaired, and the apartment building was converted into office space for state agencies during the 1970s. The real estate crash of the 1980s, coupled with expensive code violations, resulted in foreclosure of the property; it lay vacant from 1984 until 1998.
Marlow Development acquired the property in the late 1990s. Under new ownership and with the assistance of MacRostie Historic Advisors, the building underwent a major historic rehabilitation in 2005-2006. Prior to the start of the project, MacRostie staff conducted focused architectural and historical research to assess and document the building's significance. Staff determined that, following the 2005-2006 rehabilitation, the McKinley Tower Apartments remain an integral component of the downtown Anchorage skyline and continue to convey its significance as an icon to Anchorage's post-World War II development boom and skyrocketing population growth. MacRostie Historic Advisors secured a preliminary determination for individual listing on the National Register for the building and therefore eligibility for historic tax credits. The subsequent rehabilitation project followed the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and received historic tax credit approval. The building was returned to its original function - an apartment building. Today, it provides 158 rental units of senior housing.
To formally list the building on the National Register of Historic Places after completion of the rehabilitation, MacRostie staff prepared a written nomination and supporting documentation. The building was formally listed on the National Register in September of 2008.
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