The fight over how many homes to build on the land, and whether any of the houses should stay, began after the state conveyed the property to Juneau.
Juneau, Alaska, plans to demolish seven historic homes on Telephone Hill, the city’s oldest neighborhood, to build up to 155 new apartments and condos, according to city officials. The plan to address a housing shortage has drawn fierce opposition from residents and tenants who argue that the homes — including one built in 1882 that is thought to be the oldest standing in town — are too valuable to lose.
The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly, the local version of a city council, finalized the demolition decision in June 2025. Tenants in the 13 rental units on the site were given until Oct. 1 to move out; by early this year, all had been evicted. The assembly paused the project in April to allow contractors to weigh in on a more definitive construction plan, but demolition remains the stated goal.
“Oh gosh, we’re just getting beat up over this,” Assemblywoman Maureen Hall said, parked next to one of the historic homes as rain fell. “But we have an acute housing shortage and we’re pulling all the levers we can to alleviate that.”
The city estimates a shortage of about 500 homes, a gap projected to grow. Juneau’s population of roughly 31,600 is hemmed in by water on one side and by steep mountains and glaciers on the other, making traditional expansion impossible. Thousands of seasonal workers in tourism and fishing further strain the housing stock, driving demand.
Residents have fought back. At a public meeting last September, resident Paul Burke told the assembly that history in the town is precious. Opponents packed the hall, holding signs reading “Save Telephone Hill.” A petition, “Stop the Bulldozers on Telephone Hill,” gathered support.
“I think it’s tragic,” said John Ingalls, 82, a flute maker who rented one of the dwellings before the city evicted him. Ingalls, along with two other tenants, sued to stop the demolition.
Mayor Beth Weldon told a crowd at the meeting, “My heart’s out for you, but at this time we have to stand by a decision to try and find more housing.”
An earlier version of this story misstated the number of homes on the site. The story has been corrected to reflect that seven homes are on the site, not six.
Assemblywoman Alicia Hughes-Skandijs, a 41-year-old renter who was re-elected partly on a pledge to increase housing, said she lost out on buying a home to a competing bid. “I just lost out on buying a home to a competing bid,” she said.
The state of Alaska acquired Telephone Hill in 1984 to expand the capitol complex. After an economic downturn scuttled those plans, the state kept the site as a landlord for homes it did not maintain, said Neil Steininger, now a member of the assembly. In 2023, the state conveyed the hill to Juneau for housing.
An inspection found restoring the homes could cost a significant amount, the city reported. Instead, it decided to spend about $5.6 million razing the buildings and preparing the site for multifamily units. “This is the highest and best use of the property,” Hall said.
John Ingalls, a former tenant, said the city provided dumpsters for the eviction. “They provided dumpsters,” he said.
Mary Alice McKeen, 74, a retired lawyer who lives in a nearby historic home, said the city should not demolish the homes before securing a developer. “You should really have a good plan before you, you know, you really ruin it,” she said.
Morgan Johnson, 29, who owns a business near the base of Telephone Hill, said she wants to see more people in the neighborhood. “As soon as you don’t have people moving through a space, less savory characters take over,” she said.
The assembly voted to pause the project in April to allow contractors to develop a more definitive construction plan. Catherine Fritz, 69, a hill protector, recently found the front door of a 1914 home broken open. “The city is not doing its responsibility,” she said.
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