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Notorious Inlet Inn to CloseThe downtown hotel has been a vortex of crime and violenceRelated Content
ANCHORAGE - Anchorage police have said it's been a haven for everything from petty crime to homicide and sexual assault. Now one of downtown's most infamous hotels, the Inlet Inn, is closing its doors for good. Members of the neighborhood said the Inn has ranged from a minor annoyance to a source of dangerous crime. And they’re happy — and relieved — to see it go. The Holy Family Cathedral is across the street from the hotel, and the church have had plenty of problems from the residents. “We have had break-ins, we have had the homeless urinate in the church, throw up in the church,” Teri Perez said. She works reception at the church’s office, and said parishioners and church workers are regularly harassed by the Inn’s clients, as well as those who are drawn to the illicit activities — including drug dealing and prostitution — that police know go on behind its doors. “At night it’s very scary walking out of here because there's always a group from the Inlet Inn to the liquor store; there's this constant movement through the alley, and its scary for us you know?” Businesses in the neighborhood have also been affected by the hotel. ”We are a tourist industry, and tourist driven, and so, you know, if things are happening at the Inlet Inn and there's a bunch of flashing lights, it might divert people from our business,” Torgeir Robertson said. He works at the Oomingmak qivuit shop, which shares the intersection of 6th and H streets, adjacent to the Inn. After years of complaints from the community, and innumerable calls from police and EMS, the people who own the building are now terminating the hotel’s lease, and giving the tenants two weeks to leave. “It's an accumulation of things,” Mark Pfeffer said. He’s one of the owners of the Inlet Inn property through Augustine Energy Center, LLC. They bought property about six years ago, looking to redevelop it. But when the economy collapsed in 2008, the plans for the hotel fell through. And so they allowed the Inn’s owner to continue operating under a lease. “And they have not been performing under that lease,” Pfeffer said Pfeffer explained that all reports of disturbances from Anchorage police go to the Augustine Energy Group. They pass them on to the Inn operator, hoping each new complaint would spur them to clean up their act. “That's happened over and over and over, and that corrective action has not been forthcoming,” he said. “So we've concluded that either they are unwilling or unable to resolve those issues, and so we're terminating the lease.” But despite the desire to see the Inn go, many in the community believe the issues that made the hotel a problem still need to be addressed. “These are human beings, you know?” Perez said. “They're not pieces of garbage… they're human beings, and that’s what we have got to remember, that they are human beings, and that we just have got to work with them, just like we work with any other problems in the city.” Even Mayor Dan Sullivan admitted that closing one hotel won’t stop the crime and violence downtown. “Because of its location, it was kind of an attractive nuisance,” he said at a press briefing today. With the Inn closing, “you'd like think that maybe that population would be dispersed into numerous locations rather than all centered into one,” he said, “and I think that helps.” What comes next, according to Pfeffer, is a long-term look at revitalizing the neighborhood. Which, in the short term, means the building could be demolished as early as this summer, with a “high probability” of it being turned into a parking lot. For now, though, the problem will be shuttered on February 1. |
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Anonymous said on Tuesday, Jan 22 at 8:40 PM
Oh goody another parking lot
111959186TedtheBear said on Tuesday, Jan 22 at 9:03 PM
Ms. Perez forget that since they are human beings, they have to account for their own actions. They are NOT garbage or animals. They are human beings and they should be treated as they treat others and themselves.
111960461onslow said on Tuesday, Jan 22 at 9:41 PM
What about using this place to house the mentally ill, instead of the long house hotel. Great location for it. Who do I talk to about that?
111961666TedtheBear said on Tuesday, Jan 22 at 11:11 PM
Onslow, great idea but that will defeat the purpose of shutting down that place. Its not good for business. Still, not a bad idea at all.
111964941HUh said on Wednesday, Jan 23 at 12:29 AM
"economy collapsed in 2008" ours or someone else's? Seems Alaska has thrived since 2008. This makes no sense. Oh wait, agenda. Forgot.
111967332SEAKNAtive said on Wednesday, Jan 23 at 8:38 AM
Well now,since they're shutting down, help those who need the help , most people in anchorage area ar under a great amount of stress , the homeless. it's a problem ive seen on many trips up there, so if its open for use to them, and an organzation such as salvation army, or say Project Homless would come in and use the hotel grounds it would also help them
111994395Steve said on Wednesday, Jan 23 at 8:42 AM
I don't think it was complains that led to the decision of the closure of Inlet Inn. I'm pretty sure the corp or owners of the building and lot have saved enough money for new development... most likely a parking lot.
111994552Anonymous said on Wednesday, Jan 23 at 9:38 AM
Really?! The mayor said that instead of having the problem centralized to one spot, it would be beneficial for the problem to disperse around. I think comments of helping that population would have been better. “Because of its location, it was kind of an attractive nuisance,” he said at a press briefing today. With the Inn closing, “you'd like think that maybe that population would be dispersed into numerous locations rather than all centered into one,” he said, “and I think that helps.”
111999211Reasonable said on Wednesday, Jan 23 at 3:22 PM
Another parking lot? Hmmm.. makes sense. You got the PAC, Alaska Theatre, Egan Center nearby. Hopefully it'll be something big like the JC Penny's Garage and not some rinky dinky pay and park.
112027752turnagainbob said on Friday, Jan 25 at 8:47 AM
We can call the parking lot the "Retread Memorial"
112155701Robo said on Monday, Jan 28 at 4:20 PM
Maybe the mayor should place more police presence downtown to mitigate the problems of the "undesirable" element -- sorry we need more than a few cops on bikes in the summer months -- year round would be better. I'm always amazed when an event occurs and you see six to eight police cars respond -- most times it is ovekill.
112401291Mark Hernandez said on Friday, Mar 29 at 12:54 PM
I understand to close this down due to all of the police and fire calls. The city should close it down to fix it up. Then contact all the agency like Rural Cap, Lutheran Social Services, Salvation Army, South Centeral Foundation, Homeless Conact Project, Catholic Social Services, and Come up with a plan to fix it up and make it another Safe Harbor for People who are homeless and Dont have any were to go that Don't have a problem with Drugs or Alcholo. That would help out alot. Theres no more room for alaska housing. Also they can get together with Cook Inlet Tribal Council and all of the Native Corporations could step in and have this bulding for homeless people who really need the help. Then alaso theres the old Northern Lights Hotel just standing there in mid town and there is another bulding the city needs to fix up and use for homeless people. God Bless and hope this opens some eyes for many people and gets through to the right person or people!
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