We respect the land and are devoted to taking care of it. We work hard to make sure we build in neighborhoods that are healthy and encourage a connection between our residents and the outdoors. To work toward that goal, CIHA helps clean up contaminated sites and builds community gardens and green spaces for all our neighborhoods.
CIHA has led efforts to clean up contaminated sites and develop properties on land that might otherwise go unused. CIHA has redeveloped brownfield sites in Anchorage in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the State of Alaska, and other funding partners. According to the EPA Brownfield sites are "complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant."
CIHA brownfield redevelopments include the Mountain View Lofts and Ridgeline Terrace developments in Mountain View. Our most recent Brownfield cleanup took place at the intersection of Chugach Way and Spenard Road in Spenard. In partnership with the EPA and State of Alaska, we spent several years assessing and remediating more than 1800 tons of soil. In the future, the 1.7-acre site on Spenard Road will be used to build a mixed-use housing and commercial storefront development.
At CIHA, we understand that a clean environment and communal green spaces are essential in the long-term revitalization of Anchorage’s core communities. Our properties strategically incorporate green space, playgrounds, and community gardens whenever possible. Spaces such as these help residents and community members engage with the space around them and with each other.
CIHA is invested in creek and waterway restoration efforts. The central component of the Creekside Town Center redevelopment in the east Anchorage neighborhood of Muldoon included the restoration of Chester Creek. Known by the Dena’ina people as Chanshtnu (or “Grass Creek”), the creek was placed into a channel in the 1960’s to make way for development. With the support of the Municipality of Anchorage, Chester Creek has now been restored to its natural state, and community members can enjoy the natural amenities the creek and surrounding green space has to offer.
