“You gotta laugh,” “I WAS HERE IN 1992,” and “Helping to Build Alaska,” are a few of the personalized messages left on roughly 13,400 commemorative bricks purchased in the early 1990s to help fund improvements to Town Square Park.
Read more Endangered listing sought as gray-headed chickadee disappears from Alaska
Now, nearly 35 years later, Anchorage residents will have an opportunity to retrieve their bricks.
Town Square Park, located in the heart of downtown Anchorage, is undergoing major construction to revitalize the park. For years, the bricks have served as a reminder of the park’s history, embedded in walkways and gathering spaces.
Nicolette Chimato with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department said that between the construction and the state of the bricks, it was time to remove them.
“The bricks are there, still serving their purpose, but they kind of reached the end of their serviceability, you can hardly read them anymore,” Chimato said. “Now that we’re doing the reconstruction it just made sense to take them up and offer them back to the community members that purchased them.”
In total, the brick fundraiser raised roughly $598,000 in the 1990s, funding the park’s concrete seat walls, trees, flowers, and the framework for the fountain.
The bricks are currently being excavated and put onto pallets separated by location. Bricks that are still intact will then be moved to another location for pickup later this summer.
The plan for the bricks has received mixed reviews. Some residents have questioned the city’s plans, wanting the bricks to continue to be mementos of history somewhere in Anchorage.
“My only thought is that I thought it would be permanent, and it’s not, so that’s a little bit disappointing,” Anchorage resident Dennis Gall said.
Read more Alaska school districts plead for guidance on oil surplus funding before students return
Gall said that the bricks were initially promoted as being a permanent part of history, and for the city to hold up that promise, they could repurpose the bricks into other projects.
He tried looking for his brick years ago, he said, but could never find it. The brick has the names of his three children etched on it.
Bricks that are still serviceable and aren’t claimed, may be used in other Parks and Recreation projects, according to the Parks and Recreation website.
In 2009, some of the bricks were moved due to construction. Over time, bricks have gone missing or been damaged, and after many years, wear and tear should be expected, Chimato said.
“It’s not a secret that not all the bricks exist, most of them are intact still,” Chimato said. “There are a couple of areas where it’s looking pretty rough.”
The pickup operation will be hands-on, and people should expect to manually sort through pallets for their bricks. Chimato said the best way for brick owners to stay informed on updates is by filling out the online attestation form.
The Parks Department is also seeking volunteers to help facilitate pickup.
Family members of deceased brick owners can fill out a form to claim bricks. More information and updates can be found on the Anchorage Parks and Recreation website.
Read more Division of Elections delays saying how they’ll list the two Dan Sullivans on the ballot