A former attraction in Thane is slated to be burned to the ground. That’s because the former Thane Ore House property will be the site of a park for Tlingit and Haida culture. A controlled burn will be held to train firefighters.
The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska won its bid to redevelop the former Thane Ore House restaurant property in 2015. It’s the centerpiece of the tribe’s $7 million project.
“The Tlingit and Haida immersion park is a preservation of our culture,” said Annette Ulmer, an economic development officer with Central Council. The 3-acre site is actually two separate parcels. There’s a former restaurant owned by the city. And there’s a former Alaska Electric Light & Power Co. workshop. Ulmer describes the plan from a visitor’s perspective.
“You will enter into the first main building and it will have digital, virtual reality, a video that will explain about Elizabeth Peratrovich, the history of Tlingit-Haida people to give a true historical perspective.”
All of this will be built over the former Thane Ore House, a once-popular shoreside restaurant built in 1982. After the restaurant closed in 2012, the owners were evicted for not paying city sales tax. Ulmer said the tribe realized it had inherited a mess when it took over in March.
The structure was never built to code. Engineers found major structural problems. Black mold was in the timbers. And it looked like the former owners had simply walked away.
“Oh my gosh! We could not walk in there without respirators on,” she recalled. “When the city closed the doors they literally closed it and did not enter back into that building. So there was standing grease, there was food. It was just left in a real disarray.”
The original plan was for the building to be restored in the style of a traditional longhouse. Now the tribe says it will completely rebuild.
“There have been great memories for people who have come out here to the Thane Ore House when it was the restaurant,” Ulmer said. “But also look forward to the new opportunity you’re gonna see now.”
The property was originally built on state-owned tidelands that were later ceded to the city.
Port Director Carl Uchytil said it was quite a process for the city to take possession of the property.
“Docks and Harbors never really had the authority to enter the building until after the eviction process, and it takes awhile to make things happen,” Uchytil said.
The Docks and Harbor board decided last month to allow the tribe, which now holds a 35-year lease, to burn down the building.
This is a rare opportunity for Capital City Fire/Rescue. Officials said opportunities for controlled burns of structures are becoming increasingly difficult to find.
“It’s an excellent training training opportunity for all the brand new firefighters,” said Fire Chief Rich Etheridge. “Juneau’s growing up so much around everywhere that it’s hard to find a spot where we can burn a building that’s not going to endanger other buildings or put heavy pollutants in a neighborhood that’s going to affect other people – so it’s getting more and more difficult.”
The burn plan is still awaiting state permits. Once the building is cleared away, construction can begin to rebuild on the site. Public access on the beach will continue with five public parking spots.
The tribe said it hopes to create a new cultural destination for tourists in the summer and school children in the winter. The cultural park promises to be a prominent landmark from both the land and water.
“If you’ll notice when you come out to this property, there is only one way in and one way out for the cruise ships,” Ulmer said, “and they are pretty slow and this will be a beautiful scene that they will see, first thing.”
Under the lease terms, the tribe will begin paying annual rent of $8,600 for the property next year. It also agreed to pay a $1-per-visitor fee to the city. The tribe hopes to break ground before the end of the year.
