Mayor LaFrance celebrates groundbreaking of retirement living campus in South Anchorage

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA - Today, Mayor Suzanne LaFrance joined representatives from Touchmark, project partners and community leaders to celebrate the groundbreaking of Touchmark at Hillside, a new retirement living campus under construction in South Anchorage.

Located on 14 acres at O'Malley Road and Lake Otis Parkway, Touchmark at Hillside will bring a full-service retirement community to Anchorage. Plans include 244 total residences, including 120 independent living condos, 34 villa homes, 58 assisted living apartments, and 32 memory care homes. Touchmark is expected to bring about 100 year-round jobs to Anchorage.

The development is among the latest to take advantage of the Municipality's multi-family property tax incentive. Proposed by the Mayor and approved by the Anchorage Assembly last year, the tax relief program is a key initiative under the LaFrance administration's 10,000 Homes in Ten Years strategy to make housing more affordable and accessible. The tax break is designed to reduce costs and help make larger-scale residential projects financially viable.

"Quality housing options for residents at every stage of life form the foundation of a strong community and economy," said Mayor Suzanne LaFrance. "When high construction costs make it difficult for projects to pencil out, our local families and seniors are left with fewer choices. Through our multifamily property tax incentive, we are reducing financial barriers so partners like Touchmark can invest in Anchorage, build new homes, and allow our seniors to age in place right here in the community they love."

"Anchorage is a community where people build deep roots, and we believe older Alaskans should have more choices for how and where they live as life changes," said Jay Leo, President of Touchmark. "Touchmark at Hillside is about creating a place where older Alaskans can continue living active, connected lives close to the people and community they love. We're grateful to Mayor LaFrance, the Municipality and our local partners for helping bring that vision to life."

The 10,000 Homes in Ten Years strategy focuses on clearing regulatory hurdles, streamlining permitting processes, remediating neglected properties, and leveraging municipal resources - including tax incentives - to encourage housing development. As LaFrance housing policies take effect, permitting numbers across the Municipality have increased, surpassing permitted unit totals from recent years.

For more information on the Touchmark at Hillside project, visit Touchmark.com

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Media Contact:

Emily Goodykoontz, Press Secretary
Office of the Mayor
[email protected]
​1(907) 205-6683​

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