A fitness centre and several cafes located near the house have also been built to the service of local residents. The fourteen-story high-risecalled Begich Towers, or BTIcontains a post office, a police station, a grocery store, a Laundromat, a health clinic, and a church. It was named the Hodge Building in memory of Colonel William Walter Hodge, commander of the 93rd Engineer Regiment on the Alcan Highway. Post with kindness. ", Beverly Walts has been bartending at the Anchor Inn ever since she moved to Whittier from Texas in the early 1990s. The Begich Towers, in Whittier, Alaska, built by the military during the Cold War as a no-frills barracks, is now home to the majority of the isolated town's 300 or so residents. As the closest town to the disaster, Whittier was an important base camp for authorities and clean-up crews, and its rail barges shipped the hazardous material out of Alaska. Despite the ambitious plan, these buildings were the only two to be built, and they were used by the US Army until the early 1960s; the Buckner Building has been abandoned since 1966.[3]. The military eventually withdrew from Whittier before the Cold War facilities were fully utilized, leaving the mostly vacant buildings to the town. It's accessible, but also very remote. Experience Whittier living at Begich Towers. It soars skyward, rudely. The path to Whittier goes straight under a mountain, into a tunnel bored through more than two miles of solid rock. The City Under One Roof (aka Buckner Building, pictured below) was completed in 1953. Top ways to experience Begich Towers Incorporated and nearby attractions. "No kid in this school can sit in the back of the classroom and not do something. Our suites are located in a historical building "Begich Towers", built by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1957. Because villages in remote areas may go many months without a visit from an itinerant dentist, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium has started a dental health aide program--the first of its kind in the United States. Construction started with the Hodge Building, along with the Buckner Building 660 yards (600m) to the northeast, with both opening in 1957. Its a concrete building, Good Friday (or Great Alaskan) Earthquake, Where to Download and Play RetroPie ROMs with Emulators, 5 reasons why a student needs to follow the daily routine, Summer Will Never Be Hot Again with These Home Cooling Tips, Canadas Approach to Online Gambling Over the Years, Employee Motivation: How to Empower Your Team Motivation, Comprehending the Difficulties of Android Device Management. Theres no money in it, she says, but its nothing to me and its a big deal for them, so what the fuck, why not blow their skirts up?. make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. The tower was built in the 1950s and features elevators. Mon, Feb 27, 2023 LOGIN Subscribe for $1 Whittier, Alaska, on Prince William Sound. "You know, you get to thinking, Oh man, the tunnel's the only way out. RE/MAX, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and supports the Fair Housing Act and equal opportunity housing. '. Behind Whittiers everyday peculiarities is a community thoroughly circumscribed by geography, architecture, and weather. Because the weather can be so extreme, kids often walk to school via an underground tunnel. ", "I just want them to know it's just a unique, beautiful place in its own way," he said. Find AK real estate agents "Yeah, it is known as the weirdest city in Alaska," said her husband, Dave Dickason, who is Whittier's Mayor. Alaska's laws often reflect the needs of a sparsely populated state, which presents challenges for policing within Begich Towers. Non-residents can enter the 1s floor where the city offices are and the top two floors where there is a bed and breakfast. The weather in this corner of Alaska is very unpredictable - winds blow at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and snowfall reaches 250 It can shatter windshields and rip your car doors right off. A pot bust on the tenth floor led to the police donating hydroponic equipment to Whittiers school for a vegetable garden, which Joey Lipscomb oversaw through eighth grade. A 1956 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner articlereported the new construction in Whittier: The tower steel and concrete Hodge Building might have been lifted out of New York City and dropped into the Alaskan wilderness intact. This propelled Whittier into a more important role as other regional ports who suffered more damage were inoperable. Isolated By. The visitor asked the firefighter what he should do. The Towers are 14 floors high. The smallest homes in the building are efficiency units, largerfloor plans have two or three bedrooms. The building has Internet access and cable, and most rooms have WiFi. Hospital To Police Station: This 14 Storey Building Houses A Complete Town In It, Copyright 2020 Times Internet Limited. In the US state of Alaska, there is a town called Whittier. It was promoted as the City Under One Roof.. The name of the 14-floor building is The Begich Tower which is the residence for nearly the entire population of the city. As of 2015, only one of the two boilers serving Begich Towers was functional, but it experienced major maintenance-related issues almost daily. It is one of Alaska's most famous buildings, mostly, because more than half of Whittier lives here. On December 17th, 1945 the Army allowed the Alaska Railroad Company (the towns chief non-government tenant) to assume operations in Whittier. A police station, grocery store, clinic, church, convenience store, and school are all housed within the structure. When completed, the one-mile railroad tunnel through Begich Peak and the 2.5-mile railroad tunnel through Maynard Mountain combined for 13,300 feet. The town averages around 250 inches of snow annually, but some recent years have seen closer to 400 inches. Reviewed on /Date(1606051739000+0800)/ carlsonstephanie. It is 14 floors high and is made up of three modules connected together. That's why people prefer to live in the building. Enjoy waterfall views from the 6th floor and an abundance of awesome outdoor activities. There's a police station on one side, and a post office on the other. Whittier Harbor, which never freezes, is one of the most desired in the area. Surrounded by cascading waterfalls, with views of an inlet filled with whales, otters and puffins, tucked below a rocky mountain vista sits the Begich Towers. Shuford said. Of course, not all residents are friends with each other, but they help each other if required. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Before the twentieth century, the area had been used for centuries by the Chugach Indians to traverse the Kenai Peninsula. Recreational activities near Begich Towers Apartments are plentiful. Copyright 2023 Alaska Multiple Listing Service, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The location was strategically important because of its deep-water port, which stayed ice-free all year long, and its lousy weather: the near-constant cloud cover made it difficult for enemy aircraft to spot. Most of the town people work in a deep-water port located a few hundred meters from their home. $175.00. Paranormal enthusiasts claim that the Buckner Building is haunted by restless spirits. Not all transplants survive the unique lifestyle at BTI. ]. But is it? Begich Towers is an interesting housing complex where 95% of the Whittier population lives in this one 14 story condo building. Begich Towers also features a small bed and breakfast so that visitors can experience Whitters warm sense of community. (Some residents opposed the tunnel retrofit, afraid that it would bring an influx of people to town. The first thing we noticed when we arrived in Whittier was the windwe were barely out of the car when a powerful gust pushed us down the hill. [ Buckner Building: Named in honor of General Simon Bolivar Buckner, the large building crammed an entire military post into one building. The building was named for Army civil engineer Colonel Walter William Hodge (pictured), the commanding officer of the 93rd Engineer Regiment on the Alcan Highway. [ Before the tunnel conversion began, BTI condos sold for, o back to your condo and shut the door so you can avoid the noise. Are you sure you want to report this blog entry as spam? Begich Towers 110 Kenai Street, Whittier, AK 99693 Studio Beds Property Information 196 Units 14 Stories Built in 1956 Begich Towers Description Experience Whittier living at Begich Towers. Seward Highway south to Portage Road, go east to, Free Community and Demographic Reports for Whittier, Access detailed information on Whittier Community School, Home Prices in Anchorage Alaska for March 2018, Home Prices in Anchorage Alaska for February 2018, Home Prices in Anchorage Alaska for November 2017, View all Activerain Blog Posts By Katrina Benton. 60 miles from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. During winter months, auto traffic is allowed through twice an hourfifteen minutes for outbound traffic, and fifteen minutes for inbound. The Hodge Building was part of a larger project meant to include the construction of ten other similar buildings for military use. It also has radar-unfriendly claustrophobic topography and famously terrible weather, which obscures visibility for much of the year. 762 SqFt Condo In Begich Towers for sale in Whittier, AK. right?". Dock hands who unload the supply barges in Whittier also shuttle in from Anchorage once a week. And it is strange: residents wander through the halls of BTI in pajamas; there is a provision on fish slime in the condo association guidelines; a pair of reindeer lives in a pen out front. After a drug bust on the 10th floor of Begich Towers, the Whittier Police donated a hydroponic garden to the kids at Whittier School. The Hodge and the Buckner Composite building, dubbed a city under one roof, are the largest most modern inhabited structures built by the Corps of Engineers since the Pentagon.. The Begich Towers Condominium is a building in the small city of Whittier, Alaska. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider needs as part of the school selection process. It was designed to house a 1500-man garrison with its own chapel, command offices, brig, TV station, PX, theater, laundry facilities, barber, an enormous mess hall, craft shop, a bowling alley, a shooting range, commissary, bakery, dispensary, and private rooms for officers and NCOs. In addition to the residential areas, the building contains the basic services for condo owners and guests: a post office, a general store and a laundromat. 3 Bedroom 1 Bath condo for sale in the historical Begich Towers located in Whittier, Alaska. This page was last edited on 21 December 2022, at 18:47. Enormous, spooky, mazelike, full of beer cans and debris, the Buckner building is catnip for teenagers, graffiti artists, urban explorers, and photographers. There is also a small Baptist church, two floors of bed and breakfast daily rentals, a conference room, and an indoor playground at the school. Recognized by ActiveRain as a 2013-2014 Top Contributor for Real Estate Blogging. Mayor Lester Lunceford recently moved from Whittier to Anchorage; his is a part-time, unpaid position, so he commutes into town when he can. The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Residents sell food and crafts to visitors, but most of the tourists money goes straight out the tunnel. It was built by the military in 1956 for soldiers and their families and later became a home for civilians in 1973. Employment protections include being fired, denied employment, or otherwise discriminated against by an employer. "We don't need all of the so-called conveniences of a large city. A few years ago, a pot grower on the 10th floor had just finished a harvest and decided to get rid of some of the evidence by flushing it down the toilet. Whittier, just sixty miles from the epicenter, was severely damaged by the ensuing tsunamis, which brought waves up to 43 feet (13m) tall into town. There's a post office, a notary, even a church, all just an elevator's ride away. But when the temperature dips below freezing, that window narrows to five minutes. Part of the heating system has been replaced. The post office is near the buildings entrance and the police station is just down the hall. We are continuously working to improve the accessibility of our web experience for everyone, and we welcome feedback and accommodation requests. The listing content relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the IDX Program of Alaska Multiple Listing Service, Inc. (AK MLS). During this time Whittier was a SECRET installation known as H-12. What is now the Begich Towers was part of that plan. And some people love it because it can be reclusive.. The structure is notable for operating like a small-scale arcology, being the residence for nearly the entire population of the city, as well as containing many of its public facilities. Begich Towers: An Alaskan Town in a Tower By Sometimes Interesting In the 1950s the United States government built a bunker of a residential skyscraper in the Alaskan wilderness. When it was finished, it was the longest tunnel in America. Because Whittier is surrounded by mountains, connecting it to other towns required significant tunneling. As of 2016, funding for repairs relating to maintaining mechanical systems and renovating the faade came with a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. About 300 or so residents live here year-round, many of them new families. Electric Sunroof, Head Up Display & Other Features That Make The All New Hot & Techy Brezza A Hit. After its military service the building was modified for civilian life. Wealthy residents of New York who pay big bucks for condos with in-house amenities could only dream of such lavish luxury. Whittier is only accessible by boat, and a single drive through tunnel which periodically alternates directions. [ During the winter of 1956/57, the Port of Whittier received a record snowfall of 72 feet. Dr. Michael Costa is a visiting dentist who spends nearly half his year traveling between Alaskan villages, and Erik Linduska is a dental health aide therapist based out of King Cove. A supply barge comes into town once a week, but most of the workers who unload the freight commute from Anchorage. Your email address will not be published. Over 700,000 people visit Whittier annually, but most tourists dont stay in town for longer than an afternoon, if that. It was designed to house a 1500-man garrison with its own chapel, command offices, brig, TV station, PX, theater, laundry facilities, barber, an enormous mess hall, craft shop, a bowling alley, a shooting range, commissary, bakery, dispensary, and private rooms for officers and NCOs. Next to the school and towers is the indoor playground (pictured), which protects kids from the elements year-round. Some easily adjust and stay for 20+ years. Of the thirteen Whittier residents who perished in the Good Friday (or Great Alaskan) Earthquake, only one body was recovered. The Begich Towers Condominium is a building in the small town of Whittier, Alaska. It was built in three sections connected by metal plates so that it wouldn't crack apart during a quake. The majority of the Alaska Railroad workers commute from Anchorage,as does Whittiers mayor and all but one of the towns police officers. Whittier started to emerge from the Armys shadow when the city was officially incorporated in 1969. The structure is notable for being the residence for nearly the entire population of the town, as well as containing many of its public facilities. When Pastor Kevin Jones got a call from God to become a missionary, a friend suggested he go to Alaska. Surprisingly, there are not many residential buildings in this town. After the army left in 1960, Whittier citizens took over the building's 196 units. Jim's studio is located in Whittier Manor, the only other residential building in Whittier besides Begich Towers. Seasonal workers come for jobs on fishing boats, charter boats, or in the cannery, and cruise ships bring hundreds of thousands of tourists to the harbor. The Whittier Glacier and the eponymous town were named for American poet John Greenleaf Whittier. Begich Towers is currently home to 75% of Whittiers 300 permanent residents. The next day we were on the ground floor at the grocery store when a painfully loud fire alarm went off. Light and bright apartment style condos you would expect to find for sale in the Begich Towers Condos in Whittier AK are going to range between 511 and 1827 square feet. The exterior of the building is getting power-washed and painted and inside the tan colored hallways have been replaced by bright yellow. The 14th floor of the Begich Towers remains quiet in Whittier on Tuesday, August 9, 2016. He also had to get used to his address. Because the winters are so ferocious, the towns only playground is indoors. Heres A One Stop App For All The Needs! Gain valuable insight into the Whittier AK community by looking at household incomes, crime risk, education levels attained, and the potential for extreme weather. Because it doesn't matter where you came from, how much money you have, you know, we're all just here in this town trying to make it work.". From amenities to availability, the community staff will be ready to help you find your perfect apartment. Most condos have extensively updated and remodeled since then. It has vacant units for sale and some units belonging to seasonal residents. In December of 2012 we traveled to Whittier, Alaska, a town where nearly everyone lives in the same building. ]. One benefit of living at BTI is that kids dont need jackets when they go to school in the winter because the towns school was built immediately behind Begich Towers; it connects to the base of the west tower via an underground tunnel, which shields the kids from Whittiers extreme winter weather. Damage were inoperable Greenleaf Whittier on Tuesday, August 9, 2016 named for poet... Town of Whittier received a record snowfall of 72 feet to his address for $ 1,... Whittier received a record snowfall of 72 feet memory of Colonel William Walter Hodge, commander of Begich... Towers Condominium is a building in Whittier also shuttle in from Anchorage, does! Is allowed through twice an hourfifteen minutes for outbound traffic, and are... 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