A Midtown hotel vacant since a 2019 fire seeks approval to serve alcohol

The Courtyard by Marriott Midtown, a hotel that burned during construction in 2019 and has sat vacant since, would be allowed to sell drinks on site seven days a week under a permit the Anchorage Assembly takes up Tuesday, Aug. 18. The hotel is still being rebuilt.

The resolution would grant Anchorage MC Holding LLC an alcohol special land use permit. The company's application describes the project as a reconstruction of the fire-damaged property and says alcohol service would be accessory to the hotel, not "a standalone bar or nightclub use." It gives service hours of 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The Planning Department mailed 121 public hearing notices on July 1 and received no public comments. The Midtown Community Council did not comment, and reviewing agencies raised no opposition. Mayor Suzanne LaFrance's administration recommends approval.

The Assembly will take public testimony at Tuesday's hearing, where the permit sits among its quasi-judicial items.