Cuddy Park skating project left out of Anchorage's draft 2027-32 capital plan

Skating Group's $1 Million Cuddy Park Project Missing From Anchorage's Capital Plan

A skating group that says it has $1 million committed for Cuddy Family Midtown Park found the park left out of Anchorage's preliminary 2027-2032 capital improvement program. Assembly Member Janice Park raised the gap Friday at an Anchorage Assembly work session, hours after the mayor's budget was introduced.

Park read from a letter by Anchorage Skates. The group was "very surprised that Cuddy Family Midtown Park is not included anywhere for the years 2027 to '32, and that the exclusion from the bond list, to them is a major oversight," Park said. The group reports $950,000 in bond money and more than $50,000 from private donors. Park added that "ice time is really difficult for the kids to get."

One Assembly member said members agreed a couple of years ago to finish a Cuddy Park master plan before any capital project there. Parks and Recreation is writing a request for proposals to hire that work, the member said. The plan would cover the chalet Anchorage Skates proposes.

Bond, another Assembly member, said the mayor's budget "is exactly that. It's a proposal." He said the chalet reached past bond lists because members amended it on.

Anna Brawley, who led the session, deferred the question to budget work sessions in a couple of weeks.