Juneau's Alaska Shoppe seeks wider Front Street entrance in historic Blomgren Building

A downtown Juneau gift shop wants a wider front door. Because the building is historic, the city's preservation advisers will weigh in first.

Plans for the Alaska Shoppe at 433 Front St. would cut a bigger opening into the Blomgren Building's facade so a double door can replace the single metal entry door. The drawings, dated Sept. 29, say the change is "for better egress," meaning an easier way out. The City and Borough of Juneau Historic Resources Advisory Committee has the project on its Oct. 7 agenda as a historic district design review. The city describes the committee's role as reviewing and making recommendations on such projects; the packet does not say who makes the final decision.

The plans list the building as contributing to the historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. That means it's one of the structures that give the district its historic character.

The drawings say the new double door "matches the character of the existing door," with full glass panels and an exposed metal frame. A separate single wood door leading upstairs would be swapped for a metal one.

The signs would change too. The plans call for removing all the existing canopy signage, which now advertises T-shirts, fabric, frames, soapstone and souvenirs. New "Alaskan Gifts" and "Apparel" signs would match the shop's "Alaska Shoppe" sign, which would be reused and moved. A hanging sign would get a new flush bracket.

The city's downtown historic district design standards tell owners to keep historic storefront openings and avoid changing the shape of significant storefront features. The same standards allow modern takes on traditional storefronts if the scale, proportions, window patterns and see-through quality stay close to historic examples. Signs downtown must meet both the city sign code and those standards, according to the city's sign application.

The committee meets Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 5 p.m. in the Downtown Library Large Meeting Room and online. The agenda lists the Blomgren review as a discussion topic and doesn't say whether members will take formal action.