Downtown Anchorage's newest park is on top of a parking garage

Ever think you'd see a park on the top of a parking garage? It's now happening in downtown Anchorage.

The Rooftop park at the Fifth Avenue Parking Garage officially opened June 10. It takes up about a third of the top level with a basketball half-court, two pingpong tables, a concrete chess board and several rows of metal benches. It's open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.

The park is in the first stage of its development, according to Andrew Halcro, executive director of the Anchorage Community Development Authority. He said to expect more next summer as the project moves into phase two: concerts, movies and an event rental space.

The park is part of ongoing effort from Halcro and the mayor's office to use undeveloped spaces downtown. The K Street Eats food truck pod is also a part of that effort.

[Related: Finally, a place to park: Food truck hub to open in downtown Anchorage]

Halcro said with just a few exceptions, most of the city's parking garage upper decks are empty. Initially, the Sixth Avenue parking garage — also home to the Downtown Transit Center — was proposed for the park, but that plan was halted when the ACDA decided to renovate the area. Instead they settled on the garage connected to the Fifth Avenue Mall.

Halcro said the whole project is expected to cost between $40,000 and $45,000, which will mostly be spent on purchasing equipment and landscaping. Benches and trash cans were repurposed from other places. Halcro said paint was even donated by a local supplier. He said opening the space up for event rentals should eventually offset the capital costs.

Halcro said people are already using the space, from workers on their lunch breaks to those looking for a quick evening game of basketball.

The park was designed with security in mind, Halcro said. It's an open space with few places for people to hide. There are cameras with security guards monitoring the area 24/7 along with regular patrols. If there's an incident, officers can respond quickly, since security offices are located on the first floor of the garage.

While the parking garage is public, the park is managed as a private space by ACDA, who've imposed rules forbidding drugs, alcohol, smoking, pets, "loud or rowdy" behavior and profanity. Shoes and shirts must be worn at all times.

Halcro said they were still considering whether to keep the park open in the winter. But for the summer, he said the location of the garage — far from the taller buildings to the west — allows for unobstructed views and plenty of daylight.

"Which makes it just an amazing place," he said.