single stair just unlocked anchorage

And your small lot just gained units.

Starting Monday May 18, the city is dropping its longstanding two-stairwell rule for some apartment buildings. Smaller buildings can now go up with just one set of stairs. That sounds boring until you do the actual math.

A second stairwell eats up roughly 200 to 400 square feet on every single floor. Take that out and you get more rentable space per floor and you can fit more units on a tight lot. For lots that used to be too small to pencil out, the math just changed.

This is part of mayor LaFrance's push to build or renovate 10 thousand homes in 10 years. The fix took close to two years to put together. Developers, engineers, and architects all had a hand in shaping it.

Material costs are still ugly and that part is not changing. But fewer redundant requirements means cheaper permits and faster builds. For Anchorage homeowners eyeing a small infill project or a corner lot, this is the friendliest the muni has been in years.