UAA plans to buy space at Anchorage mall

ANCHORAGE (AP) -- The University of Alaska Anchorage plans to buy a 90,000-square-foot section of the University Center Shopping Mall for needed classroom space, UAA officials announced Monday.

The mall is located just more than a mile west of the main campus, providing easy access for, UAA Chancellor Lee Gorsuch said. Plans call for a shuttle service between the campus and the University Center.

The space is being purchased for $12 million and includes space formerly used as a movie theater.

The purchase, approved by the University of Alaska's Board of Regents, is subject to legislative appropriation. Gorsuch said the passage of House Bill 528 contains a provision to reimburse the university for the debt of financing and renovating the space.

The acquisition would expand campus space by 6 percent, Gorsuch said.