In January, years of conviction, investment, and sacrifice finally started paying off when our small group of dedicated individuals with the Alliance for Reason and Knowledge, ARK, were able to obtain a letter of interest to invest $200Mn into downtown Fairbanks. International developer, and former Fairbanks City Council member Mark Hewitt was brought together with former NFL player and for-purpose real estate developer Garry Gilliam. Together, they have for the last three months assisted us in scoping out a project, navigating the regulations, and working to help bring the city, borough, and state to the table.  In March that amount was revised to $500Mn, and the scope expanded to encompass the region in what’s now called, the North Star Economic Development District, or NEDD.

For the last decade, we have been advocates for something positive to come from the Polaris experience. Located in the heart of downtown, built back in the 50’s this concrete mountain is the tallest building in town and for many symbolizes the hay day of the oil pipeline, the life blood of our economy.  Like too many things, neglect has allowed hazardous chemicals to leach into the stone and after a decade long battle, the City of Fairbanks is finally in the process of leveling the building. But then what?

This isn’t just a question for the property but the city and the state as well. The extraction of minerals has long been this states legacy but like the oil lamp and Pony Express, the days of the carbon economy are sunsetting and we are left with making the best of what comes next. While some may think that it’s the structure we are hoping to preserve, it is the community at large we are wanting to assist in finding a new way forward. The lot held the history and represented the culture of this town. With a directive for net zero buildings, mixed use development, and a focus on investing in the potential of people to manage innovation (an expected $6.2Bn industry by 2030); along with aerospace, data management, geotourism, and micromanufacturing are the industries needed to meet the needs of the people that doesn’t come at the cost of the planet.

That’s the thing. Under our current system economic wealth has too often come at the expense of environmental health. We didn’t know then what we know now and like all maturing civilizations, we are learning from the past so we can do better in the future.  We have new science, new technology, and several clear incentives to build the culture for a new economic model that is based on Nature and how for millennium she has thrived. Unlike gravity, this didn’t “just happen”.  What we are collectively experiencing is the long-term consequences of decades of short-term decisions and because its going to take decades more to find a new balance, we need to start making the investment today.

There are a great many things this level of funding can accomplish. It’s not a gift and while we can retain ownership, it comes at a cost that makes the project replicable for other communities. Housing, health care, entertainment, industry, and retail are all possible ways to make use of the space but, for us, the driving questions are relatively simple: where will Fairbanks be in 100 years? How do we ensure for all our citizens equal opportunity? What investments can we make today that will give us the best chance of hitting a target a century into the future?

I’ve always believed the best way to predict the future is to write the script. To the people who call this place home, we have a proven template to start and will be reaching out to all segments and regions in order to develop a localized master plan of self-reliance to guide this investment, and all investments we hope to inspire to follow.

 When carbon as fuel is a commodity valued at only ~$90 a ton but carbon as a fiber for building is worth over ~$220,000 a ton you know the industrial landscape is shifting.  When gas and oil companies begin investing in algae, solar, and hydrogen you know the market is changing. When an entire generation calls out to politicians to rise to the challenge, does anyone believe we are talking to “leadership” anymore? A fancy title or degree has never been the true measure of worth and many of the most influential people have never held office or position of affluence. Like Serena Williams, often grit, determination, and a clear vision of purpose can elevate a person from the lowest to the highest of the social ladder because purpose is what gives them the strength to do the work, day in and day out. In the last few years, we have seen more leadership from a 16-year-old girl than we have from elected officials in the highest offices. The generational message,

“Don’t wait for the government to act! Be the ‘leader’ you want to see in the world.”

Over 20 years ago, as a student at Lathrop High School in Fairbanks, Alaska, I had the opportunity through “club earth” to engage and it has become a life-long passion and focus of my professional career. Today, I serve the planet and her people as an Ecodistrict accredited professional, workforce development specialist, and with a great group of people, operate a 501c3 whose focus is mainstreaming the regenerative economy. Ecodistricts is a proven method of developing models and plans for neighborhoods, villages, and cities that work with nature to create generational prosperity which is a departure from the extraction and exploitation markets that destroy it, and everything else.

In a recent article to the Anchorage Daily News, Margi Dashevsky, the Regenerative Economies Director for the Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition, made the case of the growing divide between the people, the planet, and the politicians. The projects being pushed in the state, and Fairbanks plans are rehashed efforts from as far back as the 1950’s and completely fail to address the economic opportunities to be a climate champion. There are Billions of dollars from the government and private equity investments being directed into upgrading our homes, communities, and state infrastructure. Now is the time to recognize change is inevitable and growth is optional. Exercising our civic muscles by directly engaging in or creating community development initiatives is the path of least resistance to building local resilience

For the last decade the Alliance for Reason and Knowledge has served the state as advocates, hosting annual regenerative economies summits, organizing the annual solar tours, and advocating for the responsible deconstruction and innovative use of the site where the Polaris hotel now stands, in the center of the Golden Heart city. Projects like the Fairbanks Agricultural Resiliency Market have long been viable solutions to many issues like food, housing, job training, and energy but the lack of leadership isn’t confined to the state and national levels.  It is here, however, that we can make the most impact. Not voting for the next best thing but developing our own solutions, being our own change.

We have always believed innovation and a pioneering spirit that led to the development of the nations’ mineral wealth, is the true “resource” the state should be cultivating. That prosperity comes from inspiring the education of critical thinkers that provide reliable innovation as the peaceful engine of an exploration economy. That geotourism (celebrating the land and culture), aerospace research (into habitation, populations in isolation, and developing low impact locally focused tech), and development of advanced ecologically beneficial industries could and will prepare us to thrive and make the best of what comes next.

As the states first “just transition practitioner” working for an educational organization we have an obligation to share this knowledge. To deploy these resources so other people, business leaders, and interested parties can learn how to bridge these divides and plan together to lower the cost of living and increase the quality of life for all.  Tuesday Sept 13, 2022, at 6pm via Zoom is the next meeting and you can register here or at www.a-r-k.us for free.

People make action plans. Organizations write business plans. Municipalities use the comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) to guide actions and investment in a future we can all enjoy in perpetuity.