The University of Alaska Fairbanks is considering selling the Bristol Bay Campus's Applied Sciences building in Dillingham, located across the road from the main campus building downtown.
The university is in discussions with the Alaska Housing Finance Corp., or AHFC, to sell the building after a tour of the facility this summer.
“The conversation started back in May with AHFC to identify any facilities that were potentially under-utilized by UA as buildings to be sold to AHFC, for them to run, support, and renovate,” said Bryan Uher, interim vice chancellor for rural, community, and native education.
This would not be the first sale of a university property to AHFC. The housing organization has previously purchased more than 600 acres of university land statewide to develop residential properties. The effort is part of a state pilot program to promote housing construction, backed by $4 million the Legislature appropriated in 2024.
The university approved the purchase of the campus’s secondary building in 2010 and it was officially opened in 2014.
Uher says the building was identified as a strong candidate for sale partly because it already has three apartments on the second floor. Two of the apartments are used as long-term rentals, and one is reserved for visiting UAF staff.
The first floor houses the campus’s nursing program as well as a shop classroom used for welding, net-making, and outboard motor classes. Alaska Sea Grant, a partnership between UAF and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, also operates out of the building. Uher says in the event of a sale, those classes and operations would move across the street to the main campus building.
The proposed sale is in a public notice period until Jan. 8, during which the public may submit comments.
“This public notice period allows individuals to provide their feedback, which goes to our land management and the president's office for review before any step is taken,” Uher said.
UAF's Bristol Bay Campus will host two town halls Thursday to discuss the building and explain how to submit public comment. Meetings are scheduled for noon and 6 p.m. in the main campus building in Dillingham.
Uher says the final decision on the sale will be made by University of Alaska’s president and the chancellor after the public comment period ends.
