On Tuesday, Ketchikan’s iconic Federal Building was one of more than 400 nationwide federal properties identified for potential sale. The “non-core property” list was released by the U.S. General Services Administration, saying the disposal of these federal spaces would eliminate maintenance costs and allow reinvestment elsewhere. Also on the list were three properties in Anchorage.
By Wednesday morning, the inventory had been taken down, replaced by an agency web page indicating the list of properties was QUOTE “coming soon.” That original list can still be viewed through the Wayback Machine internet archive.
Built in the late 1930’s, the pink, or “salmon-colored” building is a historic landmark that originally housed 11 government departments, services and bureaus. The post office occupied the entire first floor until 1976 when it was relocated.
Originally a white building, it was painted pink or “salmon colored” in 1990 in honor of Ketchikan’s salmon culture. Today, it’s the U.S.’s only pink federal building.
Agencies currently utilizing the building include the Forest Service, and Customs and Border Protection.
