The Haines Borough and Alaska Indian Arts (AIA) have agreed to general terms regarding the borough’s possible acquisition of the Parade Grounds at Fort Seward.
According to a memorandum of agreement, which has yet to be finalized, AIA would cede the seven-acre Parade Grounds property to the borough but retain a one-acre commercial parcel within the Parade Grounds.
AIA owes $30,000 in local taxes on the two properties. Per the MOA, the borough would assume responsibility for taxes on the Parade Grounds and would pay the taxes owed on the commercial property—currently $19,502.91—through the end of 2021.
The MOA states that the borough would maintain and plow the road to the commercial property and that a final agreement should include terms of an agreement about parking.
“The Memorandum of Agreement sets the sidebars for further discussion with Alaska Indian Arts about the potential acquisition of the Parade Grounds,” borough manager Annette Kreitzer wrote in an email to local media.