The construction fencing around Anchorage's new Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center will come down this weekend, the city said.
Removal of the fencing will open F and G streets, and Seventh and Eighth avenues, all of which have been closed or partly closed during construction of the $111 million facility.
The city plans a soft opening of the new convention center on Sept. 18, as part of the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau monthly luncheon. Preview tours will be held then, beginning at 11 a.m., the city said.
The Anchorage Chamber of Commerce plans to hold its weekly luncheon there on Sept. 29.
A public grand opening is scheduled for Oct. 18-19, including a ribbon cutting, live entertainment and a street fair along F Street, the city said.
In 2006, Anchorage residents voted to raise the city's hotel-room tax from 8 percent to 12 percent to pay for construction and operation of the Dena'ina Convention Center.