The developers who renovated the Anchorage office building that was rented and then abandoned by the Alaska Legislature have taken their next step toward a lawsuit, appealing a legislative leader's rejection of their $37 million damages claim.
Developers Mark Pfeffer and Bob Acree filed their appeal Monday, after the initial claim was rejected by Kodiak Republican Sen. Gary Stevens. Stevens chairs the Legislative Council, the joint House-Senate committee that handles the Legislature's internal business and budgets.
The appeal is directed to the full committee, which can accept Stevens' decision or hold a hearing on the dispute. The Legislative Council's ruling on the appeal can itself be appealed to Superior Court.
Lawmakers moved out of the Fourth Avenue offices developed by Pfeffer and Acree after Anchorage Superior Court Judge Patrick McKay declared that the Legislature's no-bid lease on the building was illegal.
Their new Anchorage offices are in Spenard, in a building purchased from Wells Fargo for $11.85 million.