By Greg Knight, News of the North
As of Friday this week, the Waterfront on Glacier hotel remains closed to all guests — and even its onsite resident manager — due to what the City & Borough of Juneau calls a lack of permitting and construction work that isn’t up to code.
The hotel, previously known as the Breakwater inn, has been closed since early this week after city officials revoked its occupancy permit.
According to city officials, the hotel underwent unauthorized renovations without permits, including substantial electrical and plumbing work. Despite repeated attempts to inspect the property, the city said the owner has not allowed access and has failed to provide proof of licensed contractors.
A site visit on March 6 revealed non-compliance, according to CBJ Community Development Director Jill Lawhorne.
(Photo by Greg Knight/News of the North)
Now, the city is in a wait-and-see approach, according to Lawhorne.
“It should still be unoccupied,” Lawhorne said. “We are checking in, and we have been communicating with the owner. He has submitted some information, and it’s under review now for permit. He says that he’s working with a contractor, and we’re following up to see if he’s actually provided any sort of contract or such from that contractor to say that they really are doing the work for him.”
News of the North reached out to Deverick Jordan, the managing partner and owner of the hotel about the permitting issues.
Jordan said there have been extensive renovations of the property, which was in a state of disrepair when purchased.
He said he worked closely with the city’s permitting office under former CBJ Building Official Charlie Ford to address building and safety problems, including replacing the roof and boiler, and renovating the restaurant during the off-peak season.
The hotel’s renovation was authorized by the CBJ, according to Jordan. He claims he followed what was requested on permits, taking direction from the head of the permitting office.
(Photo by Greg Knight/News of the North)
The current problems with the city began, he said, when he tried to renovate the hotel’s restaurant in the off-season, eight months after they finished the hotel’s renovation.
“We agreed to not renovate the restaurant during peak season, and we wanted to do it in the slower winter season,” Jordan said. “So, we started renovating the restaurant, and the city comes in and tells us they want permits for the restaurant. No problem. We can comply with that. What would you like? So, we found out the few things they wanted. We applied for those permits, and it’s been generally crickets on their side for that permit, and at that point, they decided they want to retroactively come back and look at the hotel.”
Despite the city’s recent retroactive inspection request, Jordan said he is confident in the property’s current safety and functionality. He told News of the North that he is waiting to hear back from the city on approving the permits and is eagerly awaiting the chance to reopen.
Jordan also stated that since opening in June 2024, there have been no major emergency calls from the police or fire department, a stark contrast to the numerous issues before renovations took place.
