Architectural firm to run point on prison

PALMER — The Mat-Su Borough has awarded a $460,0000 contract to Alaska Planning and Architecture to get the ball rolling on a new prison to be constructed at Point MacKenzie.

“They are basically going to work as a liaison for us to sit down with Department of Corrections and identify Department of Corrections needs for this building,” said Borough Purchasing Officer Russ Krafft.

The 1,536-bed prison will cost $250 million to build and will be paid for through revenue bonds that the state will repay as it leases the facility, the Borough reports.

Alaska Planning and Architecture had been doing similar work on behalf of the Alaska Housing Finance Corp. back when the organization was running lead on the project and the prison was planned as a 2,251-bed, one-roof facility, Krafft said. The plan has since been scaled down to a much smaller facility built in pods. Alaska Planning and Architecture got the contract because it is familiar with the area and knows the project.

Had another firm taken over now, “They would be re-inventing the wheel and we would probably be pushing construction back six months,” Kraft said.

Such a change in contractors would also add $200,000 to $400,000 to the cost of the project, according to a Borough press statement.

Right now, Kraft said it looks like light work on the prison will start this summer, but the project won’t take off in earnest with heavy construction work until a year later.

“When it’s going to start looking like a prison being built, we’re probably spring of ’09 before that occurs,” Krafft said. Currently, the site has trees and a firm is working to remove them.

After Alaska Planning and Architecture returns its report to the Borough, Krafft said the next step will be to put those requirements into a bid package and solicit firms willing to build the facility.

Krafft said the Borough will seek “design-build” firms — usually a building contractor partnered, contracted or otherwise allied with an architecture firm. The firm will then draw up plans that Alaska Planning and Architecture will help the Borough to evaluate, making sure they meet the Department of Corrections’ needs.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.