Contract approved to demolish Palmer’s damaged city library

Palmer’s council approved a notice of contract award for demolition of the damaged city library building to Power Full Effects, a Wasilla-based contractor specializing in earthwork and construction. In a related development, the city has negotiated a settlement of $4.73 million on an insurance claim over the damage to the library, city officials said.

The demolition bid accepted by the council was $178,200. The next lowest bid was from Steppers Construction, Inc. for $271,760. A June 16 date was set for any protest of the award and if no protest is received the contract will be final.

The removal will clear space for a new $15 million public library now planned. Palmer’s library building was damaged by a roof collapse during heavy snowfall in Feb. 2023. There were no injuries. Since the building collapse the city has been leasing retail space for library materials in downtown Palmer.

Much of the June 24 council meeting was devoted to a presentation by architect Gary Wolf on the estimated cost of the library replacement. Wolf and his team have used an estimate of $700 per square foot for the replacement building, which is in line with recent community libraries built in Mat-Su adjusted for inflation.

However, some Palmer residents are comparing the estimate to bids and costs for new charter schools, which are lower, and had expressed concerns, which led to the explanation at the meeting.

“It’s a fair question. People just want to know why the library is estimated at $700 per square foot when the new charter schools are estimated at $480,” Wolf said in an interview.

Wolf explained this in a lengthy presentation June 24. It’s an “apples-to-oranges” comparison, he said, because the charter schools are simpler structures – bare bones some would say – compared with a more complex structure like a library that is designed for diverse community needs.

The new Gateway Visitors Center now in construction, which Wolf’s group also designed, has similar diverse purposed and had costs estimated last year in a similar range at $712 per square foot.

Wolf said he is being cautious in the estimate to avoid unpleasant surprises for the library project in an environment where materials like steel are highly unpredictable in costs. “We have 40 years of experience with designing and building in Mat-Su and it would be irresponsible for us to promise something super-cheap,” in the current environment, Wolf said.

The rebuilding will be paid for from a variety of sources including the $4.73 million insurance settlement. Included among the sources is a $5 million state grant State Rep. DeLena Johnson, R-Palmer, secured last year. Efforts for other fundraising are also underway through volunteer groups and an effort by the city of Palmer.

In other, separate actions the council formally accepted a $6.9 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for upgrades to the city’s water and wastewater system.

Additionally, the council gave city manager Kolby Zerkel approval to execute a $50,000 contract with RESPEC Co. to develop a new parking and pedestrian walkway plan for Palmer’s downtown business district. Parking congestion has become a problem at times, particularly during the city’s popular “Friday Fling” events.

Palmer has experienced a significant revitalization of its downtown since the 2005 adoption of a Central downtown business district zoning plan, a framework to revitalize the historic downtown core.

From 2005 the city has issued 60 building permits, including for 11 new structures, and four permits have been issued for conversion of residential to commercial properties. The development since 2005, which is continuing, now requires a new plan for downtown Palmer parking and pedestrian use.

In another action, the city’s finance department was given approval to upgrade the city’s financial information system to a new platform operated by Tyler Technologies.