Palmer’s new library pegged at $15 million, operating by 2026

It looks like Palmer will have a brand new public library operating in 2026.

The city council voted to approve construction of a new library building at its Tuesday, Dec. 12 meeting. Having a new building with new technologies may cost more but it will be more efficient trying to rebuild the original library damaged by a roof collapse in late 2022, the council decided.

Architect Gary Wolf and his staff met six times with the city’s special library committee to work through extensive public comments, a process that developed three options for the council, two involving variations of a rebuild of the damaged structure and the third a new building.

By a unanimous vote the council favored the new building.

The cost will be higher but a new 20,000-square-foot building will give the community about 60 percent more usable space than a rebuilt old structure, Wolf told the council.

City officials have set a “not-to-exceed” budget target of $15 million for the building. After the council vote on Tuesday Wolf is to proceed with a final design and bid specifications for contractors. The design will come back to the city council for final approval.

Assuming that is given the final preparation work should allow bid documents to go to contactors in mid-2024, Wolf said. That could allow a contract to be let in the fall, possibly allowing some work to get started next winter.

A decision to use wood or steel panels on the exterior will affect the timing because delays in getting steel panels could delay getting started six weeks or more.

Communities and companies across Alaska are still dealing with supply-chain and workforce shortages that appeared during the pandemic, Wolf said. Electric components of buildings are still seeing delivery eight to 10 months from the time or ordering.

Mechanical units for buildings, like boilers, are on a similar delayed schedule for delivery, Wolf said.

Skilled labor is a problem for every industry in the state including construction, although bigger projects have an easier time attracting workers. Wolf said he hopes Palmer’s project will be in that category.

Although the not-to-exceed budget limit is $15 million, the city has that amount available. State Rep. DeLena Johnson was able to get a $5 million legislative appropriation for the library earlier this year. An unknown amount is still expected from an insurance settlement on the damaged building.

City manager John Moosey said he believes the settlement could be in the $2 million to $3 million range.

Palmer voters also approved up to $10 million in new general obligation bonds for the library in recent city elections, although it is hope that not all of that will be needed. That would avoid new debt being assumed by the city that taxpayers will have to fund.

Wolf said a good rule-of-thumb for construction of buildings like the library, or schools, is now about $650 per square foot. That’s about twice the square-foot cost for buildings seen in 2018 and 2019. The increase results from four to five years of inflation since the pandemic set in, he said.

Councilman Joshua Tudor said he would like try and lower the cost so that a smaller amount of bond, or debt, money used.

Wolf said there could always been some money shaved off the budget but the committee has already squeezed the budget. “There would be consequences,” of taking more out.

Councilman Richard Best said, “I think you’ve presented rhe pitfalls os trying to use the existing structure,” which is one way to save money. “But that could create maintenance headaches.

It’s time for us to walk away from the old building. It has served its purpose,” he said.

There had been some talk early on to incorporate new city offices in the building because the present city office and council chamber is in an old building with crowded space.

Mayor Steve Carrington said the decision was made against the idea but a large conference room big enough to support city council and community meetings was incorporated.

One uncertainty is if contamination or other pollutants are found in an environmental survey the city will conduct on the property. The old, damaged library building was built in 1984, and while that was after the use of asbestos and other hazardous materials were prohibited for usw in buildings there was always the chance that some of it may have wound up in the former library, Wolf said.

There will also be some modifications needed at the site of the old library, which will also be the location for the new building.

The old library was built on a small, artificial hill that raised it a bit above the surrounding properties. That will likely be lowered when the new building is built so that there will be for flat, level terrain for parking.

A new idea advance by councilman Richard Best to help in funding any shortfall in construction as well as ongoing operations costs would to form “library districts” in the borough that would function something like road service areas.

The Palmer library has always served people in the area around the city, so a service area concept would allow the borough to chip in on some of the costs.

Councilman John Tudor said he feels Mat-Su Borough officials might be open to the idea.