Juneau City Hall Transforming into Sealaska Heritage Institute ‘Crown Jewel’
A rendering of the proposed Sealaska Heritage Institute arts building façade, as seen from Marine Way along Juneau’s waterfront.
Photo Credit: MRV Architects
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) will get its chance to redevelop the site of Juneau’s City Hall. The Juneau Assembly voted on Monday to accept the nonprofit’s $1.5 million offer to buy and demolish the building, rather than put it up for sale at a starting price of $2.5 million.
Staff for the City and Borough of Juneau have outgrown the odd-shaped building on a wedge-shaped lot on Seward Street, a couple doors down from SHI headquarters. It also is contaminated with asbestos and other toxins, and city officials estimate that delayed maintenance would cost $13 million to address.
Arts, Experiences, and Diversity
To start fresh, SHI is proposing a new $40 million glass studio and cultural tourism facility, which it calls its “crown jewel.” The exterior design would match SHI’s nearby neighboring facilities: the Walter Soboleff Building, the Atnané Hít arts campus, and the Indigenous Science Building.
MRV Architects generated schematics that show the new building with glass walls and red formline adornment. The space would include a Northwest Coast art glass studio, and SHI would give the city the option to relocate the Juneau-Douglas City Museum to the second floor, closer to cruise ship docks.
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The project is part of SHIs efforts to make Juneau the Northwest Coast arts capital of the world, says SHI President Rosita Worl. “We are thrilled to unveil our latest proposal to bring more Northwest Coast arts, cultural experiences, and economic diversity to Juneau and to further enhance the downtown corridor,” Worl says.
Assembly members voted six to three to accept SHI’s offer. Mayor Beth Weldon and Assembly members Alicia Hughes-Skandijs, Maureen Hall, Paul Kelly, Christine Woll, and Ella Adkison voted in support of the direct sale to SHI. Deputy Mayor Greg Smith and Assembly members Neil Steininger and Nano Brooks voted in opposition. Steininger asked for more time to deliberate the fate of such a significant property, in case other ideas came forward.
The configuration of Heritage Square, which currently includes SHI’s Atnané Hít (Sealaska Heritage Arts Campus), Walter Soboleff Building, its Indigenous Science Building, all surrounding Sealaska corporate headquarters in the foreground.
Photo Credit: MRV Architects | Sealaska Heritage Institute
Juneau residents have twice voted down building a new City Hall in recent municipal elections, so last year the Juneau Assembly voted to buy and renovate two floors of the Michael J. Burns building, which also houses the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation downtown. The move is expected to cost at least $20 million.
Demolishing the old City Hall, originally built as a fire station in 1951, comes with a steep price tag, too, according to SHI Chief of Operations Lee Kadinger. “The project would require demolition and removal at considerable cost to SHI. The demolition and highly regulated removal and disposal process is estimated to cost in excess of $1 million before construction of a new facility would be possible,” Kadinger says.
The new structure would span roughly 30,000 square feet and encompass three floors. If it were built using today’s prices, it would cost approximately $32 million. Assuming it will take four years to raise capital funds, the price would be closer to $40 million, as costs rise over time, Kadinger says.
The timeline for SHI taking over the building depends on when city staff can move out, which is still unclear. In the meantime, SHI says it plans to fundraise for the new building in the interim.
What happens when a city with fewer than 300 residents becomes a major freight and tourism hub, despite being accessible only by boat, plane, or a one-lane highway/railroad tunnel managed on a strict schedule?
If you’re in the City of Whittier, you get busy. The city has two separate transportation planning efforts underway, including a safety action plan under the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All initiative, which focuses on improving safety for pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and emergency responders. The second is Whittier Moves, the city’s transportation master plan, which serves as the long-term roadmap for growth.