The borough assembly has unanimously approved a $3.12 million contract to rehab and repair the Public Safety Building.

The contract was awarded to Juneau-based Dawson Construction during a special meeting on July 7, so that the work could start quickly.

Dawson submitted the low bid of $3,125,686, which covers structural repairs and an optional upgrade to replace all sectional overhead doors. The next lowest bid was $3,457,000 from McG Constructors.

The project focuses on correcting critical deficiencies in the 39-year-old, wood building’s exterior shell. Capital Projects Director Amber Al-Haddad said the project includes converting three tiers of flat roofs into a sloped metal roof system.

She said the contractor will replace windows, doors and old siding with durable metal materials, though she noted a covered inset at the front entrance will feature cedar siding.

“We have areas that we’ve identified in the contract where we know we have rot,” she said. The contract establishes pre-negotiated unit pricing for replacing framing and sheeting, ensuring the assembly will not have to renegotiate costs if workers uncover hidden damage when the old siding is stripped away.

Al-Haddad said sufficient funding is available for the potential project changes. She estimated the total funding pool at roughly $5.5 million, combining a $2,438,000 federal grant managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a $3 million general obligation bond Wrangell voters approved in 2024.

The available funds will serve as a financial cushion to cover change orders or additional work. “Because the exact extent of water intrusion remains unknown, we anticipate discovering rot within the exterior wall framing and sheathing,” she said.

The Alaska Court System will remain in the building during construction. Al-Haddad said the court system declined initial requests to move to the Nolan Center during the work, not wanting to interfere with court operations. Instead, court officials worked with Police Chief Gene Meek to use a different area of the Public Safety Building.

 While the court system will move elsewhere in the building during construction, the police and fire departments will not be affected by the work.

During the July 7 meeting, Assembly Member John Yeager questioned the reliability of the construction timeline, asking if the contractors face supply chain obstacles that could prevent them from finishing on schedule.

“During the bidding process … does the company or do the companies establish a timeline for materials on site and how dependable their sources are as far as getting that material here?” Yeager asked. “Do they see any kind of issue with getting what they need up here on time to start so they can be finished on time?”

Al-Haddad replied that while a submitted bid acts as a formal agreement to meet project deadlines, specific shipping schedules are typically left to the contractor's discretion. However, she shared that initial conversations with Dawson indicated that steel trusses for the new roof carry the longest manufacturing lead time.

Because of the wait time on the steel, she said roof installation will likely wait until early spring. Fortunately, she noted that the metal siding is readily accessible, allowing the project to get moving immediately.

“They feel like they can get started with the siding work this summer,” she said. She added that unless an uncommonly harsh winter blocks access to the building, the construction crew plans to work through the winter months.