After years of anticipation, a new timber-framed pavilion now stands at City Park, replacing the shelter lost in a November 2021 windstorm.

The structure was constructed on the same footprint as the one destroyed, a few hundred feet south of the larger pavilion that was upgraded last summer.

The new shelter is built of red cedar post-and-beam, 15-by-25-feet in size and about 9 feet high — with a built-up stone firepit in the middle.

In the aftermath of the storm, the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management earmarked about $130,000 for a replacement shelter. But when the lowest construction bid came in at nearly twice that amount, Wrangell’s Capital Projects Director Amber Al-Haddad and Borough Manager Mason Villarma questioned whether the project could go ahead.

Al-Haddad asked the state to cover the entire cost. She was pleasantly surprised was the state said yes, and Wrangell received an additional $145,479 to keep the project on track.

The first solicitation in 2024 drew no bids from contractors, Al-Haddad said, prompting the city to rebid the job.

The borough assembly later authorized $15,000 from reserves to add a fire pit to the contract. Last August, the assembly awarded a $263,000 contract to Sitka-based McG Constructors to build the pavilion.

“The large pavilion at the park, which has a fire pit, is very popular and everyone seems to want to use it,” Al-Haddad said. “I think it’s because of the fire pit. So, by adding a fire pit to the new pavilion, it should attract more people and get more use.”

Work began in the spring, and Al-Haddad said she hopes residents will be able to enjoy the new space before summer’s end. The addition of the firepit was the last bit of work to be done before the pavilion could be available to the public.

“The city park is a popular spot for the community,” Al-Haddad said. “I think this is really going to be appreciated by everyone.”