Historic SNO Building gets a facelift

After standing proudly for nearly a century, the historic SNO Building in downtown is getting a facelift.

The building, which features apartments, as well as GCI and other tenants, is being renovated as part of the Downtown Revitalization Plan which will rehabilitate and remodel eight units in the building. The Tlingit-Haida Regional Housing Authority now owns the historic structure that was built in 1932 in downtown and originally owned by the Stikine Native Organization.

Construction began in earnest in May, beginning with additions to the front of the building before moving to the back and roof.

“The first project was to go down and repair the front of the foundation because we had some deterioration on some pilings, so we poured a concrete footer and added some pilings that we bolted together. We also replaced a rotten 12x12 beam under the front of it,” said crew boss John Martin of the on-going project.

Workers then moved to the back of the building and began work on the roof.

“We had a flat roof back there, which is not the best thing in Southeast Alaska,” Martin added. “We put up trusses and matched the old roof with the new roof. We began the roof project in early June.”

The total cost for the rebuild, Martin estimates, will come in close to $1 million after all is said and done.

“My understanding is that it’s right around $800,000,” Martin said.

According to Charlie Horvath of the TRHA, the rebuild is being funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s “Main Street” Revitalization Program. Wrangell is one of just six communities to be awarded a total of $5.5 million under the program. Other cities that received money were Coamo, Puerto Rico, Hawkinsville, Ga., Martin, S.D., Kit Carson, Colo., and Marshalltown, Iowa.

“These grants are issued through HUD’s HOPE VI Main Street program that allows small towns to include affordable housing in their ongoing effort to revitalize older, downtown business districts,” Horvath said. “A portion of HOPE VI funds are set aside to create the Main Street program for small communities that does not have a local housing authority nor has one that manages less than 100 public housing units. The funds are used to rehabilitate or construct affordable housing in the area where rejuvenation has already begun.”

The project is currently employing a handful of locals – with a significant amount of work left to complete.

“With the exception of project supervisor Vern coming from Petersburg to help out, we’ve got an all-local team of 3 to 4 at a time,” Martin added. “Because of that, we just keep nibbling at the whale and are trying to get it done. We have a constant amount of work for the group of us.”

The awning of the new building was completed last week, with soffits and new windows at the front of the building planned for installation this week or next, according to Martin.

“After those things are done, we will move into the siding project,” he said. “That part of the construction process could last as long as a month. We will be using a cement fiberboard shingle on the top third, with the bottom two-thirds being lapboard siding.”

Pouring concrete sidewalks and making the apartment renovations will conclude the project, though there is currently no completion date set.