The Wrangell Cooperative Association adzing shed stands no longer, as seen here before being dismantled last week. It was removed as part of the effort to clear the land it sat upon for a new carving facility due to be built adjacent to the SNO Building.
With the removal of the temporary adzing shed set up at the intersection of Campbell Drive and Brueger Street, the lot where a brand-new facility for totem pole carving will soon receive a makeover in preparation for construction.
Wrangell Cooperative Association project manager Todd White said preparations for the site where the new shed will be located are underway and includes getting ready to pour the foundation of what will be a 4,000-square foot facility.
“We’re getting ready to start the carving shed now, which is Phase II of our project,” White said. “We’re finishing off the Shakes House and now the next step is to build the place where we can restore the poles.”
Not only will totems be able to be restored and carved at the shed, but the building will include classrooms for instruction and learning about other forms of Native Alaskan art.
“There, in the classrooms, we’ll teach everything from weaving to sewing and working with hides,” he added. “There will be a lot of cultural classes in this building, the Wrangell Carving Shed.”
The property corners have been set for the building and according to White the permitting process has begun with the borough.
“The Fire Marshal is reviewing our plans and we’re going through the electrical and building permits. After that, we’ll begin on our site work and getting utilities in so that they match where the building will sit on the property,” he added.
The grading of the property, while set to be complete before the end of the year, will have to wait for the Shakes Tribal House project to wrap up.
“We have to get Shakes done,” White said. “So, it should be about 45-65 days until we start here, and weather will control what we do. We aren’t going to fight freezing temperatures because we can’t pour concrete in it. The plant will be shutting down soon too, but we’re getting everything ready.”
White added that if the winter is mild the project might roll through the colder months in Southeast.
“We’ll just see how this goes,” he added.
Citing the WCA Board of Directors as a major reason behind the project moving forward, White heaped praise upon the group.
“We have an amazingly strong board,” White said. “They are quality people that give a lot of themselves and it is a hard thing to be, on a board where you have to give countless hours to get things done. I just think they need to be recognized too.”
The Rasmuson Foundation helped financially in making the new facility a reality after making a $450,000 grant available to the Wrangell Cooperative Association last year.
According to a statement made by WCA representative Tis Peterman, the group now owns the property, but has a short time left to disburse the money awarded by Sealaska.
“We have a year to get this done and spend the money, so we should see construction begin soon. We have owned the land since March of this year,” Peterman said.
In addition to 1,200 square feet of area reserved for carving of totem poles, an additional 1,165 square feet of totem pole display space is set forth in
the architectural plans for the facility.
Reader Comments(0)