The Public Safety Building has been a topic of much discussion and concern to city government. The building, which houses Wrangell’s police department, fire department, court, and DMV, is in disrepair. It was first constructed in 1987, according to Capital Facilities Director Amber Al-Haddad. Much of the discussion has been whether or not replacing the entire building would be cheaper than renovating it, and about the growing list of issues present in the building.
Another problem has recently been added to the list, according to Borough Manager Lisa Von Bargen, as structural instability was detected in the courthouse.
“The structural issues were noted by the structural engineer who was in Wrangell the week of the 14th as part of a multi-disciplinary team of engineers conducting an assessment of the entire Public Safety Building to determine the condition of the building,” Von Bargen wrote in a Sept. 28 email.
According to the engineer’s assessment, she wrote, there is rot in Glulam beams and possibly in the floor joints of the west side of the building, particularly in the court office area. The rooms in question, which include the clerk’s office and the lounge, are being vacated and relocated to another part of the Public Safety Building. Von Bargen said there was currently not a timeline for repairing the structural issues, but the city was working towards a solution.
“The recommended repair is that the roof and floor in this area be shored as soon as possible, and prior to snow accumulation on the roof,” she wrote. “PND Engineers has been hired to design a shoring solution. Materials were not in stock in town and so they have been ordered through a local supplier. The construction of the shoring solution will go out for bid as soon as the design is complete.”
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