Proposals for using space in the soon-to-be-vacated Marie Drake Building and Floyd Dryden Middle School are being accepted until May 20 by the City and Borough of Juneau, which is scheduled to take control of the buildings on July 1.
Numerous ideas have already been submitted to the city, including an animal shelter in a wing at Floyd Dryden as well as a request by the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska to lease 14,000 square feet for Headstart and childcare. CBJ officials said they are also considering using some of the space for municipal purposes such as maintenance operations and recreational programs.
But there’s likely to be an abundance of vacant remaining space at both buildings since each is more than 70,000 square feet in size. An online application posted by CBJ on Wednesday states proposals received by the deadline will be reviewed and ranked by the Public Works and Facilities Committee on June 3, with the Assembly’s Committee of the Whole giving initial consideration to the rankings on July 15 with further action expected in early August.
The exterior of the Marie Drake Building on Thursday, April 4. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
The buildings are being turned over to CBJ by the Juneau School District, as well as the district’s administrative building downtown, as part of a consolidation plan to help resolve a long-term budget deficit. CBJ officials evaluated the Floyd Dryden and Marie Drake buildings as possibilities for a new City Hall to supplant the aging buildings municipal employees currently occupy downtown, but Assembly members have instead authorized negotiations for leasing part of the Michael J. Burns Building that is already designated office space.
Documents posted by CBJ at the project application site, in addition to floor plans, parking availability and zoning classifications, include a report assessing the suitability of Marie Drake and Floyd Dryden as municipal government office space — and thus possibly office space for other purposes. Observations in the report include the “24X24 (foot) classrooms yield 6X6 workspace with little privacy” at Marie Drake and using the building’s commons room as an Assembly Chambers is less than ideal due to “awkward shape, columns (and) low ceilings.”
Among the questions on the online application are whether there is an intent to rent or buy the building(s), if the applicant is willing to pay for fair market value, the level of retrofitting needed and how it would be paid for, length of occupancy, and if CBJ operating funds would be requested related to the proposed use of space.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
