Construction of the new Glory Hall building near the airport is running straight and steady, said the shelter’s executive director.
“The new building is coming along very well,” said Mariya Lovishchuk in a phone interview. “We’re hoping to start doing programs out of there on July 1.”
Fortuitous timing and hard work by primary contractor, Carver Construction, mean that the building’s walls and roofs were finished before foul weather could severely impede progress.
“It’s kind of been really remarkable, how lucky we’ve been on the timing. We had those huge snowstorms, but we were able to get the roof on before the snow storms. It got super cold out, but people have been able to work inside,” Lovishchuk said. “The timing has been really amazing. The only thing we didn’t get to do is to get power to the site.”
The building’s monolithic appearance is only a temporary one; Lovishchuk said: windows are coming. The only thing they weren’t able to sort in time was the permanent power, Lovishchuk said, but they were able to work around.
“Right now, we’re framing the interior walls and cutting in the windows. The windows get cut in later. We’ll definitely have lots of windows, you just can’t see them right now,” Lovishchuk said. “We’ve got temporary power. (Alaska Electric Light and Power )was super helpful working with us.”
Currently, contractors are working on roofing, siding, plumbing and wiring, Lovishchuk said. The Glory Hall board has not yet decided what to do with the old building, Lovishchuk said, and are considering all options while they seek the funding to finish the new structure .
“Construction’s on track and on schedule,” Lovishchuk said. “We are still a little bit under on the fundraising. We do have two grants still out, but we’re waiting on an answer. That’ll give us a better idea of where we are.”
The total cost of the project is expected to be roughly $4.7 million, Lovishchuk said.
• Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at (757) 621-1197 or mlockett@juneauempire.com.
