New Office Building Project Still Alive

  Groundbreaking ceremony in Juneau at site of new State Library, Archives and Museum project, October 3, 2011. 

Recent reports in the media regarding the proposed state office building project have led to many calls and emails into my office.  I want to assure you that the project is still alive.  Several assumptions, however, have changed.

Going into the site selection, there were four underlying assumptions:  first, that the Douglas Island Office Building needed to be demolished and replaced; second, that the North Parking Garage needed to be replaced; third, that the Public Safety Building on Whittier Street needed to be replaced; and fourth, that the Department of Labor building lease should be vacated.

A sound engineering report on the Douglas Island Office Building has changed some of those assumptions, enabling the state to move forward with needed renovations at that site. 

Construction of the proposed State Library, Archives and Museum project (SLAM) will also directly impact space needs by eventually freeing up two floors in the State Office Building.  Potentially this will allow Public Safety employees to move into the newly vacated space.

The Parnell Administration is currently conducting a space analysis of all state government space.  Once this is complete, we will have a better understanding on which to make a decision about a long-term location for employees now housed in the Department of Labor Building.

Clearly, the scope of the original project has changed.  However, I remain committed to working closely with the administration, the Juneau delegation, and members of the legislature to ensure that needed investments in state infrastructure remain on track.