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AlternateSitesFeasibilityStudy Page 1

MEMORANDUM

Project: LibraryArchivesMuseumProject

Date: 11302010

Subject: AlternateSitesFeasibilityStudy

Overview&Background

Thesite

of

the

existing

Alaska

State

Museum

has

been

identified

as

the

site

of

the

planned

Library

Archives

Museumprojectsinceasearlyas2002. InthatyearthissitereceivedfinancialsupportfromtheLegislature

throughanappropriationthatallowedthepurchaseofanadjacentlot. Thisactioncreatedacombinedsitelarge

enoughto,andwiththeintentionofsupportingthenewfacility.

Duringearlierdesignphasesoftheproject,theprojectteamidentifiedseveralchallengestotheexistingAlaska

StateMuseumstructurethatmadeinclusionwithintheintegratedLibraryArchivesMuseumfacilitydifficult. A

numberofstructuraldeficiencieswereidentifiedthathavesignificantcostimplications.Moresignificantly,the

locationandconfigurationoftheexistingbuildingcreatedseriousprogramandefficiencycompromisesinthe

newfacility.Forthesereasonsalongwithinherentimplicationstoprojectscheduleandbudget,theprojectteam

doesnot

plan

to

further

consider

options

for

keeping

the

existing

structure

intact.

The

project

plans

indicate

completedemolitionoftheexistingAlaskaStateMuseumanditcurrentlyincorporatesthefollowingmitigation

options: reuseoftheexistingconcreteexteriorpanelsandplanforinterpretiveworkand/orexhibitsthat

celebratethecentennial,theoriginalmuseumandthesignificanceofeach.

InmidOctoberof2010,membersoftheLibraryArchivesMuseumProjectdesignteamlearnedfromtheState

HistoricPreservationOfficethattheexistingAlaskaStateMuseumbuildingmayhavehistoricalsignificanceand

thatadditionalprojectconsiderationswouldberequiredinaccordancewithAlaskaStatute41.35.070(b) (c). In

reactiontothisnews,andaspartofduediligenceinplanningforthecombinedLibraryArchivesMuseumProject,

theprojectteamendeavoredtoidentifyoptionstomitigateadverseaffectsbeyondthoseproposedinthe

current

design.

A

key

result

was

an

exploration

to

identify

possible

alternate

sites

for

the

project.

To

be

considered,alternatesiteswouldneedtomeetbasiccriteria:

Mustbelargeenoughtoaccommodatethenew120,000sffacilityplusaminimumof120onsiteparkingstalls.

MustbelocatedinthedowntownofJuneau,andwithina1000feetwalkingdistancefromtheStateOfficeBuilding.

Mustbeunderpubliccontrol,withastrongpreferenceforlocationscurrentlyunderStatecontrol.

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Musthaveexcellentvehicularaccessandbeabletosupportaminimumofthreeloadingsupportberthswithmultipledailydeliveries.

Withinthesecriteria,twopossiblealternativesiteswereidentified: TelephoneHillandtheSubPort. Eachis

describedbelow.

SummaryofFindings,TelephoneHillSite

TheTelephoneHillsiteisinstateownershipandshowedpromiseforsupportingbuildingsizeandparking

requirements,butwasdismissedasanonviablealternativeduetositeaccesschallenges. Inparticularitdoes

notmeetvehicularaccessandloadingberthgoalsthatareessentialtotheproject. Thisaccessrequirementis

crucialtotheefficiencyandoperationsofthemuseum(collectionsmanagementandrotatingexhibits),library

(newmaterials,interlibraryloan,andinteragencycouriers),archives(collectionsmanagement,document

receivingand

disbursement,

inter

agency

courier),

micrographics

(document

receiving

and

disbursement);

as

well

asmultipleotherbuildingandprogramfunctions.

SummaryofFindings,SubPortSite

DuringthefirstweekofNovember,2010,membersofthedesignteamparticipatedinabriefcharettetotestthe

fitoftheLibraryArchivesMuseumprogramontheSubPortsite. Thesitewasfoundtosupporttheprogramvery

well. Abriefanalysisofconstructionchallengessuggeststhatthissitewilllikelybeeasiertobuildonthanthe

currentlyproposedsite(existingmuseum)sincetheprojectwouldnotneedtobephasedaroundanexisting

building,thusmuseumoperationswouldnotbeimpactedbyconstructionactivities. Eliminationofphasingwill

dramaticallyreducerisktothecollectionssincetheywouldonlyneedtobemovedoncefromtheircurrent

locationsintothenewpermanentvault.

Becauseofitssizeandconfiguration,theSubPortsiteiscapableofsupportingsurfaceparking. Thecostof

surfaceparkingwouldbesubstantiallylessthantherequiredstructuredparkingontheexistingmuseumsite.

Combinedwithothersavingsduetosimplifiedconstructionphasing,earlyestimatessuggestthattotal

developmentcostsontheSubPortsitemaybeasmuchas$6Mlessthanontheexistingmuseumsite.

ThebiggestchallengetotheSubPortsitethelackofStateownership. ThesiteiscurrentlyownedbytheMental

HealthLand

Trust

as

administered

by

the

Trust

Land

Office,

and

is

estimated

to

have

significantly

higher

value

thantheexistingmuseumsite. Weresiteacquisitionpossible,theincreasedlandcostswouldlikelyeliminate

mostofthereductionsinconstructioncost.

AsecondmajorchallengeattheSubPortlocationisitsincreasedexposuretoinclementstormweatherand

stormsurges,particularlyduringmajorstormevents. Thisissueshouldbecarefullyanalyzedalongsidethe

projectscoremissionofprotectingAlaskastreasures.

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AlternateSitesFeasibilityStudy Page 3

SiteStrengths,SubPortSite

Duringthefeasibilityanalysisanumberofsitestrengthswereidentified:

ThesiteoffersbettervisibilityfromallapproachesintoJuneau: byland,airandwater. ThusitoffersthepotentialforatruelandmarkbuildingthatisagatewaytoJuneauandAlaska.

Thesiteoffersclearpublicaccessandcirculation vehicularandpedestrian,(butischallengingfromaserviceaccessstandpoint,seebelow)

Conceptualdesignideasbasedonhistoricdevelopmentpatternstranslateverywelltothissiteandareinfactstrengthened.

Anexcellentdropoffsequenceforautomobilesandbusses. Betteraccesstolightandviews. Greatlysimplifiedconstructionphasingversustheexistingmuseumsite.

An

opportunity

for

surface

parking,

thus

significant

project

cost

savings.

Creationofamajorpublicbuildingonthewaterfrontwillactivatethewaterfrontyearround,thussparkingeconomicdevelopment.

TheSubPortsiteisveryeasytoaccessfromtourshipsanddocks. TheSubPortsiteisnotencumberedbyanexistingbuildingthatmayhavehistoricalsignificance.

SiteChallenges,SubPortSite

Challenge/Deficiency PossibleSolutionPotential

for

greater

exposure

to

inclement

weather

due

to

location

right

onwater. Inparticular,exposuretotidalandstormsurgesduringmajor

stormevents.

Analyzedata

from

previous

storm

events

to

determine

impactstosite. Locatethecollectionsstoragesothatitis

encapsulatedbytherestofthebuilding,thusreducing

risktocollections. Provideprotectedpublicentriesthat

considerprevailingandstormwinds. Undertake

wind/stormmodelingtohelpensurethatthecollection

canbeadequatelyprotectedinamajorstormevent.

Serviceaccesstothesiteischallenginggiventhatallfacesofthebuilding

havepublicexposure. Loadingaccessatthenorthofthebuildingrequires

difficultturningmovementsforlargerservicevehicles,suchassemis.

WithonlyasingleaccesspointtoEgan,thereispotentialforconflict

betweenpublicandservicevehicles.

Foundationswillrequirelongerpilingversustheexistingmuseumsite. Utilizelongerpiling. Costislikelyoffsetbyabsenceofsoil

contaminationcostsversusexistingmuseumsite.

Westernedgeofsiteisnotwelldeveloped. Constructanadequateseawallalongwesternproperty

boundary.

Allsidesofbuildingarepubliclyvisible,makingserviceaccesschallenging. LocateserviceaccessalongEganDriveandcarefullyuse

buildingmassingandlandscapingtoscreenbackofhouse

activities.

SiteisnotunderStateownership. InitiatehighleveldiscussionswiththeTrustLandOfficeto

exploresiteacquisitionoptions.

LocationisacrossEganDrivefromtheStateOfficeBuilding. WorkwithCityBoroughofJuneautoimplementtraffic

calmingalongthisportionofEganDriveand/orcreatea

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pedestrianskybridge.

DispositionoftheexistingAlaskaStateMuseumandadjacentvacantlot

wouldbeintegraltoconsiderationofanalternatesitefortheproject

Determinefeasibility/marketabilityofsaleoftheexisting

AlaskaStateMuseumasis. Determine

feasibility/marketabilityofsaleofthevacantlotadjacent

totheexistingAlaskaStateMuseum

AdditionalSiteConsiderations

AsignificantchallengeinconsiderationofalternativelocationsfortheLibraryArchivesandMuseumProjectisin

regardtohistoriclegislativeintentandthedesireoftheJuneaucommunity. Asdescribedabove,in2002the

legislatureappropriatedfundingforthepurchaseofthelotadjacenttotheexistingAlaskaStateMuseumwith

theunderstandingthatthepropertyacquisitionwasthefirststepinprovidingafacilitytohousethefunctionsof

theAlaskaStateLibrary,AlaskaStateArchivesandAlaskaStateMuseumonthesamesiteastheexistingAlaska

StateMuseum.

As

aresult

of

the

legislative

action

described

above,

and

with

the

support

of

the

Juneau

community,thedepartmentstartedtheprojectplanninganddesignprocesswiththeunderstandingand

directionthattheproposedfacilitywouldbelocatedontheexistingAlaskaStateMuseumsiteandtheadjacent

vacantproperty. TheDepartmentofEducationandEarlyDevelopmentnowholdstitletoboththeexistingAlaska

StateMuseumSiteandtheadjacentvacantproperty. Anyproposedmitigationthatinvolvesconsiderationofan

alternativesitefortheLibrary,ArchivesandMuseumProjectwillneedtoalsoconsiderdispositionoftheexisting

AlaskaStateLibraryaswellastheadjacentvacantproperty,asthedepartmentdoesnothavethestaffingor

budgettooperatetheproposedcombinedfacilityinadditiontotheexistingAlaskaStateMuseumbuilding. The

departmentalsodoesnothavethefundingnecessarytorepairtheexistingbuilding,orthedesiretobecomea

landlordforafacilitythatwillnotbeusedtomeettheneedsofthelibrary,archivesormuseumfunctionsofthe

department.

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ImagesandSketches,SubPortSite

sitelocation

sitelocationbeforefillofWilloughbyDistrict

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sketchshowingpossiblefirstfloorlayout,vehicularaccessandparking

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sketchshowingpossibleviewfromGastineauChannel