Work underway on new Palmer library as city celebrates groundbreaking

What you need to know:

• Work is underway on Palmer’s new $15 million public library, with crews preparing the foundation and getting ready to begin framing. The 20,000-square-foot, two-story building is expected to be completed next July.
• Dozens of residents and current and former local officials gathered at the construction site Saturday for a groundbreaking ceremony.
• The new facility will replace the city’s previous library, which was severely damaged when its roof collapsed under a heavy snow load in 2023 and was demolished last year. The building will include meeting and community rooms, a balcony and the city’s library collection.

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PALMER — Work is underway on the new Palmer Public Library building, with crews preparing the foundation and getting ready to start framing, officials said Saturday.

The $15 million project is scheduled for completion next July, according to Dylan McKenzie, a project manager with contractor H5. Dirt-moving work started last month.

Dozens of area residents, along with current and former city, Matanuska-Susitna Borough and state officials, gathered at the construction site Saturday for an official groundbreaking ceremony.

Officials delivered remarks before grabbing golden shovels and tossing dirt as part of the ceremony.

“I happen to be the mayor of the Mat-Su Borough, as I am now, when we dedicated this first library here many years ago, and I at that time certainly didn't think that I would live long enough or be active long enough to dedicate another one,” Borough Mayor Edna DeVries said during the event. “I'm happy to see that out of the ashes we're going to erect something that's going to be very well accepted as well as used not only in our community but in the other areas of the borough.”

The previous library building was severely damaged in early 2023 when its roof collapsed under heavy snow load. It was demolished last year. The building was constructed in 1985.

Work on the new facility will take more than a year because of its complexity, said Gary Wolf, the architect who designed it. Unlike wood-frame homes that can be built quickly, the library will have a steel frame, sophisticated electrical and mechanical systems, and large windows.

When finished, the 20,000-square-foot, two-story building will include meeting and community rooms and a balcony, and the city's library collection. Some of those materials are currently available at a temporary library location on Arctic Avenue, while the rest are in long-term storage.

A voter-approved bond in 2023 authorized the city to borrow up to $10 million to fund the facility. Rather than rely on that funding, which could increase property taxes, city officials secured grants and donations and used revenue from a temporary 1% sales tax increase.

While city funding covers construction costs, local volunteers are working to raise money for furniture, fixtures and other interior needs, including computers and shelving. The Friends of the Palmer Public Library has raised $200,000 so far but hopes to bring in $1 million, said Mardene Collins, the organization's president.

-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com