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Assembly briefed on Signal Hill demolition: contractor says 40% done; building official cautions on reuse
Summary
Borough staff updated the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly on April 24 that interior demolition at the Signal Hill (Mental Health) building is about 40% complete and that the contractor is containerizing PCB waste and preparing for asbestos abatement.
Borough staff updated the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly on April 24 about the Signal Hill project (the former Mental Health building abatement and demolition). The contractor had completed roughly 40% of interior demolition, staff said, and had filled the first container of PCB-contaminated material. Asbestos abatement work was scheduled to begin the following week.
Cody Allen, project manager, told the assembly that with interior framework exposed he asked the city’s building official, Ted Hanson, to walk the buildings with him on April 16. Hanson provided a verbal assessment that the structure could not be repurposed for anything other than residential use and flagged interior modifications that have affected structural components. He recommended any potential remodel be preceded by a structural-engineering evaluation and stressed that future work must comply with current International Building Code standards. Hanson offered to provide a written summary and to appear at a future meeting; staff and assemblymembers requested both a written report and a possible walk-through after hazardous abatement is complete and the site is safe.
Contractor concerns: Staff and the contractor flagged widespread mold growth and structural-frame weaknesses in exterior walls. The project team is containerizing PCB waste and planned to move to asbestos abatement; staff said mold remediation was not yet in the abatement scope and that mold could spread to additional interior areas. The contractor reported it had completed containerization of the first PCB container the day of the update.
Why it matters: Signal Hill (the borough’s former mental-health facility) is an asset under review for disposal or reuse. The building official’s early, on-site assessment indicating limited reusability and structural deficiencies will likely raise design and cost considerations for any future decision about reuse versus demolition and rebuilding.
Assembly requests and next steps: Several assemblymembers asked for a written report from the building official and requested that staff offer an opportunity for an assembly-member walk-through once the abatement contractor clears the site and issues appropriate test results. Project staff said they expect to complete interior demolition and transition to asbestos abatement within about a week and will then schedule clearance testing. No decision on the building’s future use was made at the work session.
Ending: The assembly directed staff to obtain a written summary from the building official and to bring the official before the assembly when a subject-matter expert’s opinion is needed on structural limitations and code compliance. Members reiterated the need for a recorded, written evaluation to support future budget or disposition decisions.
