NOAA Fisheries News Releases
NEWS RELEASE
December 8, 2005
Sheela McLean
(907) 586-7032
Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute -- Construction Update
Steel has been rising fast on the skyline at Lena Point near Juneau, Alaska, where a new NOAA Fisheries research facility is taking shape on the rocky bluff. The roof decking on the new facility is in place, and workers expect the final roofing to be on within a couple weeks.
Livingston Slone, Inc. of Anchorage designed the $51 million dollar Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute, which is being built by the Northwest Office of J.E. Dunn Construction.
"The work is going fine," said project superintendent Scott Neuman of the J.E. Dunn Construction. "We're close to our original schedule." This is not the first time Neumann has built through an Alaskan winter—he worked construction in Kodiak on a hospital and also on what is now the NOAA Fisheries research laboratory on Near Island.
Neumann said top priorities at Lena Point are to finish up the steelwork, complete under-slab plumbing, finish the concrete slabs, get the filter building in place and finish the exterior framing.
About 40 construction workers are on the job this week working under lights in the morning and evening because of the short northern winter days. The crew is expected to increase as the project progresses.
The public can check progress on the facility by visiting www.fakr.noaa.gov/lena and clicking on the ‘webcam of construction' button. The webcam updates the available image every few seconds.
Scientists and staff will occupy 85 offices and 14 laboratories in the new Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute. The facility will contain 69,000 square foot of floor space configured in two stories with a partial basement.
NOAA Fisheries researchers plan to start moving into the building in late 2006 with final occupancy in early 2007. Many researchers will be moving from the Auke Bay Laboratory, Southeast Alaska's main NOAA fisheries research facility for more than 45 years.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks has funding for a new School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences facility at Lena Point. All the site work at Lena Point completed this year by Sitka-based Southeast Earthmovers, Inc.,was designed with both the federal and the university construction plans in mind. The University building is expected to be about 31,000 square feet.
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) is dedicated to protecting and preserving our nation's living marine resources through scientific research, management, enforcement, and the conservation of marine mammals and other protected marine species and their habitat. To learn more about NOAA Fisheries in Alaska, please visit our website at www.fakr.noaa.gov