Congress approved funds for many Alaska programs and projects last week. Three major infrastructure projects in Talkeetna will receive substantial federal funding.
The Upper Susitna Senior Center will receive five million dollars to upgrade and expand their facilities. With the expansion, the Center will better serve the whole community. Senior Center Executive Director Kevin O’Connor says the Center is an emergency shelter so the upgrades and expansion will work to support that as well as providing spaces to meet a variety of needs.
New classrooms will provide community training spaces. Mechanical and electrical upgrades will support a new weight room and showers. Though not included in the federal funding, O’Connor says they hope to also add a washateria in a separate building onsite to help support off-grid residents. The Center is seeking grants to fund that and to build eight 55-and-older housing units. O’Connor says he hopes all the projects will be complete by 2026.
The Talkeetna Historical Society also will receive $500,000 toward renovations. Located in the original Talkeetna school house built in 1936, the museum building needs major repairs. Talkeetna Museum Manager Autumn Merritt says the building needs foundation repairs, new plumbing, and updated electric and insulation. She says the funding will kick start the renovation process, but more will be needed to complete the project.
The Mat-Su Borough also will receive just over five million dollars to replace critical water lines in Talkeetna. Borough Public Works Director Tom Adams says there is not a specific project for the funding right now, but many of the lines were built in the 1980s and are in need of repair. He says the team will refer to a completed engineering study to help determine which line should be prioritized.
The State provided nearly five million dollars last year to install a new well and add water storage capacity. That was in addition to the more than one million dollars the Borough set aside to begin these projects. Combined, this state and federal funding will provide significant repairs and upgrades to Talkeetna’s water supply infrastructure.
Funding will take a few months to reach the project managers in Talkeetna. Projects will likely begin in the 2025 fiscal year.
