By Aly De Angelus 

The Skagway Recreation Center will get a new roof this summer, at an estimated cost of $600,000 in municipal funds. In addition, the building will close for a maximum of three weeks sometime between April 15 and May 15 for maintenance and other work. 

Bids on the reroofing project are due Feb. 18. The work is a borough priority after damage to the gym, possibly caused by a roof leak. 

It’s unclear what caused water damage to the roof. “Is there an actual leak in the roof?” asked Borough Manager Brad Ryan. “Or is it just condensation from the lack of insulation in the area running down to the end of the facility?” he said. 

“At this point it isn’t really that important to know the answer because we know the roof needs to be replaced and this should solve the problem,” said Ryan, adding that he expects the new roof will be finished by the end of June. 

Condensation was not the only driver for this project. The roof is old and failing, the manager said. The roof already is built up with two layers, and a complete removal and rebuild is more practical than adding a third layer, he said.  

As part of the work, thicker insulation panels — double-sided foam and metal, sandwiched together — will be added to the roof to help keep heat inside the building, Ryan said. 

“(The reroof project) will be hard for the community, but it is needed maintenance to keep the facility open for the long term,” Ryan said.  

To accommodate other work too, the center will close for a maximum of three weeks this spring to allow for maintenance and construction throughout the building. 

“We are trying to maximize that time and do some needed maintenance in the facility at the same time, do some paint and move some equipment around,” Ryan said. 

Originally, the building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system was scheduled for updates as well, however, there is not enough money this fiscal year. 

Instead, Ryan said the work will take a phased approach, addressing active damage first and proposing solutions to improve the HVAC system in the future.  

The Skagway Recreation Center will extend active memberships automatically for one month during renovation.