A plan is in motion to determine what improving Centennial Hall entails.<\/p>\n
An overhaul to the convention center and event venue is part of conversations surrounding the proposed New Juneau Arts & Culture Center project. But while the replacement for the current JACC has years of research behind it, the specifics of a Centennial Hall renovation or rebuild aren’t filled in.<\/p>\n
That’s where a Centennial Hall Conceptual Option study outlined Tuesday night during a special City and Borough of Juneau Public Works and Facilities Committee comes in.<\/p>\n
“The idea is we know a lot about what the New JACC needs are, we don’t know a lot about what Centennial Hall needs are,” said Assembly member Michelle Bonnet Hale, committee chairwoman. “The idea of this contract and the resulting public meetings and presentations are just to inform us what those needs are. What we’re trying to do on the committee is bring it forward a couple of steps so we can bring it back to the Assembly as a whole.”<\/p>\n
The contract she referenced is a $50,000 agreement with MRV Architects, which has developed a six-step plan for Centennial Hall design. Funding for the study came from a fund transfer approved at an April 8 Public Works and Facilities Committee meeting<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hale said the effort is a digression from the committee re-examining potentially bringing public funding options for the New JACC to municipal ballots, but it will help inform discussions.<\/p>\n The Centennial Hall study plan as outlined by Paul Voelckers, MRV Architects president and architect, included identification of space needs, initial conceptual design options, construction estimate, option analysis, selection and graphic refinement of conceptual options and cost estimates for construction and operational expenses.<\/p>\n The last step is slated for June 14-20, according to a plan shared by Voelckers, and he said the goal of the study is to produce a “shopping list” of Centennial Hall improvement options.<\/p>\n There would also be multiple public presentations with an initial event scheduled for the evening of May 7 at Centennial Hall.<\/p>\n Assembly members and Voelckers discussed the scope of the study.<\/p>\n Assembly member Rob Edwardson asked if there would be time to voice support for a standalone New JACC project that is not combined with Centennial Hall plans.<\/p>\n