On a 9-0 vote Thursday, a hesitant Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB) Assembly greenlighted a measure to increase the budget from $835,000 dollars to about $1.8 million for the park’s renovation.
At their regular meeting Oct. 10, 2024, the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly approved doubling the budget for a renovation of Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Fairbanks, pictured here.FAIRBANKS, Alaska - Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Fairbanks is still on track to get its makeover, but the construction budget has now more than doubled.
Aside from Assemblymember Savannah Fletcher, who cannot participate in debate as presiding officer, assemblymembers repeated similar sentiments across the dais, albeit with varying degrees of criticism in their tone. “It is a hard pill to swallow to double the amount of this project,” Assemblymember Mindy O’Neall said, using a phrase multiple other members repeated over the course of the discussion.Current project plans call for demolishing the existing gazebo, building out a plaza and sidewalks, upgrading lighting, installing a seasonal shade structure and improving some of the current amenities and landscaping.
“We are hoping that you will go ahead and support the expansion of that veterans park,” Alaska Native Veterans Association founder Benno Cleveland said. During assembly debate, the park’s cost increase also drew occasional comparisons to the animal shelter replacement project — another capital upgrade that roughly doubled in price from original borough estimates. Like the Veterans Memorial Park renovation, the animal shelter replacement hit 35% design when its cost projection grew, rising from $17 million to $33 million.
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