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Fort McPherson to get $5M community hall

photo courtesy MACAFort Mcpherson, 2007
The hamlet of Fort McPherson is seeking construction bids for a new, $5 million community hall. (Photo courtesy MACA)

The hamlet of Fort McPherson plans to build a $5 million community hall.

A request for proposals has been issued for the project and the hamlet hopes construction can begin in May of 2020, said Bill Buckle, the community's senior administrative officer.

Fort Mcpherson, 2007. photo courtesy MACA
The hamlet of Fort McPherson plans to build a $5 million community hall. (Photo courtesy of MACA.

The new hall will be built on the same site as the old one that was demolished last summer after it experienced structural problems from the movement of pilings underneath.

“It twisted the building out of shape. I don't want to be a fearmonger but climate change maybe (was the cause),” said Buckle.

Buckle aims to make the new hall as emissions free as possible and said it might receive power from solar cells, or would be powered by a propane generator.

The planned size of the building is 7,000 square feet, with a capacity of up to 350 people. The old hall was 5,600 sq feet in area and could accommodate 275 people.

“(It) was built by the government in the 1980s and it didn't have many luxuries or extras,” said Buckle.

The hall will be attached to the local arena. It could also serve as an emergency shelter.

Most of the $5 million for the hall will come out of Fort McPherson's public infrastructure and gas tax funds, and a little over $1 million from the federal government.

Buckle hopes the contract can be awarded by the end of January and that most of the materials for the project can be delivered in the coming months so that construction can begin in May.

The goal is to complete it by July or August of 2021.