Bethel community center on track for October completion; energy audit finds $51K in annual savings next door

Construction on the YK Community Center expansion in Bethel is on schedule for substantial completion Oct. 24, 2026, with final completion set for Nov. 13, according to a project schedule before the City of Bethel Parks and Recreation Committee on Monday.

Interior work including flooring, mechanical systems, and gym equipment installation runs through October. Testing and commissioning is set for Oct. 10 through 21, followed by the substantial completion milestone. The expansion is anticipated to add a basketball court, a small computer lab, and bathroom upgrades to the existing facility. The City of Bethel estimated construction costs between $7 million and $8 million when it solicited contractor qualifications in October 2024. The committee agenda also included letters of support for funding the gym expansion, reflecting ongoing efforts to secure additional resources for the project.

Also before the committee Monday was an energy audit of the adjacent YK Fitness Center, prepared by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy. The audit found the fitness center spends $419,207 annually on energy, with heating oil accounting for $348,023 of that total, roughly 83 percent, at $5.77 per gallon.

The audit identified 20 recommended efficiency measures across HVAC and lighting. If all are implemented for $36,377, the city would save $51,254 per year, a payback of under one year. The two highest-impact fixes cost effectively nothing: reprogramming the building automation system to match actual operating hours, and adjusting heat recovery setpoints to capture more heat from natatorium exhaust air. Most lighting upgrades alone were found not to be cost-effective at current rates.

The Associated General Contractors of Alaska noted in a 2025 forecast that federal infrastructure funding and oil development are driving statewide construction demand higher, a pressure that affects contractor availability for projects like the YKCC expansion.

The committee is also reconsidering the location of Bethel's first fenced dog park. Riverview Park was designated by ordinance in April 2026, but the committee took up a reconsideration of that site Monday.