Cook Inlet Tribal Council restarts K'teya center bidding for a larger building

Cook Inlet Tribal Council reissued its request for a builder for the K'teya Cultural Center in east Anchorage on Friday, moving the proposal deadline to Dec. 18 and asking for a larger building within the same $36.5 million total.

The new design-build request describes about 39,900 square feet, up from about 32,600 square feet in the Sept. 30 version. The new figure matches the size in the PacWest cost estimate behind the budget.

The budget now has to cover more. The earlier request called the $36.5 million "the design-build construction budget." The new one calls it the total project budget, covering the builder, furniture and equipment, an owner's project manager, other owner costs and contingencies. It "is not the Design-Builder's construction budget or GMP," the guaranteed maximum price the builder will later propose after finishing the design.

The center is planned on CITC-owned land off Northway Drive, next to the Clare Swan Early Learning Center. The plans describe a two-story building with a gym, stage, walking track, child care, a commercial kitchen, clinic space, offices and cultural space.

Alaska News reported on the first request Oct. 1, when proposals were due Nov. 16. CITC later marked it "Request for Proposal Paused" with "Revisions to RFP In-Progress" and promised an update Oct. 30. The posted records do not say why it was paused or how much of the $36.5 million is meant for design and construction.

Written questions on the new design-build request are due Nov. 20, answers Nov. 30, and proposals Dec. 18 at 5 pm Alaska time. CITC expects to name a winner by Jan. 22. The contract would start Feb. 15, six weeks later than the first request's Jan. 4 start, though the project's end date stays June 30, 2028.

The new request adds a savings split: if the builder finishes under its guaranteed price, CITC keeps 70 percent of verified savings and the builder gets 30 percent, up to $300,000. Under the first request, all savings went to CITC.

CITC also posted a request for an owner's project manager Friday, a new contract. The firm would represent the council, oversee money and schedule, and stay independent of the builder. It would also coordinate city land-use, site-plan, building, stormwater, utility and fire approvals, and flag whether the site needs a sewer-main extension. Questions are due Nov. 13 and proposals Nov. 30, with an award expected Dec. 18 and a Jan. 4 start.

That request attaches the PacWest estimate, noting it was prepared for CITC's internal decisions and is for reference only. It says funding "may involve donations, grants and other sources" but names no funder. Early site work, including site preparation and excavation, is targeted for April 2027 and completion for June 2028, dates CITC calls planning targets only.