Kodiak commission to revisit vote backing museums' lease plan for Griffin building

The Kodiak Historic Preservation Commission will revisit Friday, Oct. 30, its recommendation that two museums' plan to lease the old Griffin Memorial Hospital fits the commission's design intent for the building, because an alternate member made the original motion.

The commission approved the recommendation unanimously Oct. 1, at the same meeting where it adopted the design intent, its statement of how the building should be restored. That statement says the building would be rehabilitated following the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, preserving its exterior character-defining features and significant interior features while replacing mechanical, electrical and fire suppression systems.

Alternate member Ian Bruce made the Oct. 1 motion with all seven regular commissioners present. Under commission rules, an alternate may make motions only when a regular member is absent. A staff report from Deputy City Manager Josie Bahnke says the motion is coming back for correction and offers the same recommendation as a potential motion for Friday.

The recommendation is advisory. The Kodiak City Council decides the lease. At a Sept. 8 work session, the council reached consensus not to sell the building for now, as Alaska News reported Sept. 28. Two days later, Gale Armstrong told the council the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church remains interested in acquiring the building if the city sells, draft minutes show. The council will consider the joint lease application from the Kodiak Maritime Museum and Kodiak History Museum later, the staff report says.

The state transportation department deeded the building to the city in 2023. Its National Register of Historic Places nomination is pending with the State Historic Preservation Office.

The 1938 building on Mission Road covers about 7,200 square feet. Its two lots carry a combined 2026 assessed value of about $1.43 million.

A concept design attached to the application includes collections storage for the History Museum, storage and exhibit space for the Maritime Museum and a city information technology office.

Toby Sullivan, the Maritime Museum's executive director and a regular commissioner, told the council Sept. 8: "The History Museum needs collection storage space, and the Maritime Museum needs both storage and exhibit space."

The commission meets at 1 pm at Fisherman's Hall.