Archeologists have completed the ground-penetrating radar phase of the study at the site of the Pius X Mission School, now used as a municipal RV park in Skagway. The community-run health clinic’s building and land have been assessed at $9.5 million for the potential sale to Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, there will be a public vote to approve that sale on July 12. There are also developments on the Royal Caribbean Presidential Party planned for later this month. KHNS’ Mike Swasey spoke with Mayor Andrew Cremata about the latest news from Skagway.
Swasey – Thank you for joining us Mayor Andrew Cremata, I appreciate it. First of all, I’d like to know more about what is happening with the archaeological assessment over at the site of the former Mission School and Garden City RV park, they did ground-penetrating radar, what happened?
Cremata – So the ground-penetrating radar process has been completed. So now this moves into the analyzation phase. So this is going to take a few months. And what the company is going to do is pour over this data and try and figure out exactly what’s buried underground there.
I think one of the bigger surprises that I personally got from this data is the conventional wisdom in town, and what I had heard from multiple people, was that the mission only occupied about half of that area in Garden City. But, it turns out, that it occupied the entire piece of property. So that was a bit of a surprise for me. And I think it should be something that the assembly acknowledges as we decide what we’re going to do with this property in the future.
Swasey – So are they going to do physical digging now?
Cremata – No, there won’t be any physical digging unless there’s a reason to do physical digging, at least that’s how I understand it. So, if the data doesn’t reveal that there’s anything that needs to be confirmed, say, for example, a grave site, then there probably won’t be any reason to dig. But there could be other things found there that could motivate excavation.
Swasey – Okay. The clinic appraisal has been published, it’s 153 pages. What is the clinic appraising at?
Cremata – Well, the long and short of it is it’s appraising currently at $9,500,000.
Swasey – And that’s for the building in the land?
Cremata – That is correct.
Swasey – None of the equipment inside the building or operations or anything like that?
Cremata – That is correct.
Swasey – And that’ll be negotiated later, after the vote, if it’s a positive vote for SEARHC taking over the clinic. If it’s a negative vote, it won’t be negotiated.
Cremata – Correct. And then the final negotiated price comes back to the Assembly for approval or rejection after that process. So we’re going to have an opportunity to hear from some of the representatives from SEARHC here in the next few weeks.
Swasey – And they’ll have to open town hall-style meetings coming up here, one in June and one in July.
Cremata – That is the goal currently.
Swasey – Okay. Big party coming up a Presidential Cruise for Royal Caribbean, the President Royal Caribbean’s coming to town. They’re throwing a big party in partnership with the municipality. It’s going to be at the new field correct, out at Shoreline Park?
Cremata – Well, there’s been some changes. One of the big changes is that the large concert that was going to be held at Shoreline Park is no longer going to happen at Shoreline Park. They’re going to keep it on board the cruise ship. And the reason why was they needed so much power. Just the power to bring it into Shoreline Park alone was going to cost a lot of money like around $100,000.
And then there was also a question of, you know, there being possibly way too many people. So there are going to be, as of now, smaller breakout-type of entertainment along Broadway. Possibly the closing of Broadway, like we do on the Fourth of July, but some of those details are still being hammered out.
Swasey – And the Presidential Party Committee has decided not to explore the option of Deadman Stage which actually could accommodate a large act and a lot of people?
Cremata – That was explained to the representatives from Royal Caribbean that have helped organize the event. They decided to have the concert on the boat.
Swasey – Andrew Cremata, Mayor of Skagway, Alaska, thanks so much for joining us.
Cremata – My pleasure, thank you.
The Presidential Party is scheduled for June 27th.
