Petersburg Medical Center board members were told on March 19 that construction on the medical center's new facility is continuing and that several major inspections and installations have been completed.

The presenter said site work has resumed, final grading material is being brought in, sidewalks and a service drive were poured recently, and concrete work for light poles and other exterior items is underway. Interior work reported included electrical and mechanical trim, communications wiring, and carpet and flooring installation. The elevator installation is complete and the elevator passed testing with the State of Alaska inspector. The facility's fire alarm also passed inspection by the State of Alaska Fire Marshal and was signed off.

The board was told the MRI addition steel structure is in place and that off-site fabrication of the copper shield for the MRI will be completed before on-site installation. The MRI magnet and associated equipment were reported expected to arrive toward June, and the MRI addition substantial completion target was given as July 1. For the larger hospital design, work remains paused at the 35% schematic design level; a wetlands permit application for a Phase 5 site extension has been submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and public notification had been issued, the presenter said.

No changes to the project budget were reported and the presenter said there have been no change orders to date. The board was scheduled to hold a substantial-completion walkthrough with the design team and engineers on May 1 to generate a punch list.

Board members asked about exterior lighting design and its effects on nearby residences; the presenter said fixtures include shrouds and are downcasting with most of the light focused toward the southeast corner of the site, and that signage lighting will be low intensity.

The presentation closed with the schedule of near-term construction activities: continued exterior siding, remaining concrete work on the west side and service yard, continuation of interior trim work, and framing on the MRI addition. The presenter noted some lag is expected for the MRI addition but reaffirmed the July 1 target for that portion of the project.