$4 million contract awarded for Sperry Chalet

National Park Service Awards Contract to Dick Anderson Construction for First Phase of Sperry Chalet Construction

West Glacier, MT – Sperry Chalet in Glacier National Park will be rebuilt after being damaged in a forest fire last year, and the job will go to a Montana company.

The National Park Service today announced the award of a $4.08 million contract to Dick Anderson Construction of Great Falls, Montana, for rebuilding the historic Sperry Chalet Dormitory. The chalet was burned in August 2017 during the Sprague Fire that burned thousands of acres in the park. Construction will be completed in two phases, beginning this summer and continuing into 2019.
 

The park service said it expects that work this year will begin in early July, and continue through mid-fall, weather permitting. The Denver Service Center, the park service's central planning, design, and construction management office, awarded the contract for phase one and will oversee the upcoming project.

The first phase of the project will include permanent building stabilization, such as roofing and interior walls. Phase 2, scheduled for the summer of 2019, will provide additional protection as the chalet faces wind and heavy snow next winter.

 
The initial construction phase will be funded primarily with federal money. Subsequent project phases will be funded with a $1.2 million property insurance reimbursement, privately solicited donations from the Glacier National Park Conservancy and additional federal funds, the park service said in a statement.
 
Rebuilding of the Sperry Chalet on its original site was made possible because of the quick response and financial support of the Glacier Conservancy immediately after the fire. The Conservancy raised $200,000 for a “Phase Zero” emergency stabilization and preservation of the chalet’s stone masonry walls before winter set in. The response also reduced subsequent project costs.  
 
"The outpouring of support for this project has been inspiring," Doug Mitchell, Executive Director of the Glacier National Park Conservancy, said. "We're honored to help provide private, philanthropic support for this historic project.”
 
 
The park service will rebuild the Sperry Chalet Dormitory at its original site within the original stone masonry walls. The design will rehabilitate the chalet dormitory reflecting its period of significance (1914-1949). Some critical updates will include meeting current building codes where applicable, and improvements to life safety features including seismic bracing and fire resistant materials.

The visitor experience will be very similar to what it has been for decades by using as much of the remaining historic fabric, and replicating historic finishes where practicable, according to the park service.