LifeFairbanks · July 12, 2026
the 60-year-old shelter is done
Construction has begun on a new Fairbanks North Star Borough animal shelter to replace the current 60-year-old facility.
Daily Alaska staff · July 12, 2026 · Fairbanks
The Fairbanks North Star Borough has broken ground on a new animal shelter at the corner of the Old Richardson Highway and Leasure Street, replacing a facility that has served the borough for sixty years. Crews broke ground last month and are now laying the foundation, with construction running through the current season. The project is built by Watterson Construction.
Mayor Grier Hopkins says the existing shelter is the oldest and most worn-out building the borough operates. It has a crumbling foundation, a failing roof, does not meet current code, and uses more energy per square foot than any other borough facility.
The new shelter's cost came in around twenty-three million dollars, about ten million dollars under the original estimate.
The plan calls for the shell to go up this construction season, with interior work finishing over the winter. The shelter is expected to open in the summer of 2028. Mayor Hopkins says the goal is a healthier facility that moves animals through faster and gets more of them adopted into homes.
In this story
Questions people ask
Where is Fairbanks building its new animal shelter?
At the corner of Old Richardson Highway and Leasure Street.
How much does the new Fairbanks shelter cost?
About $23 million, roughly $10 million under the original estimate.
When will the new animal shelter open?
Summer 2028.
Who is building the Fairbanks animal shelter?
Watterson Construction.
Evidence
Sources
Claims and where they come from
- Construction has begun on the Fairbanks North Star Borough's new animal shelter at Old Richardson Highway and Leasure Street. · alaskasnewssource.com
- The new shelter is expected to open in the summer of 2028. · alaskasnewssource.com
- The project cost came in around $23 million, about $10 million under the original estimate. · alaskasnewssource.com
- Mayor Grier Hopkins said the current shelter is the oldest, most worn facility the borough operates. · alaskasnewssource.com
Produced with AI assistance, narrated with Slav Lund's voice clone with his consent, and reviewed by a person before publishing. How we use AI →