Anderson awarded Phase 2 for Sperry Chalet completion
Sperry Chalet covered in snow earlier this spring. (Daniel McKay/Whitefish Pilot)
Dick Anderson Construction will finish the work the company started rebuilding the Sperry Chalet in Glacier National Park.
The Park Service announced last week the company was awarded a $4.73 million contract to complete Phase 2 of the work. Anderson, through sometimes heroic efforts, finished Phase I of the contract last summer and fall. That contract was for $4.08 million.
That work included a new foundation, new floors and new roof of the 105-year-old structure.
The backcountry chalet was gutted by the Sprague Creek Fire in 2017, all that remained after the blaze was the stone masonry.
The Park Service expects that work this year will begin in early July and continue through Sept. 30, weather permitting. The Denver Service Center, the Park Service’s central planning, design, and construction management office, awarded the contract for phase two and will oversee the upcoming project.
The second and final phase of the project will include masonry repairs, a permanent roof, and all other interior finishes to complete the building and ready it for visitor use. The original masonry will be preserved wherever possible, including stone chimneys.
It’s anticipated that the chalet will be ready for public overnight stays in 2020.
Rebuilding of the Sperry Chalet on its original site was made possible because of the quick response and financial support of the Glacier National Park Conservancy, the nonprofit arm of Glacier.
The Conservancy came up with emergency funding to stabilize the chalet in the fall of 2017 and then provided funding to keep the crew fed during last year’s construction season.
To date, the Conservancy has provided $396,148 to support the project. The Conservancy will contribute an additional $236,400 towards Phase 2.
“I am incredibly pleased to announce the second and final phase of the Sperry Chalet rebuilding project,” said Park Superintendent Jeff Mow in a release. “We look forward to working with Dick Anderson again. They provided exceptional service to the National Park Service and the public last year.”
“We stand at the threshold of an historic accomplishment,” said Doug Mitchell, Glacier National Park Conservancy Executive Director. “This remarkable achievement shows the power of a public private partnership where all of us are pulling together to write the next chapter of Sperry Chalet and Glacier National Park history.”
Belton Chalets, Inc. will operate the Sperry Chalet Dining Room again this summer, serving work crews and the public. Lunch and a la carte services will be available 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Breakfast and dinner will be available to the public via reservation with Belton Chalets, Inc. by calling (888) 345-2649. Park concessioner Swan Mountain Outfitters will offer horseback rides to the Sperry area on weekends.