Many Glacier Hotel restoration planned

The National Park Service recently announced that the next phase of work has been awarded to Swank Enterprises for $9,531,200. This project is broken into two components, which address all interior rehabilitation work on the northern half of the hotel.

One component addresses administrative offices and about 50 percent of guest rooms. The other component includes the dining room, Interlaken lounge, kitchen, employee dining room and other employee and maintenance areas. The work focuses on correcting safety and seismic issues.

Although restoration of lost historic elements is not funded as part of this project, where surfaces and fixtures (walls, floors, lighting, etc.) are to be removed for life/safety repairs and rehabilitation work, replacement surfaces and fixtures will include historically compatible surfaces and fixtures.

Construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2010 after the hotel closes for the season, with completion expected by spring of 2012 before the hotel opens for the season.

During summer 2011 approximately one half (100) of the hotel guest rooms will be closed for the renovation.

A modified dining room will be available in the space adjacent to the dining room while construction continues on the current dining room space.  Full menu service will be available in this area as well as in the adjoining Swiss Lounge.

Through a competitive NPS submission process, the MGH rehabilitation

project received $15.6 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

stimulus funds.  These funds must be obligated no later than September 30,

2010; however, according to park superintendent Chas Cartwright, the actual

work will not begin until after the hotel closes for the season, September

2010.

"The passage of time and harsh environmental conditions has contributed to

the historic hotel's deteriorated condition.  Earlier phases of the

rehabilitation focused on building exterior, structural stabilization, and

most immediate needs.  These three phases were completed in 2005 by Swank

Enterprises.  Funding for the remaining work on the hotel has been

requested for 2013 and 2014," said Cartwright.  This work includes lobby,

guest rooms and lower level meeting spaces, as well as the south bridge and

guest rooms in Annex II or southern half of the hotel.  To-date, $10

million federal dollars have been spent in the last decade rehabilitating

the MGH, a National Historic Landmark.