PUD Expands, Purchases former AP&T Building
The PUD Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of the Alaska Power & Telecom (AP&T) building at 193 Otto Street during a special meeting on May 13, 2024.
The 6,812-square-foot building features 21 office spaces, two network rooms, and a dedicated conference space.
The PUD entered a purchase agreement for the appraised amount of $1.16M, with an additional $125k allocated for onsite office equipment. The property was purchased using PUD reserve funds. The building served as AP&T’s corporate headquarters from 2002 until its headquarter relocation to Ketchikan, Alaska this year.
“Adding the AP&T building and making an Otto Street campus for the PUD was an easy choice,” said PUD General Manager Kevin Streett. “It’s a great opportunity to add some much-needed staff space.” The new building shares space with 191 Otto, which was purchased by the PUD in 2022. Streett expects staff to begin occupying the space in June.
PUD staff had explored expansion options for the PUD’s 310 headquarters facility, which currently has 24 office spaces. An estimated $4M remodel would be needed to gain less than 40 office spaces total. The purchase of 191 and 193 Otto Street added nearly the same number of office spaces for half the cost.
The PUD currently employs 76 staff members between its water, electric, and broadband divisions. The number of employees is expected to reach 100 before 2030.
The PUD recently added a safety manager, a service technician position for residential and commercial line connections, and a customer service manager.
The PUDs broadband division continues to grow, adding staff to build and maintain fiber services countywide.
“We’re scaling quickly to keep up with our services while ensuring we have adequate workspaces for our team members,” said Melanie Des Marais, PUD Human Resources Director. “We aim to be an employer of choice in our community and provide local career opportunities.”
Local staff saves the utility money by reducing reliance on contract crews, while improving service reliability and response time.