ten million under budget

and Fairbanks is finally getting a brand new animal shelter.

For sixty years, the borough's run the same old shelter, and it's worn out. The foundation's crumbling, the roof's falling apart, and nothing inside meets today's codes.

This month crews broke ground off the Old Richardson Highway. They're digging trenches, laying the foundation, and smoothing out the property for the season ahead. It's a spot plenty of us drive past every day without a second thought.

Here's the part that turns heads. The whole project came in about ten million dollars under what they expected, landing somewhere around twenty three million total.

The mayor says the old building is the borough's biggest energy hog, the oldest and most beat up spot they run, just because it's used so hard every single day. Sixty years is a long time to lean on one building.

The new shelter is set to open in the summer of 2028. A better space means healthier animals and faster adoptions, so pets spend less time waiting and more time heading home. Once it's ready, the borough says it'll move everybody over as fast and as smoothly as it can.

If you've ever adopted a dog or a cat up in the Interior, or you're thinking about it, this one's for you.