Chelan recycling center rebuild moves closer to construction

CHELAN — City officials say a long-awaited rebuild of Chelan's recycling center continues to move forward, with a public project timeline expected soon as work advances on replacing the facility destroyed by fire in 2024.

During its May 26 meeting, the Chelan City Council approved a change order with Bailey Construction that will allow additional design and pre-construction work to proceed on the replacement project.

Public Works Director Jake Youngren said the city has shifted from a traditional design-bid-build approach to a more collaborative construction process that allows the contractor, designers and insurance representatives to work through project details together.

"We've rerouted our course of project execution," Youngren told the council, describing the process as more favorable for coordinating with insurance adjusters and keeping the project moving.

The approved change order authorizes $387,162 in additional work, including bringing mechanical, electrical and plumbing subcontractors into the design process and beginning procurement efforts for the building itself. The work will be funded through the city's initial $1 million insurance payout.

Youngren said the city is continuing to work through insurance claims related to the loss of the facility while advancing project planning.

Councilmember Tim Hollingsworth noted that residents frequently ask about the status of the recycling center and suggested providing a public update.

"I get a lot of questions about the timing on this," Hollingsworth said.

Youngren agreed, saying city staff receive similar inquiries and have already begun discussions about sharing a refined project schedule with the public. Current updates are already on the city's website at https://cityofchelan.cleargov.com/projects/17012/recycle-center-replacement-project.

So far, the website has the project's start date set for July.

The replacement facility is expected to be approximately 4,000 square feet, similar in size to the building that was lost. Youngren said city staff are evaluating whether some space can be traded for improvements in building design and fire resistance while remaining within insurance parameters.

“We don't necessarily need all that square footage, and we'd like to trade that for potentially a little bit nicer building that is less… combustible,” Youngren said.

The overall project is expected to cost about $3 million.

Council members expressed support for continuing the project and restoring recycling services for residents.

"I'm just excited to see this still moving," Councilmember Shane Collins said. "It's going to happen because we all want that center back open."

The city has not yet announced a construction completion date.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media