The city-owned Eyak Lake Skaters’ Cabin – popular among Cordovans for birthday parties, summer camps, barbecues, and other gatherings – is set to be demolished this year. But this weekend, residents still have the chance to let the city know what they want to see in the cabin’s reconstruction.
The Cordova Parks and Recreation Department is hosting a community bike ride and input session at Skaters’ Cabin on June 14, in an effort to give Cordovans the chance to honor the rich history of the cabin while also giving them the opportunity to give the city direct input.
“We’ve heard a heartfelt response from the community,” said Parks and Recreation Director Samantha Hagerthy-Schneider. “Many people have shared memories and express how much the cabin has meant to them over the years. That kind of feedback reinforces how important it is that we preserve the spirit of the cabin in its next chapter.”
The June 14 event will involve an optional family and pet friendly bike ride (or run) down Power Creek Road and back, before a barbecue lunch at Skaters’ Cabin. While at the cabin, people will be able to write down their ideas and hopes for what the new construction could entail.
Hagerthy-Schneider said the department considered rebuilding the current structure to preserve its original integrity, even after a September 2022 condition assessment of Skaters’ Cabin recommended it be torn down and replaced completely. The assessment found the cabin’s foundation is failing, the roof doesn’t meet snow load requirements, the exterior walls are deteriorating, and it sits in a pit with limited drainage – among other structural liabilities. The cabin also doesn’t meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility requirements.
Because of the condition, the current plan is to build a new cabin on the property.
“The cabin holds deep sentimental value – not just for the community, but also for the Parks and Recreation Department,” Hagerthy-Schneider said. “We seriously considered the option of repairing it, but due to ADA accessibility requirements and other city code compliance issues, it simply wasn’t a realistic path forward.”
The city also hosted a session to hear community input recently, which officials said during the June 4 City Council meeting had a good turnout.
“It is a sad loss to see that structure gone,” Public Works Director Kevin Johnson said during the meeting. But, he reiterated, it “doesn’t mean that we are losing Skaters’ Cabin, it’s just we are moving on to a new iteration of Skaters’ Cabin.”
The city last week announced a $450,000 crowd funding campaign for the cabin’s replacement, which as of June 10 already had $1,200. Johnson reiterated the $450,000 doesn’t account for any volunteer labor or donated materials, which the city expects to receive.
“The last thing we want is to have a lower goal and then fall short if the volunteers and donations do not materialize,” he said.
Any surplus cash the city receives, he said, will either be used for additional cabin amenities or be saved in a maintenance fund reserve.
July 31 is the last day to make reservations at Skaters’ Cabin. While the city doesn’t have a specific construction timeline, the cabin is slated to be demolished before the end of this year.
The July 14 bike ride and input session will begin at Skaters’ Cabin at 10 a.m. The bike ride cost is $10 per person or $30 for the whole family. Residents who only want to participate in the input session, however, do not need to pay.
For more information, visit the Parks and Recreation Facebook Page.
