Cordova is well on its way to building a new covered pavilion at the Veterans Memorial site at the Breakwater Trailhead Park.
It’ll be the first major undertaking of the The Cordova Trail and Covered Spaces Project, a community-driven nonprofit with a mission to install new covered spaces on existing parks, trails and roadways in town so people can better enjoy the outdoors, especially during adverse weather.
“Everyone is very excited about the future covered spaces, and also wonder why covered spaces do not already exist,” Natasha Casciano, one of the group’s founders, told The Cordova Times.
The nonprofit still needs more funding to make the installation a reality, however the group has already raised $50,000 for the first structure.
Additionally, donations from individual community members, the Cordova Community Foundation, and an art sale at the Reluctant Fisherman allowed the group to commission architectural renderings for the project. The conceptual design is a three-sided, 28-by-24-foot shelter, which city officials say will be built to municipal code for wind speed and snow load.
Members of the Covered Spaces Project hosted a site dedication at the Veterans Memorial site last weekend to get people excited about the first installation, which they hope will be constructed next year. The afternoon consisted of local officials, including Mayor Kristin Smith, speaking about the need for more covered spaces, as well as an art lesson by Dotty Widman and live music by Lauralee Honkola and Glenn Brookman. People also tailgated, enjoying food from Gitt Sugar Wasted.
The group has proposed more than a dozen other structures on property owned by the city, however the City Council has for the last few years been operating on a tight budget with little room for discretionary spending.
In 2024, the City Council approved a resolution allowing the Cordova Covered Spaces Project to build at the Veterans Memorial site, as long as the group committed to independently crowdfund for the structure. The city’s Parks and Recreation Department, however, has agreed to take over maintenance of the covered space once it’s up.
“Throughout the design process, the Covered Spaces Project has worked closely with Parks and Recreation staff to ensure the facility is durable, low maintenance, and practical for long-term upkeep by the city,” according to city officials.
The group is aiming to install 14 new structures around town, with planning for the next one underway.
“We are working with the Chugach Ranger District for a second site to be located at Hartney Bay on the Forest Service easement,” Casciano said.
The Cordova Historical Society is managing the fiscal sponsorship of the nonprofit. Cordova Covered Spaces is soliciting funds for future projects from various sources – including the Denali Commission, the Alaska Department of Transportation, Secure Rural Schools Title II Program, the Rasmuson Foundation, and the Recreation Trails Program.
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