The Haines Borough Assembly may decide Thursday whether to keep or demolish the old elementary school gym and adjoining east wing.

Borough assembly members have heard arguments both for saving the gym and wing, a more recent addition to the Main Street school, and for taking them down along with the primary school building and main elementary structure.

Manager Mark Earnest said while it seems intuitive that saving the buildings would save the borough money, there are also efficiencies to be gained with new construction, especially when amortized over the life of a building.

Dawson Construction is the apparent low bidder on the work, offering $668,925 for the work, including $104,925 for taking down the gym and wing. Central Environmental of Anchorage bid $738,000; Bethel Services, also of Anchorage, bid $1.1 million.

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