Goose Creek Correctional Center is selected a

The newly appointed Citizens Advisory Committee suggested the new name for the prison. The newly updated prison web site gives information on upcoming milestones for the project, estimated to cost more than $250 million.

PALMER – The new, official name of the coming $219 million MAT-SU prison is Goose Creek Correctional Center.

A newly appointed Citizens Advisory Committee suggested the name for the prison, and the Alaska Department of Corrections and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough agreed.

The new moniker links the prison name to a nearby tributary flowing into Knik Arm.

The five-member Citizens Advisory Committee held its first meeting recently, electing Gordon Attaliades as Chair, and Greg Bell as Vice Chair. The other three members are: Lynn Gattis, Art Scates, and Toby Ridell. All are Borough residents.

The Citizens Advisory Committee was formed by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly to help address community-related concerns that arose during the site selection process as well as concerns that may arise during the design, construction, and operation of the prison.

The MAT-SU Borough is actively including the Citizens Advisory Committee in project milestones. For example, the Committee is invited to observe the presentations of the three prospective design/build teams that are competing for the prison contract.

"The Department of Corrections is looking forward to working with the Committee during the construction of the project as well as future operations," said Ted Kinney, Facilities Manager with the Alaska Dept. of Corrections.

Kinney said Garland Armstrong, the Department's Director of Institutions, will work directly with the Committee. Armstrong is in charge of all institutions, Kinney said.

The Committee will hold regular meetings the first Wednesday of each month, at 7 p.m., at the Point MacKenzie Public Safety Building (Station 6-4). These are public meetings and citizens with comments or questions are encouraged to attend.
The next regular meeting will be 7 p.m., Oct. 1, 2008.

The web site for the prison project has been fine-tuned recently. Access it via the Borough homepage www.matsugov.us then click on Projects where you will see the new prison name: Goose Creek Correctional Center.

The design/build costs for the prison are $219.6 million. The overall project costs are more than $250 million. A recommendation for the award of the design/build contract is expected to be announced no later than Oct. 27.

More Committee background:
    •   Gordon Attaliades is also former Chair of the Point MacKenzie Community Council and has lived in the area for 11 years.
    •   Greg Bell runs a business, has property, and has lived in the Point MacKenzie area since childhood.
    •   Art Scates is retired from the furniture industry and has lived in the Point MacKenzie area for more than 20 years.
    •   Lynn Gattis owns three hay farms and Gattis Farms Bed & Breakfast at Point MacKenzie and has lived in the MAT-SU for 20 years.
    •   Toby Ridell lives in the area and has owned property at Point MacKenzie for 15 years.

For more information call Borough Planner Bonnie Allen at 745-9514 or Public Affairs Director Patty Sullivan at 745-9577 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.