The Nansen Ski Club is advertising for an engineering firm to design the structural improvements needed to reinforce the tower on the 86-year-old jump.
The club hopes to have that work performed next year.
At the same time, the Friends of Big Nansen Ski Jump is continuing to raise money to meet the required match on a $500,000 federal grant that will pay for the work.
The club has issued a request for qualifications for an engineering firm to evaluate and design the structural improvements to accommodate modern ski jumping. While the tower is in good shape for its age, a previous engineering study determined some of it is overstressed and the steel needs to be reinforced.
Engineering firms have until 4 p.m. on Nov. 2 to submit qualification statements. They must include documentation showing that they meet the U.S. Secretary of the Interior Professional Qualifications Standards for Historic Architecture.
Through the efforts of U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the club has received a “Save America’s Treasures” grant for the work. The grant provides up to $500,000, with the club required to match whatever amount it receives.
Nansen Ski Club and Friends of Big Nansen Treasurer Scott Halvorson reported some big news on that front, reporting that an anonymous donor recently gave $50,000 toward the match with a commitment for another $50,000 in January.
Halvorson said the match fund is now up to $350,000, which also includes $200,000 from the NH Bureau of Historic Sites in Moose Plate revenues and $50,000 raised by the club.
The Friends are working hard to raise the remaining $150,000 to allow the project to access the entire $500,000 grant, generating $1 million for the work. The Friends have until Sept. 30, 2026, to raise the entire match but hope to have the match raised well before the deadline.
The Friends have also hired Reed Snowmaking Services LLC out of Glen to identify a water source and design a snowmaking plan for the property.
Reed was selected out of two proposals the club received and is working on the design.
Once a plan is approved, the Friends will then go out for bids and hire a contractor to do that work in 2024 as well.
The snowmaking effort is being funded by a $350,000 federal Northern Border Regional Commission grant requiring a $87,500 match with $50,000 of it coming from the NH Bureau of Historic Sites.
Firms interested in the Request for Qualifications can contact Halvorson at shalvor22@gmail.com.
— BARBARA TETREAULT/BERLIN SUN
