Fresh off celebrating it's 50th anniversary, the Blood Bank of Alaska is looking toward the future with plans for a new facility going up in Anchorage.
When the current headquarters on Laurel Street opened in 1981 the upstairs was empty, since then the organization has outgrown the facility.
"Right now we have the mobile blood mobiles, they're offsite at warehouse facility," said Architect Tom Livingston. "We have storage of materials that are off site. We have some office space that's off site."
All that would be under one roof at the new location across the street from Alaska Regional Hospital, and it would be built like a hospital.
"It will have instant on electrical generators, it will have duel fuel for the boilers so if the natural gas system goes down in an emergency, we'll have fuel oil there to heat the building," said Livingston.
The blood bank estimates the price tag at 50 million dollars, with a tentative opening set for 2015.
When Alaska Blood Bank opened it's current building, there were only five different tests performed on a unit of blood, now there are 14. Technicians need more space to conduct these tests and the donors will also have more elbow room at the new building.
"They will have an area for check in, right now you come in and register and after you have donated you also wait in the same area," said Spokeswoman Laura Carpenter.
The State of Alaska allotted $19 million for the project, but Carpenter said the blood bank could ask the state for more money.
A private fundraising campaign is already underway.
