The Yupik Eskimo Village Community, with a population of 548, is located on the northwest coast of St. Michael Island in the Norton Sound region of Alaska. It lies eight miles north of the Village of St. Michael and 120 miles southeast of Nome. Stebbins is a remote community that is only accessible by air and sea, with cargo ships bringing supplies in just once a year. Since there is no dock, lighterage of goods to shore is provided out of Nome.
Snow machines provide overland travel during the winter.
City government and schools are the only sources of full-time employment in the area. Limited resources, the remote location and the unique design of the building to accommodate permafrost makes this project exceptional. Waivers were needed for site relocation, time line extensions, and water and sewer issues. In addition to waivers, an increase in capital advance funds was approved, as well as a 50-year, zero dollar lease from the city of Stebbins. Although the project reached it's initial closing in July and construction will be completed in mid September, the residents will not have the benefit of a full working water and sewer system until a haul system is installed in the summer of 2001.