Bidding doesn’t close until Oct. 31 on the 20 residential lots that the borough wants to sell at the Alder Top Village (Keishangita.’aan) subdivision at Shoemaker Bay, but eight of the lots already have a bidder at the minimum price.

The online auction sale started July 1. The eight bids were received through Aug. 15.

“We’re feeling OK about things,” said Kate Thomas, the borough’s economic development director, adding that she is happy to see so many early bids.

The borough’s social media link to the land sale webpage had collected more than 500 clicks as of early August, she said.

Minimum prices on the 20 lots, each about half an acre, range between $49,800 and $75,400.

The lots will be served by streets — named Chum, Chinook and Sockeye — with buried utility lines, which are being installed. That work contract is scheduled for completion by Oct. 31.

Winning bidders will be able to take occupancy in November, Thomas said. A building permit would be needed to start actual construction.

People interested in bidding—or just seeing the property — can walk through the lots on Sundays. The property is closed to the public the other six days so that the contractor can work.

Anyone unable to get to the lots on a Sunday can call Thomas at City Hall at 907-874-2381 to schedule an appointment, she said.

The auction is online at publicsurplus.com. The borough is using the nationwide bidding site to handle the sales. The company specializes in selling surplus public property, including land.

With a little homework, Thomas said, winning bidders might be eligible to receive a $10,000 grant from the state to help pay for building a top energy-rated home.

The New Home Construction Rebate Program, administered by the Alaska Housing Finance Corp., offers the $10,000 grant to homes that meet a minimum 5-Star Plus or higher energy-efficiency standard.

The program is not available for rental properties and only applies to new construction started after January 2025.

More information is at alaskahousing.energy.us.

To qualify for the program, a home must be verified by a certified energy rater — and the closest one lives in Ketchikan, Thomas noted. The same lack of Wrangell-based expertise also is true for a licensed surveyor and property appraiser, she said. A survey and appraisal are needed for a construction loan.

She suggested that people looking to build at Alder Top Village might consider talking with their soon-to-be new neighbors and coordinating to share the costs when they need to bring a surveyor, appraiser and energy rater to town.