Filling in more area along the waterfront in front of the Nolan Center could create new opportunities for economic development, and the borough assembly has directed staff to explore financing options for such work.
It could cost several million dollars to create new fill that would be stabilized and protected from erosion by riprap along the waterfront.
The newly created dry land could be used for expansion of The Marine Service Center, while also making more land available for tourism-related businesses, a public pier and other amenities.
Borough staff briefed the assembly at a May 13 work session on the waterfront master plan, which was adopted in 2015 after several years of public meetings. The community never moved ahead on the plan’s recommendations to expand downtown waterfront acreage and business opportunities.
The May 13 work session was to take a new look at the plan, consider what might need to be changed and start moving ahead. Later in the evening, during the regular assembly meeting, members unanimously directed borough staff to start looking at development and financing options for new fill.
Wrangell’s continuing decline in population after the loss of the timber industry in the 1990s — losing an additional 300 residents between the 2010 census and last year’s state estimates — “really teed up for us” the need for a more diversified economy, Borough Manager Mason Villarma told the assembly.
That means building up the marine services industry and tourism, he said. “We want to grow every sector of our economy, particularly the Marine Service Center.”
Creating more developable land along the downtown waterfront is part of the plan, he said.
Dumping in an estimated 150,000 cubic yards of fill, with a riprap retaining wall, could cost $5 million, Villarma said, noting that is an early estimate.
Though the potential area measures 3.4 acres, he said the project might fill in about half of that amount.
Refocusing on the 10-year-old master plan also is being driven by the closure in March of the borough-owned barge ramp, due to structural and safety issues. Options include rebuilding the facility at its current location downtown, building a new barge landing at another location downtown or at borough-owned property at 6-Mile Zimovia Highway.
“It is not the best use of downtown real estate,” Villarma said of rebuilding at the current location.
Borough officials have discussed options with the companies that run a weekly freight barge into town, in addition to raising the issue with the community.
Public comments have varied between support for moving the barge landing and freight yard to 6-Mile to open up more downtown waterfront for other economic uses, to keeping the freight operations downtown where they are close to merchants and would avoid additional truck traffic on Zimovia Highway.
“I encourage people to keep an open mind,” Villarma said of the different options.
The 2015 master plan was divided into four phases, which Economic Development Director Kate Thomas reviewed for the assembly.
The improvements mapped out 10 years ago included adding about 1.2 acres behind the Nolan Center, building an elevated pedestrian walkway along the waterfront, adding a fishing pier, relocating the barge landing to a new location and adding park areas with space for commercial vendors.
The community may need to make changes in the 2015 master plan, depending on cost and newer options for the waterfront, Villarma said, such as a proposal from American Cruise Lines to develop or lease a floating dock for overnight parking of its ships.
Building a new barge landing and freight yard at 6-Mile could cost $18 million, according to a 2022 estimate for the borough.
Villarma said the best option for the borough would be if the barge lines built the facility, with financial incentives such as property tax breaks.
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