Major waterfront expansion moves ahead in Wrangell

Work could start this fall on rock fill

An artistic rendering of a possible expansion of Wangell’s waterfront area. (City and Borough of Wrangell illustration)

By Larry Persily

Wrangell Sentinel

Wrangell is getting closer to a major expansion of its downtown waterfront, building a new rock wall and adding fill to gain a couple of acres for expansion of the Marine Service Center, a public park, covered pavilion, parking and possible future commercial development along Campbell Drive.

The overall project also includes an extension to the City Dock.

City Hall staff briefed the borough assembly on plans at a work session July 28.

The entire project could total around $15 million.

The borough has requested $10.3 million from the federal Economic Development Administration, with a decision on the grant application anticipated later this summer.

The borough also has more than $4 million available from a bond issue approved by the assembly in April 2025 to put toward waterfront development.

The extent of the fill and development of the new uplands will depend on how much money is available and the costs when the borough goes out for bids.

Much of the federal grant would go toward adding a 150-foot-long floating extension to the north end of the City Dock, to better accommodate cruise ships at various tides than the fixed dock.

That project also would include a new gangway and also a new mooring dolphin at the south end of the dock.

Borough Manager Mason Villarma presented a proposal that the fill work could start closest to the City Dock, moving south toward the Marine Service Center, in case funding does not cover the entire rock fill.

Mayor Patty Gilbert and Assembly Member David Powell said it would be better to start with adding fill to expand the Marine Service Center, then working back toward the dock, and Villarma agreed to the change.

The marine center expansion would create new uplands between the Nolan Center and the water to allow more boats and a larger work area for the busy facility that serves commercial and recreational boat owners and marine service businesses.

A big driver for the expanded downtown fill is to accommodate American Cruise Lines, which plans to install a floating dock and ramp almost in the middle of the area.

The assembly in January approved a 40-year tidelands lease with the company, which will put in a dock so that its vessels can remain moored overnight without having to move to accommodate other ships.

 American Cruise Lines operates two 170-passenger ships in Southeast Alaska and is scheduled to add a third ship, with 130-passenger capacity, next summer, Alexa Paolella, public relations manager for the Connecticut-based company, said last week. 

The ship is under construction in Maryland and is scheduled to start service this fall on the Hudson River in New York state, she said.

• This article originally appeared in the Wrangell Sentinel.