Petersburg now stands a good chance of getting all the money it needs to replace its oldest port facility as early as next spring.
Governor Sean Parnell’s budget would spend three-and –a-half million dollars for the North Harbor project in Petersburg. The money would come out of the Department of Transportation’s harbor facility grant program. The community already has another three-and-a-half million dollars in matching money. Local Harbormaster Glo Wollen said the total of seven million dollars will be enough to pay for the complete replacement of the deteriorating float system, which dates back more than 50 years. It was good news down at the harbor office.
“We were just absolutely thrilled. I think everybody’s been waiting on pins and needles to see where the municipal harbor facility grant request funding would be at, ” Wollen said.
The funding will need to be approved by the Legislature where Petersburg’s State Senator, Bert Stedman, is co-chair of the Senate Finance committee.
If that approval comes through this spring, Petersburg will continue with design and eventually bid out the project for construction. The US Army Corps of Engineers has also been planning to dredge the old harbor basin in conjunction with the replacement project, but the agency doesn’t yet have the federal money it needs. However, according to Wollen, Petersburg will still be able to go forward even if the dredging is delayed.
Along with the money for Petersburg, the Governor’s capital budget also includes D-O-T harbor grant funding for Seldovia , Skagway, Unalaska, Hydaburg, Sitka, Juneau, Hoonah, Seward and Nome.
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Dredging Today Staff, December 19, 2011;