LUTHERAN QUILTERS – Members of the Quilts for Comfort Group stand between pews draped with some of the 205 quilts they made, in the Sitka Lutheran Church Tuesday. The group made the quilts for five local non-profits and one in Anchorage. The remaining quilts are sent to Lutheran World Relief which  distributes them to places around the world in need, such as Ukraine, as part of Personal Care Kits. Pictured are, from left, Helen Cunningham, Kathleen Brandt,Vicki Swanson, Paulla Hardy, Kim Hunter, Linda Swanson and Sue Fleming.  (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

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Daily Sitka Sentinel

City Gets $7.8 Million for Seawall Repair

By SHANNON HAUGLAND

Sentinel Staff Writer

The city received word today that it has been awarded a $7.8 million federal RAISE grant to rebuild the seawall and replace the crane on the Katlian Street waterfront.

It’s the third time the city has applied for a RAISE grant for this infrastructure. Funding for a boat haulout under the same federal program has not been successful.

RAISE READY – The seawall near the Marine Service Center on Katlian Street is pictured this afternoon. City Administrator John Leach announced today that the city has been awarded a $7.8 million federal RAISE grant to rebuild the 46-year-old wall and replace the crane pictured at center. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

Announcing the grant for the seawall this morning, City Administrator John Leach said:

“I’m very pleased with the outcome and extremely proud of our team and their hard work. This grant award is a big step forward in bolstering our working waterfront and crucial to one of our major economic drivers. We’re also very appreciative of our delegation’s support, both by supporting our application and making infrastructure funding more available for communities like ours.”

“I’m extremely excited we were able to secure funding for our seawall repairs,” Mayor Steven Eisenbeisz said. “That was one project we hadn’t identified any funding source for. Now we have the potential to build a haulout and repair the seawall in the short term which is a massive investment for our commercial fishing fleet.”

Eisenbeisz was referring to the question that will be on the October 4 city ballot, proposing the use of the proceeds from the sale of the city hospital to build a boat haulout at the industrial park.

The total grant award for the seawall was $7,842,488, and will require a 20 percent match – $1.96 million – from the city. The estimated cost of the project is $9.8 million.

A report by the Alaska Department of Transportation states that the 46-year-old seawall “is at risk of collapse and puts stability of the seafood cold storage facility at risk.”

“Without that facility there will be insufficient cold storage in Sitka, and inbound freight would have to go to other ports for retrieval on smaller vessels, increasing costs of goods and services,” the report said.

The project calls for building a new seawall, and replacing the 2-ton crane.

Harbor Master Stan Eliason, who was traveling in Missoula, Montana, said this project has been on his radar for more than a decade and he was pleased to hear the news.

He said the harbor department has been maintaining the facility, trying to stretch its life for as long as possible.

The city’s match will be met mostly by funds in the Marine Service Center enterprise fund, with some from the Harbor Fund. The Marine Service Center fund had a balance of about $2.3 million in the most recently audited financial statement, city finance staff said.

The Assembly passed a resolution in April to apply for the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant, to rebuild the steel sheet pile retaining wall that was originally constructed in 1976. 

City staff said over the years several corrosion protection systems have been installed to reduce corrosion of the piling and rods. The crane is used by the fishing fleet and businesses to load and unload vessels.

Sitka was one of three Alaskan communities to receive funding from the RAISE program this year. Others were in Bristol Bay, where the Bristol Bay Native Association received $13.3 million for a gravel road between Clark’s Point and Ekuk; and at Unalaska where the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska received $22.3 million for a new dock.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the RAISE grants earlier this year, making $1.5 billion available under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

 

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20 YEARS AGO

March 2004

Advertisement: Tea-Licious Tea House & Bakery 315 Lincoln Street Grand Opening! Freshly Baked Scones, Cakes & Pastries Innovative Salads, Soups & Sandwiches Harney & Sons Tea. Lunch * Afternoon Tea * Supper.

50 YEARS AGO

March 1974

Photo caption: National Republican Chairman George Bush takes a drink of water offered by Jan Craddick, Sitka delegate, during the Republican convention held here. Mrs. Craddick explained to Bush that the water was from Indian River, which means, according to local legend, that he will return.

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