The project will fund planning activities for the development of a 40 acre deep water port site

The Department of Transportation Maritime Administration awarded the City & Borough of Wrangell $421,000 on December 30, 2025, under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (CFDA 20.823) to fund planning activities for a 40-acre deep water port site development.

The award funds four components: a property survey review and update to establish subdivision-level data for roads, utilities, and freight-handling facilities in uplands and tidelands; a Phase II environmental assessment to characterize contamination based on recognized environmental conditions identified in a prior Phase I assessment funded locally, including site characterization, sampling, and laboratory analysis developed for Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation approval; preliminary engineering analysis and design of the existing bulkhead condition up to 30 percent with alternatives and cost assessment, progressing to up to 35 percent design of the preferred alternative to support future barge ramp facility development; and preliminary engineering for offsite and onsite utility extensions and connections.

Performance occurs in Wrangell, Alaska, with an ultimate completion date of March 31, 2028. The award is structured as reimbursable assistance.

The project encompasses property surveys environmental assessments permitting requirements and a preliminary engineering assessment of bulkhead and utility requirements. Activities to be performed this project is a planning project performing the following development phase activities. Component 1 property survey review and update of existing property survey to be further developed for necessary subdivision level survey data including that for developing roads and utilities for the property and to identify future facilities in the uplands and tidelands that could accommodate the movement of freight. Component 2 phase II environmental assessment work perform a phase II environmental assessment EA following completion of the phase I environmental site assessment ESA funded with local borough funding outside the scope of this project identifying recognized environmental conditions(recs and further investigations needed to determine the presence extent and concentration of contamination. Based on the recs identified in the phase I ESA the phase II EA will include a site characterization work plan outlining the scope of work sampling procedures and laboratory analysis developed for review and approval by alaska department of environmental conservation adec. After the work plan is approved by adec the field work will commence. This phase aims to confirm and quantify contamination through detailed sampling and laboratory analysis. Component 3 preliminary analysis and engineering design of bulkhead up to 30 percent engineering analysis of the condition of the existing bulkhead and development of alternatives and associated costs for improvements to support a future barge ramp facility design development of the preferred alternative up to 35 percent design level. Component 4 preliminary engineering for offsite and onsite utility extensions and connections design development for extension of municipal utilities to the property and for onsite utilities necessary to support subdivision development for the site to encourage economic development. Component 5 environmental permitting needs and risk assessment state and federal permitting necessary to support development of the barge ramp facility IE US army corps of engineers coordination as well as state permitting for municipal utilities IE adec coordination. Deliverables expected outcomes as a planning grant there are no established performance measures. Intended beneficiary city and borough of wrangell. Subrecipient activities none.