The borough assembly is moving toward authorizing a trade with local firm BW Enterprises to exchange borough-owned tidelands for the contractor agreeing to develop additional parking near the high school.

Borough Manager Mason Villarma said the borough has no plans to develop or use the two tidelands lots on Evergreen Avenue, but BW Enterprises can incorporate them into its adjacent operations.

“The benefits are clear: The school and community will nearly double-parking capacity on Reid Street, solving a decades-long challenge,” he said.

The two parcels total about 36,000 square feet, about eight-tenths of an acre, just north of the state ferry terminal.

“The tidelands will be developed and added to the tax rolls — properties that otherwise would be very costly for the borough to improve,” Villarma said. “The project (parking lot) will be finished within weeks, rather than the months or years a traditional process might require, and it will be delivered in a cost-effective way that saves taxpayers substantial dollars.”

The borough purchased a little less than half an acre of proper fronting on Reid Street from the Presbyterian Church this summer, with plans to use the land to expand the adjacent parking area for high school students and staff.

The land trade with BW Enterprises would get the lot built at no cash cost to the borough.

The proposed exchange was initially reviewed by the planning and zoning commission and the port commission. The reviews found the exchange meets municipal and community needs.

As part of the project, material excavated from the St. Michaels Street reconstruction project will be repurposed as fill to help construct the parking lot, reducing costs.

The new parking area is expected to ease longstanding congestion during school hours and at community events, improving safety and accessibility.

Assembly Member Bob Dalrymple said he liked the idea because no money would be spent, but he is curious about the exchange of value. “I would like to see some numbers, because I want to see the value for value,” he said as the trade was discussed at the Sept. 9 assembly meeting.

Villarma said projected property and work values would be available for the next assembly meeting on Sept. 23 and assured the assembly he would not propose a decision if there were any shortfall in value for the borough.

“Our goal is to stay nimble and creative in how we achieve community priorities,” Villarma said. “Just because we are government doesn’t mean we should be complacent or conventional — Wrangell faces unique economic challenges, and finding innovative solutions like this is one way we can move forward.”