Bids are due Aug. 13 for the borough project to build a new floating dock at Meyers Chuck, which became part of the borough in 2008. The dock could be up to 400 feet long, depending on the cost.
The Meyers Chuck dock is in despair, kept floating mostly by barrels Meyers Chuck residents installed themselves.
The borough is responsible for maintaining the floating dock, and plans are underway to build a replacement.
The borough took in the small community, about 50 miles south of town, when Wrangell expanded to a borough from a city in 2008. The state turned over the dock to the borough in 2014.
The most recent census estimates there are 20 full-time residents of Meyers Chuck. Regardless of the small population count, Meyers Chuck is a key protected harbor between Wrangell and Ketchikan, making it a popular spot for recreational and fishing boats to find respite during bad weather, and the dock is essential for locals to come and go.
The borough has been seeking grant funds for the project and has a $232,000 design contract with PND Engineers.
The approved design will replace the 400-foot-long float with a 200-foot float. However, the borough is also asking potential bidders to give estimates for a 300-foot dock as well. PND's design replaces the dock's floats and pilings, but the aim is to recycle as much as possible from the existing structure.
The approach and attached helipad will stay, as will the existing gangway. Also to be salvaged is a 480-square-foot seaplane float that will be located near the front of the new dock.
The borough will not have actual cost numbers until bidding on the material and construction closes, but estimates predict a $2.5 million project.
Bids close Aug. 13. According to Capital Projects Director Amber Al-Haddad, there are roughly four to five contractors interested in the project, all based in the Lower 48.
Bidders will give prices for two scenarios, one that includes materials and the fabrication of the floats, and another that includes just the materials.
The borough decided to seek prices for the two options to make the project as fiscally tenable as possible, Al-Haddad said, looking to save money.
The first stage of the project is getting the floats. This is where the two bidding options come into play.
The borough could buy the float's metal frames from a fabricator and Wrangell harbor staff would assemble the pieces. The then-assembled floats would be hauled to Meyers Chuck, where the borough crew would install them.
The other bid option consists of the float fabricator shipping the dock fully constructed instead of delivering it in pieces.
Al-Haddad hopes the procurement phase of the plan is complete by late winter or early spring.
Part Two would be the construction phase at Meyers Chuck, currently lined up for summer 2025.
There is a bit of a funding gap, however.
According to Al-Haddad, the borough received a 50/50 state harbor facilities matching grant for the project. This means both Wrangell and the state will contribute around $1.1 million, totaling near $2.3 million.
This leaves a $200,000 gap, something the borough could look to close by dipping into harbor reserves or searching for state or federal grants. However, this gap could expand if contractors go over budget or if initial bids come in higher than the $2.5 million estimate. In this case, the borough still would go through with the procurement phase but would delay the construction phase until it solves the funding shortfall.
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