City and Borough of Juneau could be buying some waterfront property.
Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority is seeking to sell property off Egan Drive near the U.S. Coast Guard Building and a dock owned by AVISTA/Alaska Electric Light & Power. The possibility of buying the property was a topic of discussion during Monday night’s City and Borough of Juneau Lands Committee Meeting.
“This would be a piece of property that would help get the SeaWalk on land,” said city Juneau Lands and Resources Manager Greg Chaney. “It’s quite a significant piece of property for the community. If we don’t participate swiftly for us, we’re just going to inherit whoever buys and whatever plans they have for the property.”
[What’s going on with Egan Drive?]
The reason haste is required, Chaney said, is because the property is being sold via sealed bidding process, and the city would need to hold multiple meetings and at least one executive session to formulate a bid.
Bids will only be accepted between Aug. 15 and Sept. 6. There is a minimum bid requirement of $3.64 million, and bidders must submit a bid deposit of $100,000, according to the Lands Committee meeting packet.
If the two highest bidders submit bids that are within 5 percent of each other, there will then be an open-call auction in which all bidders can participate.
The city manager recommends funds for the project come from passenger fees and the port fee fund balance, Chaney said. City Manager Rorie Watt was not present for the meeting.
The Lands Committee did not make a decision on the matter, and instead recommended the matter to the Committee of the Whole’s July meeting.
“I think it is a big decision the Assembly should have a chance to talk about,” said Assembly member Maria Gladziszewski.
• Contact reporter Ben Hohenstatt at (907)523-2243 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BenHohenstatt.
