Petersburg could have three major harbor projects underway at the same time in the next couple of years. That’s if the legislature approves the Senate Finance Committee’s draft capital budget.
When it came out on Saturday, that spending plan listed nearly ten million dollars for local port improvements. That included the 3.5 million dollars that the governor requested for replacement of Petersburg’s North Harbor as well as another 5.6 million for a commercial drive down dock and 800 thousand to upgrade the South Harbor crane dock. Harbormaster Glo Wollen says she was overjoyed to hear about it Saturday.
“We’re just keeping our fingers crossed that everything goes through and we can start construction on all aspects of our harbor,” She says.
The proposed funding for the drive down dock would more than double the money the city already has for the that project. It would allow the city to actually construct the bulk of it, including the ramp and float itself. The facility is aimed at providing a roomier and more efficient spot for fishermen and other vessels to load and unload. Right now, the large fleet is limited to using the city’s smaller crane dock.
Meanwhile, the funding for the existing crane dock would mean a major upgrade for that facility.
As far as North Harbor, the governor requested that money in his own budget earlier this year. It would provide the rest of the cash the town needs to completely replace the old float system.
Petersburg North Harbor, KFSK File Photo
The Finance Committee’s budget also included 350 thousand dollars for design of a new police station and 275 thousand dollars for replacement of the roof at Petersburg Medical Center. There’s also 50 thousand dollars for repairs and improvements to the local shooting range and 250 thousand for more renovations and upgrades at the Sons of Norway Hall.
The department of Transportation would also get several substantial appropriations for the Petersburg area under the proposed capital budget. That includes 40 million dollars for the department’s Kake to Petersburg road project, 3.5 million to refurbish Nordic Drive from Haugen Street to the ferry terminal and 400 thousand to replace a local DOT Storage Building.
