Kenai Discusses Request To Schedule Public Works Session To Talk Waterfront Revitalization

The city of Kenai requested a work session to discuss waterfront revitalization and economic development incentives at their most recent city council meeting. The City of Kenai Imagine Kenai 2030 Comprehensive Plan includes goals and objectives to promote projects that creates workforce development opportunities, implement business-friendly regulations, taxation and incentives, and encourages the adaptive reuse of vacant commercial buildings in the City Center and along the Kenai Spur Highway. It further states that the city should develop land use strategies to implement an approach to community growth and development and specifically identifies the waterfront adjacent to the Bridge Access Road beginning at Millennium Square to the City dock as an area for revitalization.

Kenai Finance Director Terry Eubank told Council:

“In particular, it talks about an idea of Kenai waterfront revitalization and a specific request to have a work session to discuss that with the intent of the administration to commission a feasibility study to assist us with different ideas or possibilities of what could go on down in that area. That feasibility study will also look at Kenai City Code to determine, or the zoning code, if there are changes that we need to make or amendments that would make some of this redevelopment or revitalization more feasible. It also looks at some of the economic incentive programs or tools that we have at our disposal that could become useful in that or may not be useful in that process specifically.”

The City Administration wants to support a feasibility study that would consider all aspects of the waterfront area and provide recommendations for a revitalization initiative. An introduction is scheduled for August 18^th for an ordinance funding the Kenai Waterfront Feasibility Study with a work session on waterfront redevelopment scheduled for early next month.

The city sees great potential to significant investment in the waterfront area of Kenai, citing ‘untapped potential’ and the importance to Kenai’s ‘defining natural asset near the mouth of the Kenai River’ potentially spurring future growth.