The Homer Chamber of Commerce hosted a luncheon at the Land’s End Resort on Wednesday to talk about the Homer Harbor Expansion Plans. Bryan Hawkins, Port Director/Harbormaster for the Homer Port & Harbor and Aaron Fleenor, President of the Homer Marine Trades Association were the featured guests talking about the economic impact of the large vessel expansion plans and Homer marine trades.
The need for a Large Vessel Harbor initially started in 2004 in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Alaska Department of Transportation to look at the feasibility and scope of the proposed project. At that time, several factors led to the project to be placed on hold while searching for solutions. As time passed, several of those situational factors have changed, including the possibility of new and local sources of armor rock and construction material elements.
Hawkins said:
“The biggest news, I guess is that Colonel Delarosa with the Army Corps of Engineers has designated that Homer’s port expansion is his number one new start for the state of Alaska. This is the project he’s promoting to get funding so that we can start the general investigation. It requires, in order to build something like this, it requires a general investigation. It’s a three-year study. It costs $3 million. The breakdown is 50% federal and 50% local. We’re working to split the local cost with the state and partner with the state on that, too. The partnership would be Corps, state, and city. What we’re waiting for, actually in D.C., is for the Corps of Engineers to get their ‘22 budget. In that budget, we hope to see Homer’s new start project for $1.5 million for the Corps and authorization to begin the study. When they get that, we’re off to the races.”
The project cost is estimated to be about $150 million to build that would require dredging and building a revetment wall. Once built, the size of the large vessel fleet the Homer Harbor currently houses is anticipated to double. The construction is expected to take between 3 and 5 years to build with, at the soonest, something being there by eight years.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION – Homer Planning Assistance Report