Kenai waterfront to see major changes

Construction of Kenai’s long-awaited bluff erosion project could begin next year.
City Manager Paul Ostrander and Mayor Brian Gabriel gave an update on the city at a Kenai Chamber meeting Wednesday. Among the highlights of the year is progress toward finally protecting the mile stretch of bluff between the mouth of the Kenai River up to Millennium Square, just past the senior center.
Ostrander said the design is 65 percent complete.
"Of course, the first thing we’re going to talk about, which has been the number-one capital project priority for the city for at least 20 years," he said. "Depending on who you talk to, it could be as long as 40 years we’ve been pursuing this project. We’re really, really close now.”
The city received $28 million in federal funding through the Army Corps of Engineers and is working on coming up with its $13 million match — a mix of local money, grants and state funding.
“We’re talking about bidding this out for construction," Ostrander said. "You’ll see construction on this project next summer, 2023. After 30-plus years of perusing this, we’re going to get there. And, this project is obviously going to create jobs and economic opportunity, and it’s also going to protect critical infrastructure.”
The Kenai Senior Center and Vintage Point senior housing are among the infrastructure to be protected. And Ostrander said the seawall will help spur further investment in the area.
“People are unwilling to invest in property that’s eroding at three feet a year. We stabilize this bluff, I think you’re going to see private investment, capitalization invested into that area that we haven’t seen in many, many years,” he said.
Moving upriver just a bit, from where the bluff loses elevation on down to the city dock, the city is working on a waterfront revitalization project. The city is engaging the community to hear what they’d like to see in that area, and to figure out ways the city can help, whether that’s zoning or code changes, tax exemptions or other incentives. There have been three community brainstorming meetings so far.
“I’ll tell you, a brewery was probably the biggest focus, and directly behind that is boardwalks or trails,” Ostrander said.
For more information on the Kenai Waterfront Revitalization Project, there’s a link to the project on the city’s homepage, at kenai.city.