New restaurants and food trucks or more public space? Perhaps more parking downtown? The City and Borough of Juneau is asking citizens to decide what to do with a swath of prime waterfront real estate on the cruise ship dock between Marine Park and Taku Smokeries.
When two new floating cruise ship berths opened this spring, passenger embarkments and disembarkment moved offshore, freeing up the dock in front of the downtown public library. The City and Borough of Juneau has started the public planning process for the future of the area, but it needs public input.
The public has the opportunity to weigh in with ideas and visions at a 5 p.m. Docks and Harbors Board meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 6 at the Assembly Chambers in city hall.
“Our goal is to work with the Docks & Harbors Board and the public to see what kinds of things they want, what makes sense, so that we have a map forward as we make changes,” CBJ Port Engineer Gary Gillette said in a CBJ news release.
Given its proximity to cruise ships and seasonal retail stores, the waterfront area sees a lot of foot traffic during the tourist season. Gillette would like the planning process to allow even more use of the area.
“What we’re really hoping is that it’ll become a year-round place. Hopefully, we can come up with some ideas — whether its food trucks, public space or whatever — that attracts people to come down during the off-season,” he said.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Rain Coast Data will present some economic analysis to inform a brainstorming session with Corvus Design. On Sept. 7, the design team will hold a day-long “Open Studio” in the Senate building’s fourth floor board room from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Members of the public can drop in and talk on-on-one with the design team about their vision for the new waterfront.
At a Sept. 28 meeting at 5 p.m., the Docks and Harbors Board will hear a presentation on preliminary plans developed during the design phase.
