Stimulating the Valley

PALMER — To get Mat-Su’s share of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Borough Manager John Duffy has a list of nine assembly-approved and “shovel ready” projects.

Duffy submitted the list to Congress before the stimulus package passed, hoping the projects — totaling more than $200 million — would be included in the legislation. All the earmarks were erased, and most of the money is now going to the states, but there is still a large amount up for competitive grants through federal agencies, Duffy said.

Below is a list of the projects Duffy is pursing grants for, the amount of funding and which agency he has applied to, and the projected temporary and sustained job creation. The list is in the priority order as determined by the borough.

1. Agricultural Processing and Product Development Center: Build a plant to package and distribute Valley-grown vegetables throughout the Railbelt. Applied for $15 million to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Agriculture. 70 short-term jobs created and 20 jobs created or retained long-term.

2. Arterial Road Improvements: Purposed new or upgraded arterials projects including Jenson-Soapstone Connection, Dogwood Road Extension, Seward Meridian South Extension, Vine Road Extension, Seldon Road Upgrade and Extension, and Hermon Road Extension. Applied for $35 million to the Federal Highway Administration. 265 short-term jobs created and 145 jobs created or retained long-term.

3. Upper Cook Inlet Ferry Landings: Supplement funding for the new transportation hub on Point MacKenzie. Applied for $37 million to the Federal Transit Administration. 60 short-term jobs created and 30 jobs created or retained long-term.

4. Major Highway Improvements: Additional funding for the Trunk Road, Seward Meridian, Burma Road and South Big Lake Road projects. Applied for a total of $107 million for all for projects to the Federal Highway Administration. 400 short-term jobs created and 100 jobs created or retained long-term.

5. South Denali Visitor Center: Build a new access point for camping, hiking and sightseeing for both Denali National and State parks. Applied for $29 million to the National Parks Service. 403 short-term jobs created and 669 jobs created or retained long-term.

6. Hatcher Pass Ski Area: Develop a day lodge, parking, roads and trails for a proposed nordic and alpine ski destination. Applied for $6 million to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Economic Development Association. 360 short-term jobs created and 1,350 jobs created or retained long-term.

7. Tourism Infrastructure: Includes wayside tourism information gateways, improved fishing area infrastructure and trail-head refurbishment projects. Applied for $1.46 million to Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Economic Development Association and the Department of the Interior. 25 short-term jobs created and 125 jobs created or retained long-term.

8. Fish Passage Improvements: Targets 17 culverts in the borough for improvement of fish passages. Applied for $1.5 million to the Department of Fish and Wildlife Services. 35 short-term jobs created, and 3 jobs created or retained long-term.

9. Talkeetna Wastewater and Water Treatment System: Improve the distribution system to the 300 year-round residents, identify the inflow and infiltration points and further test and remedy the arsenic in the water. Applied for $750,000 to the Environmental Protection Agency. Ten short-term jobs created and 2 jobs created or retained long-term.

In addition to the applications to the federal agencies, the state is looking at many of these same projects.

“I believe in the shotgun approach,” said Duffy. “We’ve taken many of the same projects on the state priority list, so we’re asking the state administration as well as our delegation to fund things.”

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.