Skagway weighs hiring KPFF, the only firm to apply, to design its new industrial dock

The Skagway Borough Assembly is scheduled to decide Thursday whether to hire KPFF, the only firm that applied, to design a new dock that would move the port's industrial cargo away from tourism.

Skagway's grant application put the dock's cost at about $51.5 million. A $38.6 million federal port grant, which Skagway was awarded on its fourth try, would cover most of it. The borough has committed about $12.9 million from its Port Fund for the rest.

The dock would modernize the port's publicly owned freight and fuel infrastructure, and industrial cargo would shift to the port's former ore-handling area, according to the borough's request for proposals.

KPFF would handle engineering, design, environmental review, permitting and project management through July 2028. Construction isn't part of the contract. If the Assembly approves it, the project schedule calls for KPFF to get the go-ahead Dec. 2.

The posted meeting packet doesn't say how much the contract would cost, and it includes no staff memo recommending the award. Records also don't show whether the federal grant or the borough's share would pay for it. Skagway's fiscal 2026 capital plan listed about $1.57 million for permitting and design, pending a grant award.

KPFF has worked on the project before. The firm developed the industrial dock concept, advanced the design and produced the cost estimate, according to its proposal, which says the design is about 40% complete. Its team also led work on Skagway's Ore Peninsula cruise dock.

The borough is choosing on qualifications, not price. A panel made up of the borough manager, the port director, the chair of the Ports and Harbors Advisory Board and an Assembly member scores each firm's approach, staff, experience and references. Proposals closed Oct. 30, and KPFF's was the only one.

Skagway's grant applications in 2022, 2023 and 2024 weren't funded. In April, the U.S. Maritime Administration told the borough it had won through its Port Infrastructure Development Program.

For the application, the Assembly voted 6-0 in September 2025 to commit the local share, about a quarter of the cost. Borough Manager Emily Deach said at an August 2025 hearing that the 25% local share was meant to make the application more competitive, according to the minutes. At the September meeting, Tim Cochran of Petro Marine Services, a fuel distributor, spoke in favor of a multiuse operational dock.

Records don't show whether Skagway has signed its grant agreement with the Maritime Administration or whether the $51.5 million estimate still holds.