The Port of Toledo, in keeping with its mission of developing, promoting and sustaining the area's economic base and supporting the maritime industry, will conduct a feasibility study on the purchase of Fred Wahl Marine Sturgeon Bend Shipyard.
Fred Wahl Marine, which is planning on scaling back its operations and sell or close its repair and haul-out (dry dock) facility on the Yaquina River, is being targeted by the port as a means to retain a service and repair site for commercial and private shipping needs.
“We'd hate to lose support service for the marine industry,” Port Manager Bud Shoemake said. “There's a real regional need for this yard. I don't think people fully understand the regional impact it has.”
The port will use a $37,500 grant from the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department (OECDD) to study the acquisition and operation of the shipyard.
“We want to look at what choices we have ... can we afford it? Things like that,” Shoemake said. “We're going to do feasibility plans, marketing plans, funding plans. We're going to take a look at it every way there is to take a look at it with an open mind.”
Use of the facility could increase for West Coast and Alaska fleets if Fred Wahl cuts back on maintenance and repair operations at its larger Reedsport facility to concentrate on new-boat construction, as planned.
“We're looking not only at what the yard is capable of doing now, but what else is needed from people in the industry,” Shoemake said. “We have no agenda other than we're serious about it and to make sure it doesn't go away.”
The first phase of the study, to be conducted by Maul Foster Alongi, Inc., will be to gather community and regional input to identify support for the project.
A series of interviews and opportunities for public comment will be conducted, and potential funding sources strategies and cost estimates for improvements will be examined. Regional market and economic analyses will be provided, and findings will be presented to the public and Port Commission for review and comment.
“If someone from the private sector came along and says, ‘You know, we want to do this,' well, we would fully support that,” Shoemake said. “We're not trying to gobble up a business. We just want to make sure a (shipyard) business exists. We just don't want a private dock taken away from the fleet.”
A port commission meeting will be held at noon on Wednesday, April 9, in the city council chambers at Toledo City Hall, 206 N. Main St., to discuss the shipyard's future.
Fred Wahl Marine, which is planning on scaling back its operations and sell or close its repair and haul-out (dry dock) facility on the Yaquina River, is being targeted by the port as a means to retain a service and repair site for commercial and private shipping needs.
“We'd hate to lose support service for the marine industry,” Port Manager Bud Shoemake said. “There's a real regional need for this yard. I don't think people fully understand the regional impact it has.”
The port will use a $37,500 grant from the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department (OECDD) to study the acquisition and operation of the shipyard.
“We want to look at what choices we have ... can we afford it? Things like that,” Shoemake said. “We're going to do feasibility plans, marketing plans, funding plans. We're going to take a look at it every way there is to take a look at it with an open mind.”
Use of the facility could increase for West Coast and Alaska fleets if Fred Wahl cuts back on maintenance and repair operations at its larger Reedsport facility to concentrate on new-boat construction, as planned.
“We're looking not only at what the yard is capable of doing now, but what else is needed from people in the industry,” Shoemake said. “We have no agenda other than we're serious about it and to make sure it doesn't go away.”
The first phase of the study, to be conducted by Maul Foster Alongi, Inc., will be to gather community and regional input to identify support for the project.
A series of interviews and opportunities for public comment will be conducted, and potential funding sources strategies and cost estimates for improvements will be examined. Regional market and economic analyses will be provided, and findings will be presented to the public and Port Commission for review and comment.
“If someone from the private sector came along and says, ‘You know, we want to do this,' well, we would fully support that,” Shoemake said. “We're not trying to gobble up a business. We just want to make sure a (shipyard) business exists. We just don't want a private dock taken away from the fleet.”
A port commission meeting will be held at noon on Wednesday, April 9, in the city council chambers at Toledo City Hall, 206 N. Main St., to discuss the shipyard's future.