The Project is located adjacent to downtown Sitka on Japonski Island and is accessed via the O’Connell Bridge. Located on the west side of Baranof Island, Sitka is the only community that could directly access the Project. Sitka is considered a City and Borough with a population of approximately 8,600 residents. The Sitka economic base is primarily associated with tourism, fisheries and seafood processing, recreation, forestry, and services. It is anticipated that over 400,000 visitors will arrive by cruise ship in 2022, with many arriving at the O’Connell Lightering Facility.

The DOT&PF with the DEED intends to update and create a new campus master plan for the

Mount Edgecumbe High School (MEHS) located in Sitka, Alaska. Located on Japonski Island, MEHS is a public boarding school operated by the DEED. Initially established in 1947 by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, MEHS provided Alaska Native students in grades 9 through 12 the opportunity to acquire a traditional education unavailable in rural Alaska. Serving as many as 600 students, the school closed temporarily in 1983 and reopened in 1985 under the governance of the DEED. The school continues to operate with the central role of MEHS to provide a broad range of academic and extra-curricular opportunities that are unavailable to Alaskan students in isolated home schools and communities. Currently, over 400 students from 111 villages throughout Alaska attend MEHS.

The Project is intended to understand existing conditions and programs, identify needs and opportunities, and develop priorities and recommendations to ensure the MEHS can fulfill its mission and meet the education needs of its students. Highlighted concerns regarding the Project are understanding long term planning of the MEHS campus and if there are land use opportunities on campus for leases, sale of property, or partnerships by adjacent landowners and others in the community. The MEHS is also a key employment and community destination with shared facilities where locals will want to be informed of planning decisions that affect the MEHS and any impacts to the larger community.