JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - The Latest on the bidding process for Taku, a surplus Alaska state ferry (all times local):
12:10 p.m.
A surplus Alaska state ferry will get new life in Oregon.
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities announced Tuesday it has approved a bid from KeyMar LLC of Oregon to purchase the state Taku (TAH’-coo).
The winning bid was $300,000, and the company plans to use the ferry as a floating hotel in Portland, Oregon. There were two other bids for the ferry, both about $50,000.
The ferry was built in 1963 and was part of the Alaska state ferry system for over 50 years. It was taken out of service June 23, 2015, and is now moored in Ketchikan. A closing date for the sale hasn’t yet been set.
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10:19 p.m. Monday
The high bidder for Alaska’s ferry named Taku wants to turn the 352-foot (107-meter) vessel into a waterfront hotel and restaurant in Oregon.
The Juneau Empire reports (https://bit.ly/2xtSKoB ) that Portland resident Jonathan Cohen’s $300,000 bid on Friday was six times higher than the next bid. The Alaska Department of Transportation entertained three offers - all below its reserve price of $350,000 - and is in the process of selecting a winner.
Cohen represents a group of Portland investors who plan to make the ferry a floating hotel at a pier in northwest Portland.
Cohen said the Taku would be home to hostel-style accommodations as well as individual rooms, with the surrounding pier being a terminal for river-related activities.
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Information from: Juneau (Alaska) Empire, https://www.juneauempire.com
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