Mr. Mertl was part of a multi-disciplinary team to develop a master plan for the coastal community of Wrangell. The community has had little capital investment for many decades and the downtown core and waterfront was in decline. The master plan was developed to rejuvenate the community, restore civic pride and help bolster the community’s economy through supporting local businesses and attracting cruiseship visitations. A thorough public involvement process helped develop the revitalization plan that complimented and promoted Wrangell as a “real working coastal Alaskan community.” Improvements included the City Pier, sidewalk and roadway improvements, creating public spaces in the downtown, and harbor improvements. The plan explored ways to help celebrate the community’s rich culture, heritage and history in the development of these improvements. The plan was completed and adopted in 2006 and forms the basis of the new Wrangell Road Improvements project now in the final engineering and design phase under ADOT&PF and the City and Borough of Wrangell. Mr. Mertl is serving as landscape architect and is currently working on the construction documents phase of the project.

This work was completed by Mr. Mertl while with Jensen Yorba Lot Architects in Juneau.