The push is on to save the Chestertown Marina, and downtown leaders are organizing a fall campaign for State funding to make it all happen.
The funds is question would come from the State of Maryland’s capital project budget,which falls under Governor Larry Hogan’s responsibilities. Each year, dozens of towns cue up for critically important infrastructure grant money for Maryland’s downtown and suburban communities. And for the last two years, the town of Chestertown has been in that line for its deteriorating marina and waterfront public space but without much luck.
But this year things are different. The Chestertown Marina project has a couple of things going for it that were absent in the last two funding cycles. The first is that’s now “shovel ready,” which is bureaucratic speak meaning that all the permits and other potential roadblocks that would prevent construction have been resolved. In short, it’s ready to go.
The second, which cannot be underestimated, is that this time around Chestertown has gotten organized. A coalition of nonprofit organizations, from the Downtown Business Association and Kent County Chamber of Commerce, to the Greater Chestertown Initiative to the Sultana Education Foundation, all representing hundreds of members, have started an aggressive campaign to secure $1.5 million in state funds to not only provide initial infrastructure improvements to the slowly deteriorating waterfront, but rescue the site from a fate of being beyond repair.
The Spy spoke to Loretta Lodge, Drew McMullen Mc Kristen Owen, and Lani Seikaly, representatives of the Chestertown Waterfront Coalition, yesterday at the town’s Visitor Center to understand better their motives behind this significant collaboration, the high stakes involved, and what the citizens Kent County can do to join the cause of saving Chestertown’s only public waterfront.
This video is approximately eight minutes in length. For more information about the letter writing campaign please go here
eliott fuhrman says
can not count on state. current rendering is mostly a parking lot with an activity building .There was suppose to form a river front authority run lease out marina with option to buy.The authority would then seek private capital to reposition and restore the marina.
Barbara Ferris says
chestertown is becoming a vibrant little town. The downside is the marina which with good planning and design could uplift business to our downtown. Anything that can help with this vision gore our little place would be greatly appreciated.