The Town of Chestertown will host the the grand opening of the newly renovated Chestertown Marina on Friday, November 1 at 1:00 p.m. The opening will be celebrated on the lawn of the newly named Cerino Center, which houses the Marina and ShoreRivers offices at 207 S. Water Street. All are welcome to attend.
The event coincides with the first day of Sultana Downrigging, a weekend festival devoted to tall ships and bluegrass music, during which a large area of the parking lot will be taken up with food tents and a music stage. Overflow parking is available at Wilmer Park and foot of High Street, both within one block of the Marina.
Mayor Chris Cerino states that “It’s been a long journey, but we’re thrilled that work on the Marina renovations is now complete. The dedication ceremony is to thank all of the state and federal agencies that made this possible, as well as all of the individuals who helped along the way. We now have an attractive, functional waterfront that will serve as an economic engine for Chestertown, Kent County, and the Upper Eastern Shore for years to come.”
The short program will be emceed by Mayor Chris Cerino, with remarks by Director Walter F. “Pete” Landon from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, MD DNR Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio, MD DHCD Secretary Kenneth C. Holt, MD Department of Commerce Asst. Secretary Tom Riford, and USDA DE/MD State Director Denise Lovelady. Free hot cider and cookies will be available during the event.
After nearly two years of construction, the completely refurbished Marina features a brand new marina office with handicap accessible bathrooms and showers plus laundry facilities for visiting boaters, floating and fixed docks with state-of-the-art utility pedestals, wood bulkheads and boardwalks, and underground utilities. As part of the $6.3 million project, the site was raised by nearly two feet to address nuisance flooding.
Funding for the Marina project was provided by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Waterway Improvement Fund, United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development, the State of Maryland, Maryland Department of Housing & Community Development, Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, and private donors who contributed over $1.2 million.