CWDI updates Cambridge waterfront: promenade progress, harbor master plan, hotel talks and brokerage debate

The Cambridge Waterfront Development Initiative (CWDI) on Thursday updated city and county partners on construction of the waterfront promenade, a new harbor master plan and related development steps, saying the promenade is roughly two-thirds complete and that agency and private partners remain in talks about a hotel, fishing pier and marketing strategy.

CWDI President Andy Hanks said the promenade project is a $3,000,000 effort funded primarily by a U.S. Economic Development Administration award. “This is a $3,000,000 project with 2,400,000.0 coming from EDA with a $600,000 match from CWDF,” Hanks said, adding that the poured concrete base completed recently will be topped with brick pavers and is designed to allow emergency-vehicle access. He said the general contractor is Earth Movers and that CWDI expects work complete by the end of the summer, if not sooner.

The funding match for the EDA award, Hanks and other presenters clarified during discussion, includes a $300,000 land valuation under the promenade footprint plus a $300,000 cash match drawn from a prior state PAYGO award. CWDI emphasized the land portion is limited to the promenade footprint, not an entire parcel.

Tim Crosby, CWDI chair of the planning committee, presented a revised master plan that he said shifts the town core focus to the waterfront and groups five principal components — mixed-use buildings on the south side, two small waterfront restaurants on the north side, a large public open space, the promenade link and a family-oriented fishing pier. “So right now, there are 5 components that make up what we're calling, the harbor plan,” Crosby said.

The family fishing pier would extend well into the river with a T at the end, and Crosby reported the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has indicated willingness to pay for the pier. He described the intent to program the pier for both casual family use and transient vessel tie-ups for water taxis or similar craft.

CWDI staff reported ongoing talks with a hotel operator identified in the meeting as Pinnacle Hospitality Group. A CWDI representative said the developer remains “very interested” and has asked CWDI to prepare a hotel concept plan reflecting the site’s architectural context; CWDI plans to present that concept to Pinnacle within about 60 days to test developer interest.

The presentation also covered the maritime and museum properties. CWDI described a mixed-use building concept adjacent to the Richardson maritime site intended to showcase restoration activities and maritime retail. CWDI said it executed a two-year lease with Richardson to give the museum organization time to prepare a plan and that Richardson has the goal of buying the property back from CWDI.

On yacht maintenance, CWDI said it met with boat-builder George Robinson, who plans to dredge for his travel lift in October and is seeking an additional 1.3 acres beyond his current leased two-acre footprint to fulfill his proposed boat-building and restoration plan.

A substantial portion of the public discussion focused on how to market the larger harbor site. CWDI described two approaches: issuing a public RFP/offering process required by an existing transfer agreement with the city, or engaging a national commercial brokerage that would market the site and recruit interested developers. Proponents of a brokerage argued that national firms can reach a broader developer pool and help prepare pro formas and offering memoranda; others cautioned that the transfer agreement’s public-process requirement must be satisfied and that CWDI should consult its attorney before changing approach.

County commissioners and other attendees raised questions about open-space sizing, community access, and the relationship between preserved waterfront open space and adjacent property values. Crosby and other presenters defended the plan’s public-access emphasis, saying the open space is intended to accommodate both small family use and festivals, and noting the design follows the community’s previous visioning and comprehensive-plan guidance.

CWDI also discussed next steps: finishing the promenade base and pavers, preparing the hotel concept plan with urban designer Lou Oliver, meeting again with Pinnacle to test developer interest, continuing negotiations with George Robinson on yacht maintenance acreage and dredging, clarifying legal requirements for a brokerage versus RFP process with the city, and scheduling a wider public information session early this summer.

No formal motions or votes were reported during the presentation; CWDI said it will consult counsel and return with recommended steps for marketing and implementation.