Close of Business on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, marked the close of the response period for the Cambridge Harbor Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) issued on July 15, 2022. Cambridge Waterfront Development, Inc. (CWDI), the non-profit development corporation formed to develop Cambridge Harbor, is pleased to report the general results of the REOI process.
CWDI received 27 responses from various potential partners able to help plan, develop and activate Cambridge Harbor. In broad categories, these include 3 Developers, 1 Investor -Developer Team, 1 Developer-Builder Team, 1 Marina Developer-Operator, 5 General Contractors, 3 Designers, 1 Marine Contractor, 1 Property Manager, 2 Vendor/ Subcontractors, and 9 Site Activation Entities.
“We are very pleased with the results,” said Matt Leonard, CWDI’s Executive Director. “The quantity and quality are exactly what we need to move the process forward.”
The REOI was open for response for 123 days. During that time, CWDI proactively distributed the REOI directly to potential respondents and through its mission partners to others. These partners include the City of Cambridge, Dorchester County, and the State of Maryland. CWDI promoted the opportunity to respond through various platforms. They hosted two in-person sessions in collaboration with the Dorchester Chamber of Commerce. The first session was held at the Cambridge Harbor site on August 15th and was open to all interested parties. The second was held at the Chamber of Commerce’s offices on October 18th and targeted Dorchester County and City of Cambridge-based businesses to help them best format their responses.
CWDI also engaged in inbound and outbound face-to-face visits to increase the chances of receiving more and better-qualified responses. Respondents hail from near and far from Cambridge, Maryland, indicating that CWDI’s process and approach worked well. Of the 27 respondents, 24 visited the Cambridge Harbor site and met with CWDI. CWDI also visited various of the respondents’ operations or project sites to better understand their capabilities and identify their best fit for the Cambridge Harbor project.
“The aim of the REOI process is to identify and conform a group of best development and activation partners,” adds Leonard. “The collaborative and interactive REOI process helped broaden the types of respondents while improving the quality of their responses.”
The map below of respondent’s headquarters or key operations locations shows desirable mix of capable local and national partners.
Cambridge Harbor will be a highly activated waterfront district to include public spaces, amenities, and events focused on promoting the City of Cambridge and Dorchester County’s multi-faceted history, heritage, and culture while creating a unique destination for tourism. Cambridge Harbor consists of 30+ developable acres along the Choptank River and Cambridge Creek in Cambridge, Maryland, that already includes a deep-water port, a new public wharf, a public boat ramp, an adjacent working waterfront, a maritime museum, and a visitor center. The development plan includes a continuous waterfront bike/walk promenade, boutique hotel, multiple food and beverage, entertainment and public recreation space, retail, office/educational/ creative spaces/ and mixed-use residential.
CWDI will engage the respondents further as needed through the first quarter of 2023 to evaluate their capabilities and fit for the Cambridge Harbor project. CWDI aims to make final selections and terms for best partnerships in the second quarter of 2023. Following that, they will report back to the community in detail about the development team conformed to develop Cambridge Harbor. CWDI is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit development corporation formed through a joint Agreement of the City of Cambridge, Maryland; Dorchester County, Maryland; and the State of Maryland. CWDI’s mission is to develop Cambridge Harbor in partnership with the community, to the benefit of the community, and to sustainably operate and maintain Cambridge Harbor as an inviting, accessible, active, and enjoyable place to live, work, play and visit.
For more information about CWDI or Cambridge Harbor please contact Matt Leonard at matt.leonard@cwdimd.org; (434)579-0374.
On July 1, 2023, Cambridge Waterfront Development, Inc. (CWDI) closed the online survey seeking community input on naming a new street being added to Cambridge Harbor. The survey, managed by BCT Design Group (BCT), solicited responses and suggestions to help CWDI focus street naming efforts by asking the public to rank the four possible naming […]
CWDI has issued a survey for you – our stakeholder community – to once again provide input on one of the new elements at Cambridge Harbor.
We’re excited to announce Cambridge Waterfront Development, Inc. (CWDI) has issued a 2022 Annual Report for its stakeholder community. “We believe in keeping our partners informed,” said Matt Leonard, CWDI’s Executive Director. “We do this as we make plans, progress, and reach milestones.”