Assemblymember Cahill Provides Foundation For Clearwater/Maritime Partnership

Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and Hudson River Maritime Museum to Receive Additional Funding for Port Improvement Project

December 27, 2011

(Kingston, NY) A project between the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and the Hudson River Maritime Museum has been selected to receive funding from the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Committee. The funds will be dedicated to building a two story timber frame boat building barn on the Rondout Creek. Assemblymember Kevin Cahill (D – Ulster, Dutchess) was responsible for laying the foundation for the partnership by securing a $125,000 grant for the purposes of improving the port and fostering a relationship between the Maritime Museum and the Clearwater. The funding helped to get the project off the ground and gave the application for the competitively awarded Regional Funds a leg up.

“Here along the majestic Hudson, we are bringing together two organizations who demonstrate that history, education, environmental preservation and economic development can work hand-in-hand,” said Assemblymember Cahill. “I have long been advocating for this project and I am pleased to see that the State stepped up to the plate to bring us closer to construction.”

The new $400,000 award, which is administered through the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, is a significant contribution to the project. Once the barn is erected, it will be used for environmental education programming, public green infrastructure trainings, community boat building, maritime history lectures and exhibits.

“This revitalized site is symbolic of the Hudson River’s rebirth. The Maritime Museum and Clearwater both give testament to the 'living history' of the Hudson River, from the booming commercial trades of coal, brick and bluestone, to its growing reputation as a recreational paradise,” said Assemblymember Cahill. “The cooperative effort of these two groups offers a first-hand opportunity to learn about the past and bask in the present.”

“The partnership between Clearwater and the Hudson River Maritime Museum is going to make a big difference on the Kingston waterfront. These grants give us the opportunity to better serve the local community. This building is the catalyst for a number of new youth programs we are developing. In addition, we’ve got plans to make this a year-round destination, to draw people in for the cultural and heritage experience they can have here summer or winter. This is just the beginning of really good things,” said Kate Mitchell, Executive Director of the Hudson River Maritime Museum.

“Both organizations are extremely grateful to the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and to Assemblyman Cahill for making this wonderful project possible. It will benefit all New Yorkers lucky enough to visit the site, but it will especially benefit the people of the Hudson Valley,” said Dr. John Weeks, Chair of the Barn Building Committee and Hudson River Maritime Museum Board Member.

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