Gloucester awarded $263,930 federal grant

The City of Gloucester is the proud recipient of a nationally competitive grant for $263,930, see the details in the press release that is attached.

Gloucester Awarded Tier II BIG Grant

Gloucester MA, 3/5/2015 – The City of Gloucester’s Mayor, Sefatia Romeo Theken and the Gloucester Waterways Board, are proud to announce that Gloucester has won a highly competitive Tier II Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) in the amount of $263,930. Recognizing the need for more transient boater access, the Theken Administration and Waterways Board took the initiative to make Gloucester a more accessible port for visiting boaters while continuing to protect and enhance our working waterfront.
This grant will allow the City to replace old wooden floats located next to a condemned pier that have limited transient boater drop-off and pick-up and dinghy spots. National Grid is removing the pier, which will allow for the expansion of this float system. The BIG grant will make possible the expanded use of the current transient boater access at this site.

The Grant
The Tier II Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) is a US Fish and Wildlife Service nationally competitive grant and is administered here by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), within the Department of Fish and Game, Executive Office of Energy and the Environment. In 2015, $12.2 million has been awarded in 10 states, with $263,930 coming to Gloucester. The BIG grant program was created to increase transient boater port access for boats that are 26 feet or greater. Funding for the BIG program comes from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which boaters and manufacturers support through excise and other taxes on certain fishing and boating equipment and gasoline.

The Project
This grant and matching funds total $527,905. This money will be used to create transient boater access as part of a new float system off the Solomon Jacob’s Park providing:
⦁    144 feet of dockage for transient dinghies
⦁    205 feet of dockage for drop-off, pick-up and other uses
⦁    80-foot ADA compliant gangway
⦁    8 of the 16 rock socketed steel piles necessary for the project
⦁    Arched Aluminum Access Bridge
⦁    Engineering and Design
⦁    Sewage Pumpout facility paid for by a Clean Vessel Act grant

Partnerships
The Gloucester Waterways Board in partnership with National Grid and the Seaport Advisory Council will contribute $263,975 of matching funds that are eligible for the transient boat access portion of the overall project and are required by this BIG grant.
⦁    Gloucester Waterways Board contributing $58,000 for Engineering and Design, of which $27,840 is eligible to apply as matching funds.
⦁    Seaport Advisory Council contributing $200,000 for concrete floats, of which $109,300 is eligible for a match.
⦁    National Grid contributing $264,240 for 16 rock socketed steel piles, of which $126,835 is eligible for a match.

Grant administration
DMF is the state agency that administers this grant. The hard work of DMF employees Stephanie Cunningham and Cecil French throughout the research and application process was instrumental in Gloucester receiving this grant. Moving forward, DMF will be working with the City to bring this project to completion over the next few years.