With the summer season almost here, the City of New London is looking for ways to tout its waterfront and all its downtown area has to offer.
The New London Port Authority thinks the best option is teaming up with an outside force: the Thames River Water Taxi LLC.
The city is in talks to have the water taxi company manage the docks and moorings along Waterfront Park.
The Thames River Water Taxi LLC operates a water taxi service that shuttles people to different attractions in New London and Groton. That’s why owner Jackie Dietrich said she and her husband, David, know what New London has to offer. This could be a way to tap into the city’s potential and promote tourism, she said.
How that will be done is still in the planning stages, she added.
“I think we have it all. I just don’t think people understand what a great destination it is,” said New London Mayor Michael Passero, who is also the chief executive officer of the New London Port Authority.
Passero said the partnership would be a way to attract yachts, charters and pleasure boaters to the city, put New London on the map as a boating destination, and boost activity and revenue downtown.
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“A pleasure boat that comes into New London and ties up for the afternoon, for overnight, it’s going to have three, four, five people on it. That’s going to be lunch or dinner. That’s going to be people walking around,” Passero said.
Passero pointed to Ocean Beach Park as a successful example. In a similar business model, the city partnered with an outside company to manage the city-owned property. According to Passero, business has since grown, the city has made money, and people are proud of the way the property is cared for.
Hot Rod Cafe in New London overlooks Waterfront Park.
Owner of the cafe, Roderick Cornish, said the area could be used more.
“I’ve had a lot of people come here on boats and they often say they think it’s underutilized—once they find out about it,” Cornish said.
David Bureau, owner of The Bistro in downtown New London, said it’s about time the city creates a partnership like this.
“A lot of people downtown have been talking about—they wanna get all the boats in here,” he said, adding people don’t realize the diversity and quality of restaurants in the city.
“There’s no reason New London can’t be better than Mystic,” Bureau said.
