Stonington is home to the Connecticut's last commercial fishing fleet and, now, its aging dock will undergo much needed upgrades.
Included in the 2023 federal budget is $900,000 to support major maintenance and upgrades to the dock's North Pier. Rep. Joe Courtney requested the targeting funding.
"This project, which made it all the way through last year's congressional appropriations process, really stood out as a smart one-time investment that can really result in years of good jobs and economic activity," Courtney said during a visit to the Town Dock Wednesday.
"We have got to work hard in Connecticut and realize that we have something special here and we have to keep it going,” he continued.
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The federal funding will replace pilings, upgrade framing and decking, and provide additional lumber to support enhanced operations, according to Courtney's office. The infrastructure upgrades will also help improve resiliency.
“This dock is so important. It represents more than even what we can see here," First Selectman Danielle Chesebrough said. “We are trying to invest in ensuring it can remain that way and remain a really important viable part of the economy.”
According to Stonington's first selectman, the dock directly supports more than 100 local jobs and has been a local source for fresh seafood since the 1800s.
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While the federal dollars will fund improvements to the North Pier, the South Pier is also in need of repairs. The town used a previous grant to fund a fully designed and engineered set of plans for the other pier, but the price tag is much higher.
The South Pier project will likely cost close to $6 million. The town is still searching for funding.
“Hopefully being able to show improvement on one pier will leverage us better to make improvements on the other pier," Chesebrough said.
