GOVERNOR LARRY HOGAN JOINS EASTERN SHORE LEADERS TO OPEN NEW VISITOR CENTER AND MUSEUM IN CAROLINE COUNTY
GOVERNOR LARRY HOGAN JOINS EASTERN SHORE LEADERS TO OPEN NEW VISITOR CENTER AND MUSEUM IN CAROLINE COUNTY
Local Project Connects the Riverfront of West Denton with Denton’s East Side
ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 28, 2017)– Governor Larry Hogan today joined local and state officials and elected representatives to officially open the new $2.1 million Crouse Park Visitor and Heritage Center in Denton. The visitor and heritage center has been long sought after by the Town of Denton to support tourism and attract visitors to the Daniel Crouse Memorial Park on the bank of the Choptank River.
“I am proud to celebrate this important, long-anticipated achievement for the Town of Denton, for Caroline County, and for the State of Maryland,” said Governor Hogan. “In addition to supporting our vital tourism industry, this center will also be an important boon for the local economy by encouraging more people to visit this region.”
The visitor and heritage center is a 2,500-square foot wooden building that provides a vital link between two riverfronts and offers a unique tourism destination for motorists and recreational boaters. The Crouse Park Visitor and Heritage Center was partially funded by the Federal Transportation Enhancement Program (TEP) via the federal transportation authorization bill SAFETEA-LU. This program provides funding for non-traditional transportation projects, including a broad range of eligible activities from community improvements to environmental mitigation initiatives.
The Maryland Department of Transportation distributes the funding at the discretion of the transportation secretary.
“I personally have been involved with this project for over ten years,” said Denton Mayor Abagail McNinch. “It has been amazing to see this come to fruition.”
Additional state funding was provided through the Community Legacy program, administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The Crouse Park Visitor and Heritage Center received two program awards totaling $310,000 that assisted with architectural, predevelopment, and construction costs. The visitor center is the second DHCD-funded project in Denton to celebrate its opening this month following the grand opening of Riverwoods at Denton, an 84-unit affordable rental housing community that received nearly $3.5 million from the department.
“Projects like the Crouse Park Visitor and Heritage Center and Riverwoods at Denton exemplify the Hogan administration’s commitment to support communities on the Eastern Shore and throughout rural Maryland,” said DHCD Secretary Kenneth C. Holt. “By working in partnership with local stakeholders, we are ensuring that redevelopment in these areas is responsive to local needs and contributes to positive economic growth.”
The project encompasses nearly 1,000 feet of Choptank riverfront, including over 30 acres, two sites on the National Register of Historic Places, an adjacent National Register Historic District, three National Register Vessels and access to the region’s most extensive water trail, the Choptank and Tuckahoe Rivers Trail.
“The next phase of this project will be the fun part,” said McNinch. “It is now time for tourists and members of our community to enjoy this beautiful center.”
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