CRISFIELD, Md. -- The Seventh Street Marina Project, a 14.5-acre mixed-use development, could be coming to Crisfield. The project has people in the coastal community talking.
Most of that talk centers around excitement. The prospect of a large-scale project that could include hotels, restaurants, recreation space, homes and businesses, all right on top of Crisfield's waterfront, is something business owners said is sorely needed.
"I've been talking about it for years," said Danny Mark Nelson, owner of Waters Edge Cafe. "We need some private enterprise to spark the fire that could light Crisfield up."
It's still very early, but we were able to piece together some information on Monday.
What we know so far:
- The Crab Place and Davis Strategic LLC are running the show
- The project's footprint, as planned, is 14.5 acres
- It could include the following:
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Recreation space
- Homes
- Businesses
- Event space
- A marina that could hold over two dozen boats
- The footprint would encompass the property behind The Crab Place, as well as the former Handy Seafood Plant
Governor Wes Moore brought attention to the project over the weekend, posting about it on X(formerly known as Twitter) as well as Facebook:
"When I'm talking about growing our economy, I'm talking about what's happening in Crisfield with the Seventh Street Marina. Hotels, restaurants, recreation, homes, businesses – once it's complete, the Seventh Street Marina is going to be a MASSIVE driver for tourism, jobs, and economic growth on our Eastern Shore. Gone are the days of "no" and "slow." I'm committed to making Maryland the state of "yes" and "now."
Moore's office also issued a press release following his visit to Crisfield for the 48th annual J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake. In it, the release cites that the project could bring roughly $100 million in capital investments to the area and produce more than 100 permanent jobs.
"After that's here, everything will start filling in around it, and it'll spread out, it'll spread, it'll spread like wildfire," said Mark Nelson.
While the prospect of the project is exciting, it is still nothing more than that. That's why Patty Green, owner of The Weathered Porch, is leaving room for skepticism.
"The thoughts are fantastic on paper, we've got to make it happen," said Green.
We did contact the owners of The Crab Place and Davis Strategic on Monday. Neither was ready to divulge much information, but they told us they should have more details later this week.