The Hornblower Group, a San Francisco transportation company that operates the New York City Ferry, Statue Cruises, and a number of other cruise and ferry services around the country and in the U.K., has signed a lease agreement with Bridgeport Boatworks that will bring up to 100 new jobs to the city.
Waterfront activity is also expected to get a positive bump from the move, due to the upgrades planned at the Boatworks, at an approximate cost of $8 million to Hornblower Group.
Expected to be open sometime during the second half of the year, the revitalized facility will include a 700-ton travel lift for hoisting large vessels, making it one of the largest such lifts in the New England region.
“Bridgeport’s transformation is the state of Connecticut’s transformation,” Gov. Ned Lamont said at a news conference Monday morning announcing the deal. Calling it “one of the best ports in the country,” Lamont noted that Bridgeport’s renaissance also includes nearby Steelpointe Harbor and the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater.
Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner David Lehman called the agreement “a win/win for the residents of Bridgeport,” referring to the forthcoming jobs and the ongoing revitalization of the city’s waterfront.
