CAMBRIDGE - Cambridge Waterfront Development, Inc. formed a partnership with Richardson Maritime Museum on Feb. 10 with their acquisition of RMM’s property situated along Maryland Avenue and Hayward Street, and leasing property back to RMM.

“This is much more than just a land deal,” says Matt Leonard, CWDI’s executive director. “This is a way of aligning the CWDI and RMM missions to the benefit of both.”

Based on community input, CWDI’s mission includes enhancing and promoting maritime history and heritage as part of the Cambridge Harbor development. RMM is dedicated to doing the same on approximately four acres of waterfront land that forms the western gateway to Cambridge Harbor.

“Richardson Maritime Museum is extremely excited about partnering with CWDI to promote Dorchester County maritime history and the marine trades,” says Martin Hardy, president of the Richardson board of directors. “We have been working hard to consolidate our collection and projects to the Maryland Avenue property over this past year, and this partnership will allow us to continue our mission and goals.”

This partnership was helped significantly by the generosity of the Ruark Family Partnership, established in memory of Harold Ruark. Ruark was a highly successful designer and builder of several national championship hydroplanes, and instrumental in the success of hydroplane racing on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

RMM will include two CWDI appointees on its board of directors. This new board will then strategically plan a pathway forward for RMM’s mission to thrive.

CWDI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit development corporation formed through a joint agreement of the city of Cambridge; Dorchester County; and the state of Maryland to develop Cambridge Harbor.

RMM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to preserve and promote the boat building heritage of Dorchester County and the Chesapeake Bay area through research, preservation, exhibition of artifacts and archives, and an education facility for the marine trades.

For more information about CWDI or Cambridge Harbor, contact Matt Leonard at matt.leonard@cwdimd.org or 434-579-0374.

For more information about RMM, contact Jane Devlin at janedevlin@richardsonmuseum.org or 443-521-0213.