$50k grant to look at visitor center in Aberdeen

A $50,000 grant awarded to the City of Aberdeen will help fund the preliminary steps toward a new visitor center that would serve the entire Harbor.

According to a statement from the state’s Department of Commerce, the Community Economic Revitalization Board awarded the money to go toward the city’s Gateway Center Redevelopment Project, a visitor information and enterprise center.

Still in the planning stages, the partnership behind the center remains undetermined, said Lisa Scott, the city’s community development director. Though the city is behind the project, Scott added that the city doesn’t have any intention to own the building, but would instead partner with a third party to own and maintain the facility.

“We need to look at who we should partner with to make this sustainable,” Scott said, adding that the planning and feasibility study is intended to do that.

Local resources will match the CERB grant by $16,667.