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Having an opportunity zone is unusual for a waterfront community, which is why the city’s recently proposed new comprehensive plan emphasizes this unique dichotomy. Opportunity zones are economically distressed areas designated by the state and federally funded to create economic growth and job opportunities.

The deep-water port and established maritime industry are significant assets for economic development, and the tax incentives that come along with the opportunity zone designation are attractive, said growth strategy advisor Shean Bourgeois, who is working with the city on its comprehensive plan update.

When city staff created the previous comprehensive plan in 2011, Cambridge did not have an opportunity zone designation. Now, the combination of the designation and the city’s deep-water port are seen as significant assets to its economic growth.

In August, the city hosted a weeklong charette where residents could voice their opinions on the future of Cambridge’s development. On the final day, representatives from Able City, the development company assisting the city with its comprehensive plan, presented the visions that came out of the charette.

“Right now, what we hear is that there’s room for improvement when it comes to the mooring fields and the harbor facilities,� Able City partner Jason King said. “What we hear is that there’s room for improvement in terms of waterfront dining, the ability to pull your boat up to a restaurant, and there’s not any sort of coherent waterfront walk.�

Bourgeois said during the planning process, they looked at the things that set Cambridge apart from other cities on the Eastern Shore.

“The one that jumps out is the opportunity zone designation because it’s federal. The state has to recommend which areas that fit the criteria. And then when you combine that with the fact that there’s port access, really the only one on the Eastern Shore, it stands out,� Bourgeois said.

Cambridge’s 470-foot wharf is home to the only port on the Eastern Shore that has the depth, space and infrastructure to accommodate the largest and heaviest ships used in global trade. The deep-water port took shape in 1963 and was once the port of call for the Presidential Yacht, U.S.S. Potomac.

For King, the project is about more than just the port or the opportunity zones. It is about reconnecting the city to the waterfront. “Generally, when we talk about economic development for Cambridge, we talk about maximizing waterfront potential,� he said.

King said it is important that the development project is equitable, ensuring that the economic development benefits all residents and does not displace existing businesses.

The charette presentation was a first step in the comprehensive plan, and the process of understanding the implications of the opportunity zone and deep-water port are ongoing, King said.

Currently, the plan is being drafted, which King said will take about 1,000 hours of work.

“Having worked previously with King and Bourgeois in both Florida and Georgia I can assure you that this will be a transformative document... a type of Comprehensive Plan that I suspect has not been seen before in Cambridge (or on Maryland’s Eastern Shore),� Cambridge City Planner Brian Herrmann wrote in an email to the Star Democrat.