Opening of Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce and Affiliated Cape Ann Community Foundation New Office and Visitors Center Marks Milestone for the Community and Region’s Businesses

Online Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony, Placement of Time Capsule, and Virtual Community-Wide Celebration Set for Late August

The Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce and its affiliated Cape Ann Community Foundation today announced the completion of its new office and visitor center on Harbor Loop in Gloucester, marking a major milestone for both organizations, the Chamber’s members, and the entire Cape Ann community.

The new location features an expanded visitor center, a community collaboration/conference area, and office space for the Chamber and Foundation staff.

The new offices are located at the intersection of Harbor Loop and Rogers Street in downtown Gloucester, steps from the historic waterfront and the businesses along Main Street. The new site – on one of Cape Ann’s primary thoroughfares – is also more accessible to the other Cape Ann communities and is adjacent to a large municipal parking lot.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony – with Cape Ann government officials, community leaders, and Chamber board members and past presidents – is scheduled for later this month. The opening will also be marked by a virtual community-wide celebration, broadcast on social media. To mark the opening a time capsule with items from all four Cape Ann communities will be dedicated and placed at the base of the building’s maritime flagpole.

The new location – 50 percent larger than the Chamber’s previous offices – includes an expanded visitor center representing all four Cape Ann communities and a conference area that will be made available to organizations throughout the region.

Renovation and construction of the space – the former site of Capt. Bill & Sons Whale Watch – began earlier this year and continued through the spring and into the summer. For most of the past several months, the Chamber and Foundation team worked remotely, continuing to address the needs of members and the Cape Ann community, with a particular focus on providing COVID-19 response updates and information.

“This year, our communities were called on to address the unprecedented hardships that challenged Cape Ann as it did regions around the world, and while the Chamber was proud and pleased to do its part, we also remained focused on the opening of our location, a sign of hope and continued collaboration looking to the future,” said Ken Riehl, Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce CEO Ken Riehl. “Just as the leaders, businesses, organizations, and people of Cape Ann came together to respond to the challenges of 2020, the Chamber’s spirit of cooperation and commitment helped us realize our vision for a new office and visitor center that would better serve our members, visitors to the region, and all four of our communities.”

“This is a moment the Chamber shares with all of Cape Ann, as the opening of this office and visitors center promises to touch not only our team and our members, but anyone who lives and works in our communities and those who visit throughout the year,” said Chamber Board President Tony Sapienza, co-owner of the Blue Shutters Beachside Inn.  “This new location is a reflection of the Chamber’s influence and impact – an office that allows us to continue our important work on behalf and in support of our members, a visitors center serving the needs of those coming to explore and enjoy the region, and a meeting area that provides a place for the organizations and people of Cape Ann to come together to advance our community’s priorities.”

Ruth Pino also commented, “As President of the Cape Ann Community Foundation and a Past President of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, I am thrilled that the Foundation is partnering with the Chamber in this new and exciting chapter.  Not only does the new location enhance the visibility of both organizations, but offers a state of the art modern space for meetings and the enhanced Visitor Center will benefit all of Cape Ann”

About the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce
The Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce is the leading advocate for business on Cape Ann, promoting its members and the region’s economy, celebrating Cape Ann’s culture, and enhancing the community’s quality of life. The fastest growing chamber in Massachusetts, the Cape Ann Chamber has more than 1,000 members, including small businesses, global enterprises, non-profit organizations, independent businesspeople, and civic-minded individuals.  The Chamber serves all four Cape Ann communities – Essex, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-sea, and Rockport — offering its members a broad range of resources, including three websites with more than 400,000 views annually, three annual publications totaling more than with 260,000 copies, dozens of workshops and seminars, and a number of member discounts programs, referral services and networking opportunities. The Chamber works closely with community and government leaders on economic, cultural and educational initiatives, and sponsors events across the region.  For more information on the he Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, visit our website at www.capeannchamber.com.

About the Cape Ann Community Foundation
The CACF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization established in 2015 by the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce to manage and award grants from the proceeds from sales of the Cape Ann License Plate.  The  CACF makes grants for projects that support the Foundation’s mission to improve the economy and overall quality of life for the residents of Cape Ann in the following areas:

• Regional promotion: projects that support and enhance the quality of life for the Cape Ann region and the communities of Essex, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Rockport; and promote Cape Ann as a desirable place to live, work, recreate and vacation.

• Economic Development: projects that expand employment opportunities and enhance the economic vitality of Cape Ann, including but not limited to projects that facilitate the start-up of new enterprises or the expansion of existing enterprises on Cape Ann.
• Training and Education: projects that support the training and education of the current and future Cape Ann workforce, including entrepreneurial training, to help Cape Ann residents succeed and thrive in the 21st century economy.