NEW LONDON, Conn. – Hundreds of members of the campus community gathered on the banks of the Thames River on Friday morning to usher in a new era in Connecticut College athletics.

The dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Waterfront Revitalization Project marked the end of a two-and-a-half-year journey to bring the shoreline back to life. The project—which includes a new roadway, retention wall and multiple docks—reignites myriad possibilities for the campus and the community.

The new waterfront property provides a first-rate experience for student-athletes, especially those in the sailing and rowing programs that call the facility home. The Camels are the only NESCAC program with on-campus access to the water, and the new facility will aid in both hosting larger collegiate events and attracting potential recruits.

"This project puts us at the front of the pack," said head coach Jeff Bresnahan, now in his 31st season at the helm of the sailing program. "We've always run great events here at Conn, but now we have the next piece—a great facility with 36 boats on the dock. This is one of the top facilities in the country."

"Going through the recruitment process, one of the factors in my decision to come to Conn was this space," said Emma Lanahan '24, a captain on the women's rowing team. "Having the waterfront on campus is huge. It's a beautiful environment that's going to attract more recruits to our program."

The project began in March 2020 when the grounds crew took on the considerable task of clearing the hillside to make the river visible again. That work inspired a leadership gift from champion rower and Athletic Hall of Fame member Jessica Archibald '95 to make the property even more accessible with a new road. Now called Archibald Way, the new paved road features sidewalks and solar- and wind-powered lighting leading all the way down to the waterfront.

Completion of the roadway literally paved the way for a second leadership gift from Emeritus Trustee Barbara Zaccheo Kohn '72. Her extraordinary generosity supported the redevelopment of the College's waterfront property to establish an accessible multidimensional marine access point for the College—the Kohn Waterfront.

Both Archibald and Kohn were on hand to partake in the ribbon-cutting ceremony, along with other key donors and contributors to the project. 

"It was great to see all the people who contributed to this project," said Tommy Whittemore '23, a member of the sailing team. "Our team is extremely appreciative of all the improvements, and I think people will be excited to check out what we have down here. I think it will connect the student body to the water even more, as well as generate support for our programs."

In addition to serving as an extraordinary athletics facility, the waterfront also provides an outdoor classroom for the faculty and students at Conn. As an Environmental Science major, Lanahan has utilized the waterfront for labs and class projects throughout her academic pursuits.

"I feel so lucky to have this space," said Lanahan. "I centered a whole project around the waterfront for one of my biology classes, and was able to walk down on my own time and do my own research. I wouldn't have gotten that experience anywhere else—it's such a unique space for research opportunities."

On top of the athletic and academic benefits, the facility also offers opportunities for physical education classes, recreational activities and other on-campus programming. It also gives students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members the ability to take a walk to the river, fish, birdwatch and enjoy the natural beauty of the Thames. 

"It's a fantastic investment in the college community as a whole," said Eva Kovach, now in her 23rd season as head coach of the women's rowing program. "We needed to start here, and it really was the vision of the administration, along with the alumni, that connected at the right time."