May 5, 2012 marks the first Saturday that the Chesapeake Exploration Center (Visitor’s Center) in the Kent Narrows will be reopening on weekends. The nonprofit Kent Narrows Development Foundation (KNDF) is funding the weekend staffing of the building from May through October. The facility previously was closed on weekends due to budget cuts.

“Our goal is to strengthen participation and interest in the community,” said Dick Smith, who chairs the Foundation. “This is our opportunity to give back and help support tourism in the area.”

KNDF also is making improvements to the interior of the building, which will include expanded exhibit space featuring a variety of displays from art groups, historical societies, and private individuals. In the near future, the name of the facility will be changed to “Chesapeake Heritage Center,” to better reflect its new focus.

The Center will be open on weekends in May from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and June through October from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Center is located in Chester at 425 Piney Narrows Road, accessed just before the west side of the Kent Narrows Bridge.

The mission of the Kent Narrows Development Foundation is to provide guidance and oversight for a strategy to balance new economic growth and community redevelopment, while supporting the fishing and seafood industries and encouraging public interest in the area’s waterfront activities and amenities.