FREEPORT — The borough has a new doorway for visitors from the Allegheny River.

Officials with the borough and the Freeport Renaissance Association on Friday evening cut the ribbon on a new boat dock at the Riverside Park on the river.

The dock is 180 feet long and allows people to tie up their boats and walk into town to shop and eat.

It can accommodate eight to 15 boats at a time including large ones that are more than 26 feet as well as rowboats and canoes.

The evening also was a celebration for the 10th anniversary of the Renaissance Association, a volunteer group that works on community beautification and improvement projects, plans live music in the gazebo by the water and holds the September by the River festival.

“Our mission has always been to focus on improvements to the downtown and the Riverside Park so the dock is our biggest accomplishment yet,” said Mary Bowlin, a volunteer with the group.

The dock is a key piece in the ongoing effort to redevelop the borough since it is hoped the dock will bring more people and business to Freeport.

The cost for the dock was $108,000. Some of that was covered by a $62,000 grant from the state Fish and Boat Commission and a $10,000 grant from the Port of Pittsburgh Commission.

The association is working to raise money to cover the remainder of the cost, Bowlin said.