The Edgartown Memorial Wharf project was awarded $1 million in state grant money Wednesday,  Gov. Charlie Baker announced, as part of $4 million handed out by the Seaport Economic Council. The $3.5 million town project will raise and renovate the historic town wharf.

A town committee shipped up to Boston — virtually — on Wednesday morning, to pitch the plan.

The state Seaport Economic Council, headed by Lieut. Gov. Karyn Polito, allocated $3.8 million in grant funding to nine projects in eight coastal towns in the commonwealth. Other towns that were awarded grants included Plymouth, Chatham, Manchester by the Sea and Swampscott.

The announcement from Governor Baker Wednesday called Memorial Wharf “a shovel-ready coastal infrastructure improvement project that will support economic development opportunities.”

The Edgartown committee has been drawing up the Memorial Wharf proposal since 2015, ultimately deciding on a plan to raise the town’s only deep water wharf by two feet due to rising sea levels, replace the pier extension with a floating dock and re-engineer rusted or corroded bulkheads to maintain their long-term integrity. Current engineering plans also allow the town to raise the dock higher if sea levels continue to rise.

The committee includes Chris Scott, Steve Ewing, Rick Hamilton, Juliet Mulinare and harbor master Charlie Blair. Town administrator James Hagerty made the presentation before the seaport council.

Mr. Hagerty was not yet aware that the town received the money when contacted by the Gazette Wednesday afternoon. But he expressed equal parts excitement and gratitude upon hearing the news.

“This was a lot of hard work from the Memorial Wharf committee to get this project to where it is now,” the town administrator said.

“The town would also like to thank Christine Flynn from the MVC for supporting us and facilitating the grant application.”

The town had asked the state for the maximum, $1 million grant in order to complete the project. The rest of the renovation will be funded through a roughly $2 million town meeting warrant article, which will require a Proposition 2 1/2 override in the ballot box as well.

Preliminary engineering and construction analyses have already cost the town approximately $750,000 — money that was allocated in previous town meeting votes. The town has also appropriated a $200,000 match for the state money.

The town is tentatively planning to hold its annual town meeting in May. But in a wrinkle, state law prohibits the town from changing the date of its annual town election, currently scheduled for April 15.

At a selectmen’s meeting Monday, Mr. Hagerty told the board that he felt it would be inappropriate to hold a vote on the wharf renovation before residents had a chance to vet the project on the town meeting floor. Instead, he proposed holding a second, special election after the May town meeting vote.

Selectmen were amenable to the idea, and gave Mr. Hagerty their well-wishes on the upcoming presentation before the lieutenant governor.

“I think last May it went pretty well,” selectman Michael Donaroma said. “I definitely think we should follow the same suit.”

The Memorial Wharf project is one of three major Edgartown harborfront renovations planned in response to rising waters. The Edgartown Yacht Club recently completed a major renovation that raised it one and a half feet; a similar project was completed last winter on the historic Vose Boathouse.

In other business Monday, town waterfront employees and scientists discussed management of the Edgartown Great Pond, which has reached high water levels this winter. The town is currently in the middle of a dredge project, and plans to cut an opening in the pond on Saturday.

In a letter to the selectmen, the board of the Edgartown Great Pond Foundation suggested the town wait to open the pond and institute more stringent upper water level limits in order to limit nutrient pollution. If the town does not cut the pond at the high water level, then the foundation asked for permission to do so itself, at its own cost

“EGP should be cut at 4.0 feet to avoid minor ecological damage and 4.25 to avoid long-term ecological impacts,” the letter said. “Waiting a bit longer before an opening is in the best interest of both the town and the health of EGP.”

Shellfish constable Paul Bagnall defended town management and said a variety of factors are weighed when deciding to open the pond to the sea, including water level, wind and dredging. Mr. Bagnall said that, pending proper weather, the pond would be opened Saturday.

“The management out there is scientifically based,” Mr. Bagnall said. “I welcome that information, but just realize that it comes in a long litany of information.”

Looking forward to warmer months, Mr. Hagerty also told selectmen that the town would likely pursue an outdoor dining plan for downtown similar to last summer. The town offered temporary permits to restaurants that allowed them to move tables outdoors and into sidewalks, reshaping Main street.

“I think that summer 2021 is going to be extremely busy, and it’s going to be up to us to manage how that happens,” Mr. Hagerty said.