Old Saybrook — The Connecticut Port Authority is moving its headquarters from Hartford to Old Saybrook, the "heart of Connecticut's maritime economy," board Chairman Scott Bates said.

The port authority, a quasi-public agency established by law in 2014, is responsible for developing and marketing the state's three deepwater ports in Bridgeport, New Haven and New London, as well as its smaller harbors, and promoting its maritime economy.

The port authority is expected to move into office space at Saybrook Junction in August. It's renting an 850-square-foot office for $13,000 per year, and has a three-year lease, according to Old Lyme First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder, who is chair of the port authority's finance subcommittee.

The move shows the port authority's commitment to the smaller harbors, and will be convenient for traveling along the shoreline, including to the state's three deepwater ports, Bates said.

"As the hub of the lower Connecticut River Valley, and having nine marinas located within its borders, Old Saybrook welcomes the port authority's mission advancing Connecticut's maritime economy," Old Saybrook First Selectman Carl Fortuna said in a news release.