Dry Dock, a seafood spot in the Old Port that has been closed for several years, is prepping for a fresh start with an acclaimed chef at the helm.

The space will be reopened early this summer, according to the Luke’s Lobster ownership team who leased the restaurant in October. The group announced Thursday that Chef Matt Ginn of Cape Elizabeth will serve as general manager.

Ginn worked as a corporate executive chef at Prentice, a hospitality group including businesses like Portland’s Evo Kitchen + Bar and Chebeague Island Inn, and The Good Table in Cape Elizabeth. He’s also appeared several times on the televised cooking competition “Chopped,” once winning $10,000 in 2018.

Luke Holden, founder and CEO of Luke’s Lobster, described the chef as a “culinary genius” who will help the restaurant showcase a variety of local Maine seafood and revitalize the establishment.

Ginn spent 10 years with Prentice Hospitality Group before departing last month. He said in a statement Thursday that he’s known the Holden family for a long time and looks forward to restoring the “legendary” Portland restaurant.

“The move to a more all-encompassing restaurant role for one establishment, and overseeing menu creation and kitchen staff hires for the re-opening of a restaurant that I grew up coming to, is the personal and professional change that I’ve been looking for,” Ginn said in a written statement.

Dry Dock opened in 1983 at 84 Commercial St. It closed in 2018 and never reopened. The two-story space, which is next to the Irish pub RiRa, will require a full renovation, including an addition to the kitchen, two large bars and an expanded deck. The new menu hasn’t been released yet, but the restaurant plans to announce it along with job openings and hours of operation later this winter.