Image courtesy of Utile Design
Lynn’s 15-acre former landfill and 15 acres of former National Grid land could become the site of a waterfront park following a land deal between National Grid and a private developer that plans to work with the city to rehabilitate the property as officials look to spur more development along the Lynnway.
Charter Development, an affiliate of brownfield redevelopment specialists Charter Contracting, bought the National Grid parcels for $1, according to public records. Charter plans to begin capping the former landfill, remediating pollution as neceessary and adding unspecified coastal resiliency measures, according to its announcement, before beginning design and construction of the park in 2023.
The park’s creation included in a city master plan finalized last year.
“It’s great to see the progress being made towards the first phase of the planned public waterfront park included in the city’s 2019 Open Space Master Plan. This development will be a game changer for the people in our community,” said Mayor Thomas M. McGee. “I would like to thank Charter Development, National Grid and state and municipal leaders for their continued collaboration to move this 30-acre public open space project forward. This investment will unlock an amazing opportunity for residents to take advantage of a beautiful and unmatched public space, that for so many years has been walled off to our community.”
Before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, several multifamily developments were in progress along the Lynnway, including a 1,260-unit project on the site of the former GE Gear Works plant, which is slated to get its own commuter rail stop and a 550-unit development on the site of the Lynnway Mart, whose owner announced last week it was closing permanently in September, according to the Lynn Daily Item. The city has seen sporadic interest from developers, with some beginning to build in the city’s downtown to take advantage of the commuter rail connection to the growing office cluster at North Station and Haymarket.
