Update 3/14/02
In a letter of 3/14/02, Massport's Acting Executive Director Thomas Kinton has responded to SAND's letter of 2/15/02 (below). Mr. Kinton has indicated Massport's interest in addressing the concerns of the Fish Pier tenants. Mr. Kinton has also stated that lease extension negotiations are ongoing, and that recommendations on behalf of tenants are being considered.
2/15/02
On February 21, the Massport Board will consider a proposed hike in leases for Fish Pier seafood processing tenants to market rate.
- To read more about the relationship between Massport and Fish Pier tenants, click here.
- To read about Massport's 1996 conversion of the Fish Pier Auction House to a Conference Center, click here.
- To visit the Conservation Law Foundation web page regarding Fish Pier click here.
2/15/02
- Mr. Lowell Richards
- Massachusetts Port Authority
- One Harborside Dr.
- East Boston, MA 02128-2909
Dear Mr. Richards:
The Seaport Alliance for a Neighborhood Design (SAND) is a community group based in the Fort Point neighborhood of South Boston. Our members are residents and business owners, artists and architects, working together for a number of years on issues regarding the long-term planning of the South Boston Waterfront. A comprehensive record of our effort is archived at www.seaportalliance.org.
We remain concerned that Massport's position regarding Fish Pier leases may jeopardize the long-term viability of the working port. The agency's decision to pursue corporate tenants on Fish Pier rather than securing a long-term future for marine-related tenants at reasonable rates will irrevocably remove an important maritime resource from the port system.
Port related businesses, though perhaps not as competitive as other commercial interests, are an important constituency with especially fragile geographic demands. Proximity from the harbor and fishing vessels to the processing functions are critical to their success. Although the revenue from these processors may not represent market rate, the assets they are maintaining and utilizing - including Fish Pier, were placed in Massport's charge as the public agency chartered to protect, promote and expand the working port system.
We expect that Massport will negotiate long-term leases with its tenants at rates that enable these companies to continue at Fish Pier.
Best regards,
SAND
www.seaportalliance.org
617 423-4299 (SAND voicemail)
- cc: Congressman Stephen F. Lynch
- Governor Jane Swift
- Representative Jack Hart
- Boston City Councilor James Kelly
- Ms. Vivien Li, Boston Harbor Association
- Ms. Stephanie Pollack, Conservation Law Foundation
Your comments as a visitor to the SAND website would be appreciated and forwarded for discussion.