Hingham shipyard plan advances

Land swap issue granted state approval

By Emily Shartin, Globe Staff Correspondent, 12/2/2001

INGHAM - The Hingham Shipyard is finally on its way to resurrection as a waterfront community of luxury homes and stores, now that a key piece of legislation has been approved by state lawmakers.

For almost three years, the project's developer, Sea Chain, has been awaiting legislative approval of a so-called land swap with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and the Department of Environmental Management. Last week, as lawmakers raced to approve a new state budget, they signed off on the shipyard legislation.

The deal allows Sea Chain to incorporate a 12-acre parking lot into the $250 million development. In exchange, Sea Chain will build the transportation authority a new parking lot on a nearby 13-acre parcel.

Local labor unions are seeking guarantees that construction on the project will be contracted to union employees, an issue that threatened to delay the land swap even longer. Frustrated by the lack of resolution, Sea Chain had considered scaling back portions of the shipyard project, a move that could have cost Hingham $1 million in revenue, according to company projections.

The plan still awaits formal approval from the Hingham Planning Board. Construction is expected to begin next spring, according to Sea Chain spokesman Martin Cohn. As it now stands, the shipyard redevelopment is expected to create hundreds of new jobs, and bring Hingham about $1.8 million in new revenue each year.

''It's a tremendous victory for Hingham and the South Shore,'' Cohn said.

This story ran on page 4 of the Boston Globe's South Weekly section on 12/2/2001.
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