Boston Conservation Commission’s (BCC) Charlotte Moffat said the BCC has approved the new owner of Charlestown’s piers at the Shipyard Quarters Marina’s request for administrative approval for his plans to redevelop the piers.
Charles Lagasse, Jr., a well-respected and experienced Newburyport developer who owns and operates the Boston Yacht Haven on Commercial Wharf, bought the property in September after a lawsuit filed by the Attorney General’s office forced the previous owner to sell the property. The development will be done under Lagasse’s entity Charlestown Marina LLC.
“Charlestown Marina LLC came before us with their reconfiguration plans as the new owner of the property,” said Moffat.
After the lawsuit that spanned nearly two years, Charlestown Marina LLC took ownership of the marina from previous owner Martin Oliner. Oliner had been fined $450,000 in environmental and other penalties for failing to clean up the property in a consent judgement.
With Lagasse assuming the responsibilities embodied by the consent judgment he plans to create a multimillion vibrant new marina on the Charlestown waterfront.
Lagasse has agreed to the removal of all dilapidated docks at the piers 6 and 8 sections of the marina; the construction of new docking facilities at pier 8 in accordance with a future approval from MassDEP, with at least 50 slips operational by May 1, 2016 and the remainder operational by May 1, 2017; the construction of new docking facilities at pier 6 within two years of the date that MassDEP issues a new waterways license;the extension of the Boston Harborwalk around the full perimeter of pier 6;the replacement of the old, deteriorated decking on pier 6 and pier 8; the conversion of private parking on the piers to public parking; and the completion of short and long term repairs to ensure the structural integrity of the harborwalk and piers 6 and 8.
According to the settlement, Lagasse has agreed to pay up to $250,000 if his company does not meet the construction deadlines.