Home › News ›

Massachusetts Entrepreneur To Take On Challenging Shipyard Site

Posted by: Mike Lydon

22 May 2006 - 8:00am

What was once one of its most productive shipyards is now slated to become a billion dollar urban village on Boston's south shore.

"Auto dealer Dan Quirk has neither boats nor cars in mind as he plots the redevelopment of the storied Fore River Shipyard.

Instead the brash entrepreneur envisions a vast waterfront community, with condominiums, offices, shops, and restaurants erected on an industrial wasteland that counts a sludge treatment plant, oil tanks, and power plant as neighbors.

Once one of the most productive shipyards in the world, Fore River has been little used in the 20 years since General Dynamics shut it down. Previous efforts to revive it for shipbuilding have failed, but Quirk, who bought the shipyard three years ago and stores cars there, said he is not fazed by the property's recent history of failure.

'This is Quincy and Braintree, which are vibrant economic areas. They can absorb a development of this magnitude over a period of 15 years,' he said."

Full Story: From Shipyard To Village
Source: The Boston Globe, May 21, 2006
»
Bookmark and Share
“
The decision to abandon a property is a symptom of the loss of confidence. And while abandonment certainly affects confidence among surrounding homeowners, the most important question to answer is not "how do we deal with abandoned properties?" but "what is the most cost-effective way to restore market confidence, and how do abandoned properties fit into that picture?"
”