Quincy councilors approve HDIP zoning amendment after public hearing on 1620 Hancock Street sale and tax-break concerns

Quincy councilors continued a public hearing on a land disposition agreement for 1620 Hancock Street and approved a related zoning change to extend the city's Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP) zone — subject to a new requirement that any tax-increment exemptions negotiated by the mayor must return to the City Council for approval.

The ordinance committee meeting on June 16, 2025, included a public hearing in which multiple residents urged the council to reject selling the city-owned, fire-damaged property at 1620 Hancock Street for less than the amount the city originally paid and to withhold special tax breaks for luxury development. "Why would we propose selling the property at 1620 Hancock Street, which the city bought for $2,200,000, to a developer at a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars?" said Maggie McKee of 117 Rosslyn Road during public comment.

The issue drew sustained public concern about affordability and the city's fiscal position. Kathy Thren of 234 Everett Street pointed to Standard & Poor's recent negative outlook on Quincy and warned that additional tax incentives and debt could further weaken the city's credit profile. "How much more can we afford to give developers in terms of tax deals, buying property high and selling it low,"…