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Pier 44 waterfront-park design advances after cost trimming; town and CPC to seek grants
Summary
Pier 44 Commission reports 90% design and environmental permitting progress for a new waterfront park; staff trimmed the estimate by removing an expensive shade structure and scaling landscaping to bring CPC support while applying for grants to reduce local contribution.
The Pier 44 waterfront-park project reached a funding milestone after the Pier 44 Commission and town staff presented a revised cost plan and grant strategy to the Select Board.
Paul Barkitz, chair of the Pier 44 Commission, said the commission has completed extensive public outreach and reached a 90% design milestone. The design aims to convert a roughly one-acre former paved site into an accessible waterfront park with a boardwalk, storm-water management, an open lawn and restroom infrastructure. Barkitz said the proposal emphasizes public access to the harbor and long-term community value.
Corey, the town project liaison, described cost reductions requested by the Community Preservation Committee: removing a $1.6 million shade structure, trimming the landscaping budget and deferring site furnishings to fundraising or future phases. “We reduced the cost by a little over $2 million” to make the proposal more acceptable to CPC while preserving core park functions, staff said.
Staff is pursuing multiple grants and intends to present a revised funding package at the fall town meeting. If town meeting approves, the project could go to bid later in the summer and begin construction in late 2026 or winter 2027, with potential completion in 2028. The board debated parking trade-offs and agreed the plan balances public access and green space while seeking outside grants to reduce the local share of the cost.
The project retains features intended to improve flood resilience on-site: a design that allows parts of the park to absorb stormwater, and retention features along the edges to limit inland flooding.
