Richard Belair says:I would say that the loss of a neighborhood through the money making plans of one person is a blow to the entire community, fishing industry and a slap to the face of the historical perspective of Gloucester. Frankly, Joey, I am very surprised to see you sitting on the fence with this issue, when your perspective with so many other things shows you have good eye for composition. One would think that growing up around the industry would make your choices far in favor of people who’s entire lives and the livelihoods of generations before them helped make this city become an attractive place. It didn’t happen the other way around. People didn’t come here to enjoy the flavor of the area and then build an entire fishing industry around the beauty of the harbor. The harbor was built and then the people came to work the already growing industry. The beauty was discovered after the hard dedicated work was already done.
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Joey C says:
I disagree that only one person gains completely. I grew up 5 houses from a hotel. My sister built a house two doors down from where we grew up and my mom still lives there.
The jobs created, the vendors that this property would support, the increased taxes paid to the city and much more on top of the fact that the people behind this already have a GREAT track record of supporting our community and its organizations.Destroying neighborhoods and not helping the community by donating Five Hundred Thousand Dollars to help rebuild Newell Stadium?
Destroying neighborhoods by providing jobs in a building that has basically been vacant for years? Destroying neighborhoods by paying the city many multiples more in taxes to pay to keep fire stations open, roads paved and schools in better shape? Destroying neighborhoods by providing visitors a place to stay and support our vital Downtown businesses, area museums and attractions such as whale watches, schooner tours the Cape Ann Museum, The Heritage Center and The Sargent House? A place where they can park and walk to all of these destinations without having to clog up our streets with vehicles?Building a hotel on a beach where you would never offload a boat. Because you know, you don’t offload boats on beaches. You don’t have to displace fishermen to do this.
I’d say that what is destroying neighborhoods is not encouraging development and change when the industry you relied on for years has been radically consolidated to make fish stocks more sustainable which means no way that you could ever land the amount of fish that was once landed or else you would simply be negligent to returning to overfishing.
Destroying neighborhoods? Really???
I’d say what destroys communities more than anything is not having enough tax revenue and jobs to support strong school systems and this is the kind of project that will help with both!
Andrew Innes says:So it’s all about the money is it ? What about the businesses all ready there? Shall they be bought or forced out ? And what about, of course, the people that are already there? Are they to be bought or forced out ? This is an invasion of the super rich upon the history, the industry, the people, the place that is Gloucester. “Polis is this.”
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All about the money????
The building has been empty. Who says anyone has to sell their house????
Show me the person that had their ARM twisted to sell out???An invasion by someone that wants to invest in our community and provide jobs on a site that was close to being foreclosed on???
Invasion by someone who has donated their other space to countless community organizations to hold their fundraisers?? Invasion by a group of people who demonstrated that they didn’t force a single fishing boat off of the Cruiseport site and where there is probably more port activity with a restaurant and function facility operating on the same space with fishing boats, cruise line landings and LNG pipeline support.
Invasion by a group that employs probably hundreds in Gloucester and that’s not to mention the hundreds of vendors that supply services such as photographers, food purveyors, caterers, electricians, webmasters, florists, linens and again supporting them without displacing a single fishing boat.
You act as if people making money is a bad thing.
How do you expect to improve our schools, pay for our growing infrastructure needs, and public safety?? With empty buildings? The fishing industry is not going to be allowed to overfish again. It isn’t going back to a free for all. The number of permits and fishermen have been drastically reduced.
Why are you scared to death that people will make money and pay more taxes and support our downtown? Can you simply not stand it?
Do you not recognize that the fishing industry has been greatly consolidated?
Do you not recognize that with the auctions, that the amount of fish that goes through way fewer waterfront buildings is a fraction of what it once was?As long as the boats aren’t being displaced the fishermen I speak to are in favor of changes to the upland parts of the waterfront.
Don’t you want better for our children than empty buildings and no way to fund stronger educations for them?
Good Morning Gloucester 
Nice shot but I don’t think Birds Eye could ever qualify as beautiful
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Yes it can–I thought I was looking at a detail of an Edward Hopper painting for a brief moment.
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Maybe Jim Davis will come to his senses and put a Manufacturing Plant there. Mighty Mac started out making oilskins next door.
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I’m thinking the guy that has done lots and lots for every community he has had businesses in and has made plenty of money in the mean time doesn’t need much help coming to his senses.
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Mighty Mac started in a small store font then built the building after homes were torn down then built a newer and modern factory esle where whiile the building held a printing company for years till it folded and was transformed todat as it is; same as with the bird’s eye building and parking lot along side many 3 floor homes were run down then torn down for a new life. The town has to have change or die, but must be done fairly and with a fine brush and not a broad axe.For many years our youth left for better jobs, some still will but we don’t have to become a bedroom suburb if we allow smart thinking mold our city of tomorrow.
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I would say that the loss of a neighborhood through the money making plans of one person is a blow to the entire community, fishing industry and a slap to the face of the historical perspective of Gloucester. Frankly, Joey, I am very surprised to see you sitting on the fence with this issue, when your perspective with so many other things shows you have good eye for composition. One would think that growing up around the industry would make your choices far in favor of people who’s entire lives and the livelihoods of generations before them helped make this city become an attractive place. It didn’t happen the other way around. People didn’t come here to enjoy the flavor of the area and then build an entire fishing industry around the beauty of the harbor. The harbor was built and then the people came to work the already growing industry. The beauty was discovered after the hard dedicated work was already done.
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I disagree that only one person gains completely. I grew up 5 houses from a hotel. My sister built a house two doors down from where we grew up and my mom still lives there.
The jobs created, the vendors that this property would support, the increased taxes paid to the city and much more on top of the fact that the people behind this already have a GREAT track record of supporting our community and its organizations.
Destroying neighborhoods and not helping the community by donating Five Hundred Thousand Dollars to help rebuild Newell Stadium?
Destroying neighborhoods by providing jobs in a building that has basically been vacant for years? Destroying neighborhoods by paying the city many multiples more in taxes to pay to keep fire stations open, roads paved and schools in better shape? Destroying neighborhoods by providing visitors a place to stay and support our vital Downtown businesses, area museums and attractions such as whale watches, schooner tours the Cape Ann Museum, The Heritage Center and The Sargent House? A place where they can park and walk to all of these destinations without having to clog up our streets with vehicles?
Building a hotel on a beach where you would never offload a boat. Because you know, you don’t offload boats on beaches. You don’t have to displace fishermen to do this.
I’d say that what is destroying neighborhoods is not encouraging development and change when the industry you relied on for years has been radically consolidated to make fish stocks more sustainable which means no way that you could ever land the amount of fish that was once landed or else you would simply be negligent to returning to overfishing.
Destroying neighborhoods? Really???
I’d say what destroys communities more than anything is not having enough tax revenue and jobs to support strong school systems and this is the kind of project that will help with both!
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Bravo Joey, I agree completely. This “let’s keep the Fort and harbor area a vacant dump” mindset blows my mind. We can either allow the decay to continue and accelerate, or change course. I think the tide is turning, it is time to change course.
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I would have to side with Joey. No dog in the fight, other than I frequently visit Gloucester and love your wonderful community. Birds Eye is historic, but probably not the sort of place than can be restored or even lend itself to adaptive reuse. And, as he said, it isn’t a place to unload fish. Let’s let it go, and do something that will bring prosperity to those who live in the area. I do have one question, though; what is the purpose of the “tower”? I’ve wondered about that for many years.
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Joey, you make perfect sense!!!!!!!!!!!! I totally agree.
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So it’s all about the money is it ? What about the businesses all ready there? Shall they be bought or forced out ? And what about, of course, the people that are already there? Are they to be bought or forced out ? This is an invasion of the super rich upon the history, the industry, the people, the place that is Gloucester. “Polis is this.”
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All about the money????
The building has been empty. Who says anyone has to sell their house????
Show me the person that had their ARM twisted to sell out???
An invasion by someone that wants to invest in our community and provide jobs on a site that was close to being foreclosed on???
Invasion by someone who has donated their other space to countless community organizations to hold their fundraisers?? Invasion by a group of people who demonstrated that they didn’t force a single fishing boat off of the Cruiseport site and where there is probably more port activity with a restaurant and function facility operating on the same space with fishing boats, cruise line landings and LNG pipeline support.
Invasion by a group that employs probably hundreds in Gloucester and that’s not to mention the hundreds of vendors that supply services such as photographers, food purveyors, caterers, electricians, webmasters, florists, linens and again supporting them without displacing a single fishing boat.
You act as if people making money is a bad thing.
How do you expect to improve our schools, pay for our growing infrastructure needs, and public safety?? With empty buildings? The fishing industry is not going to be allowed to overfish again. It isn’t going back to a free for all. The number of permits and fishermen have been drastically reduced.
Why are you scared to death that people will make money and pay more taxes and support our downtown? Can you simply not stand it?
Do you not recognize that the fishing industry has been greatly consolidated?
Do you not recognize that with the auctions, that the amount of fish that goes through way fewer waterfront buildings is a fraction of what it once was?
As long as the boats aren’t being displaced the fishermen I speak to are in favor of changes to the upland parts of the waterfront.
Don’t you want better for our children than empty buildings and no way to fund stronger educations for them?
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Joey,
I’m with you 100% on this one.
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Joey, I read GMG almost every day and normally do not comment on issues but enough is enough. I have lived in this city all my life and I agree with you 100%. My observation is in fact the special interest groups that rally to oppose change in the harbor are never the working water front, fisherman or businesses. It’s about time that the silent majority speaks up I am sick of looking at the empty I4-C2 lot, the Birdseye building and dilapidated wharfs that hold no value to the city’s economic wellbeing. We need to change the regulations that have a strangle hold on the Gloucester water front and allow the economy to dictate the future of those lots.
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Thanks Dave, another former former fisherman and skipper of the Vicky L. I think that the politicians think that the fishermen are the ones that are totally against change but most of the fishermen I speak with welcome change as long as they dont displace the dockage for them. The people that speak out most for no change are a vocal minority don’t even work in the industry.
No one is advocating for lining the entire harbor with condos, but responsible development.
It’s nice to see fishermen and former fishermen with so much respect within our community speak out.
I think we’ve had enough of the obstructionists crowd standing in the way of everything and the weed infested lots and empty buildings that have been their results to stand behind.
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