CITY OF GLOUCESTER TO RELEASE CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR WATERFRONT PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP 

– The City of Gloucester will release a Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) on September 21st, inviting prospective development teams to share early-stage concepts for a public-private partnership to shape the future of I4-C2, a City-owned waterfront parcel at 65 Rogers Street. With direct harbor access and high visibility, 65 Rogers Street offers a rare opportunity to combine municipal leadership with private sector innovation, investment, and operational expertise, while advancing Gloucester’s blue economy.The site sits within Harbor Cove, an active marine district that includes commercial fishing, boatyards, maritime services, and visitor-oriented uses. It is also located one block from Main Street and the Civic Center District.Over the past several months, the City has led a community visioning process to identify public priorities for the site, including strengthening the working waterfront and enhancing public access to the harbor. Because the property is located within Gloucester’s Designated Port Area (DPA), future development must also respond to specific regulatory requirements governing allowable uses. The EOI will outline these community priorities and regulatory parameters so that development teams can shape concepts that respond to both market realities and public goals.Given the site’s complexity and significance, the City welcomes collaborative teams that bring together complementary development, maritime, technical, operational, and financial expertise. Early conversations among potential partners will be important to identify complementary strengths and build the kind of collaborative team that can navigate the regulatory environment and deliver a feasible, community-aligned concept.The EOI will be posted on BidNet Direct, and all submissions must be made exclusively through BidNet. The effort is being supported by Zapalac Advisors, a real estate and economic development firm, through an award from MassDevelopment’s Real Estate Services Technical Assistance Program. Earlier MassDevelopment funding also supported geotechnical engineering services to evaluate the site’s general conditions.The EOI is intentionally non-binding, and concepts and coalitions do not need to be fully formed at this stage. Its purpose is to see what kinds of improvements to the site are possible through a partnership and evaluate the feasibility and alignment of those concepts with community priorities. Responses will help the City determine whether to move forward with a future Request for Proposals (RFP), which would enable the City to lease the site to a chosen partner.  At this point, the City is assessing the opportunities available.If the City proceeds with an RFP, the City would enter into a lease and development agreement with the selected development team. The City will work in partnership with the development team to ensure community priorities are achieved, facilitate successful navigation of regulatory processes, and support the pursuit of public funding and grants to support the project. The development team would be responsible for assembling the expertise, financing, and management capacity needed to execute the project, and for overall project implementation and ongoing operational management.The City will host a site visit for prospective development team members in early October. RSVP is required, and instructions will be included in the EOI package on BidNet Direct. The visit will offer an opportunity to assess the site’s physical conditions and development potential, review the EOI conditions, and connect with potential partners.Ahead of the EOI release, the City encourages interested entities to review the project webpage at https://www.gloucester-ma.gov/1586/I4-C2-Site-Visioning, register on BidNet Direct, and begin exploring potential partnerships..For more information, contact Emily Sloane, Economic Development Coordinator, through the City’s Contact Us form:https://gloucester-ma.gov/forms.aspx?fid=123 —

Mayor Paul Lundberg

City of Gloucester