Redevelopment of Naval Station to Create 10,000 Jobs

Words: Dan KamysRedevelopment of Naval Station to Create 10,000 Jobs

 

 

By Peter Howe

U.S. Navy officials are set to sign papers next week to sell the old South Weymouth (Mass.) Naval Air Station – closed in 1997 – to developers planning to create a $2.5 billion new community during the next decade.

It promises to turn the old, 1,400-acre World War II anti-submarine blimp base into 3,000 homes close to MBTA commuter rail; an office park with as much space as Boston’s John Hancock Tower; a walkable village-square shopping complex totaling about 200,000 square feet, with 70 percent of the area saved as open space; wildlife habitat; and an 18-hole golf course. A four-lane parkway through the site will connect Routes 228 and 18, and reconnect neighborhoods of South Weymouth, Rockland, and Abington (all in Massachusetts) long separated by the base.

“The master plan, the smart growth community that we've all been planning for, will be able to come to fruition," Kevin Chase, VP of LNR and head of the SouthField development project, said in an interview.

Already, LNR is building out and selling and renting $130 million of new apartments, homes, and an assisted-living complex, all within walking distance of the South Weymouth rail stop that’s just 28 minutes, and two or three stops depending on schedule, from South Station in Boston. The $25 million purchase agreement to be signed next week with the Navy will cover the 700 acres at the heart of the base and clarify the Navy’s legal responsibility to clean up what are believed to be relatively minor fuel and cleaning solvent spills on the site from its days as an active military facility.

U.S. Representative William R. Keating, whose current district includes all three towns with property inside the air base zone, said he was thrilled the Navy’s finally come to terms on a sale.

“That was the last major hurdle in trying to really get a deal done. That's going to produce 10,000 jobs - construction jobs and permanent jobs in our region. That's a big deal,’’ Keating said. “It couldn't come at a better time for people who need work.’’

This article first appeared at www.necn.com.

Chairman’s Message: SELF TALK
July 2025

My wife, Sheryl, listens to podcasts often. Sometimes she uses earbuds but also listens through her cellphone speaker as she does countless other things around the house. As a result, very often I have no choice but to listen to the podcasts along with he

Outreach Outlook: Momentum in Motion
July 2025

As we move into the heart of summer, the masonry industry continues to thrive—fueled by innovation, partnership, and a growing commitment to excellence in education and workforce advancement. June has been a remarkable month, marked by events that not onl

Building More: Slow, Fast, or Consistent. What is Tempo?
July 2025

It was a drizzly midweek day when I rolled up to the project we were working on just outside of town. The foreman paced the scaffolding, rain hood half-zipped, barking at two laborers who were sprinting bricks like they were late for a flight. Forty feet

Marvelous Masonry: Belém Tower
July 2025

The Belém Tower in Lisbon, Portugal, stands as a testament to stone construction's enduring artistry and technical prowess. Erected between 1514 and 1519, this iconic structure served as a defensive bastion at the mouth of the Tagus River and as a ceremon