Chelsea Creek Waterfront Project Breaks Ground; Future Industrial/Commercial In Works

CHELSEA — The City of Chelsea, parking solution provider InterPark/PreFlight held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Chelsea Creek Waterfront Project recently. The project will deliver a new public access point to the Chelsea Creek waterfront, bolstering the City’s resiliency efforts and paving the way for future commercial development. The ceremony was attended by representatives from the City of Chelsea, project owner InterPark/PreFlight, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), as well as consultants, the design and development team, environmental advocacy groups, and City residents and officials

“This project has been a long time in the making and today marks a significant step forward for our community,” Fidel Maltez, City Manager of Chelsea, told the gathering. “This project lays the foundation for something even more transformative…(creating) the framework necessary for PreFlight to redevelop the site, envision new industrial and commercial buildings rising out of the current parking lots – bringing with them good-paying jobs, much-needed tax revenue, and access to our waterfront.”

The existing PreFlight site comprises 22.65 acres – approximately 19 acres of land and 3.5 acres of water. The Chelsea Creek Waterfront Project will transform the site by creating a new walkway that connects the sidewalk at Eastern Avenue to a scenic viewing area along Chelsea Creek. This path will be adorned with native grasses, such as Seaside Goldenrod and Switchgrass, alongside plantings of Red Maple, Pitch Pine, and Serviceberry, bordered by a nautical rope and post barrier. The destination observation area will further honor the site’s maritime heritage with reclaimed granite block seating and a historic anchor point.

The project is the culmination of years of collaboration and a shared vision between the City of Chelsea and its community, InterPark/PreFlight, Mass DEP, and the environmental agencies of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. While there are no current redevelopment plans beyond the completion of the access pathway to Chelsea Creek (the project is expected to be completed and open to the public by midsummer), there will likely be commercial development on the site in the near future.