LYNN — The Conservation Commission will vote later this month on whether to approve necessary permits for the city’s Economic Development and Industrial Corporation (EDIC/Lynn) to construct a boardwalk along the waterfront from EDIC/Lynn’s ferry terminal at Blossom Street to the Clocktower Business Center at 330 Lynnway.
Using roughly $30,000 in grant funds awarded by the Commonwealth’s Seaport Economic Council last year, EDIC/Lynn hired the ecological construction and design firm GZA GeoEnvironmental to draft a blueprint design for the boardwalk.
Should the project outline be approved by both the Conservation Commission and the Commonwealth, EDIC/Lynn Executive Director Jim Cowdell said the boardwalk’s construction is slated to begin in the spring.
“For years, we had plans (and) now we are seeing substantial development along our waterfront,” Cowdell said. “Last year, we had 20,000 commuters take the ferry in July and August.”
Apart from the city-funded boardwalk construction project, Cowdell said Lynnway property owner Arthur Papathanassi, who could not be reached for comment, had plans to construct a privately owned boardwalk from 330 Lynnway to Heritage State Park.
The proposed boardwalk construction will go before the Conservation Commission at its Jan. 16 meeting.
“We want to have a continuous boardwalk from the rotary all the way to the (General Edwards) Bridge, similar to Lynn Shore Drive. So as you’re seeing development happening now, you’re going to see the construction of a boardwalk so that the public can have access along the waterfront,” Cowdell said.
