Lawmakers grabbed their golden shovels to break ground on a $450 million Coast Guard base upgrade in Boston, which will also be home to six new cutters.
“Cutter service goes back a long time in the commonwealth … The first cutter was actually constructed in Newburyport back in the day and stationed here in Massachusetts. To continue the very significant presence of an operation and organization that’s been a big part of our waterfront for the better part of 240 years is terrific.” Gov. Charlie Baker said.
The project is slated to be completed this summer at the Coast Guard’s existing base near the North End. The project includes the demolition and construction of a new central pier, new floating docks, and an expansion of the engineering services available to support the fleet of six new cutters coming to Boston.
The entire fleet of cutters costs $380 million. Each cutter ship is 154 feet long and can host a crew of 24 Coast Guard members. Each ship also has an “absolute endurance” of five days, allowing the crews to spend more time offshore conducting operations, according to Rear Admiral Thomas Allan, the commander of the First Coast Guard District.
The improved endurance will increase operational capacity by 22%, he said. “This means we will be better equipped to enforce regulations that protect New England’s fish docks, worth $5.8 billion a year, we’ll be better able to respond promptly, and we’ll be better able to enhance our ability to respond to times of environmental disaster.”
Several speakers noted the significance of the project’s location in Boston, often cited as the birthplace of the modern-day Coast Guard in 1789, when the first Coast Guard members began their service in Massachusetts.
“I can’t think of a better place to continue that legacy established over 200 years ago,” Allan said. “Crews protected the dangerous New England coastline in times of war, while also carrying out customs collections and law enforcement missions.”
Mayor Michelle Wu highlighted the importance of the investment in the city, bringing over 200 jobs to the area on top of the 500 already in existence, and generating $45 million annually for the local economy.
“The decision to lift Boston as a key partner and to continue a relationship that goes back centuries is incredibly important to us here,” she said.
