City planning powerline victory with ceremonial groundbreaking

On April 21 at 9:00 a.m., within a stones throw of the Walmart just off the Lynnway, city officials will gather for a ceremonial groundbreaking to note the last act of the final chapter in the long running power line drama.

In fact, it is the end of the last chapter, but more importantly, the beginning of a new one that will bring city officials and businesspeople together to celebrate the change.

Mayor Judith Flanagan-Kennedy will lead the pack of city officials, which will include City Council President Tim Flaherty and members of the city council as well as James Cowdell, Executive Director of the Economic Development Industrial Corporation of Lynn and James Marsh, Director of the city’s Office of Economic & Community Development.

The event will take place at the end of Hanson Street.

The relocation of the power lines on this choice strip of Lynn waterfront property allows, for the first time in 100 years, the possibility of developing the valuable land and for integrating the various developments with an emerging Lynn shoreline.

Although developments in the largely underutilized area are still in the pre-planning stages, at least there is interest in the waterfront property that could lead to residential housing and or clean or green industries.

“This is a day nearly all of us in government here have been working toward for longer than 15 years,” said former councilor and EDIC chief Cowdell.

Marsh agreed with him.

“It is a momentous occasion in every way. I know how hard the city has worked to make the relocation of the power lines a priority and to have it finally happen,” he added.

With the relocation of the power lines a reality, the waterfront land now presents itself as the likely site of Lynn’s most ambitious development projects.

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