The harbor plan outlines a comprehensive strategy for protecting and enhancing the economic, environmental, history and cultural resources related to Salem Harbor. The development has been guided by a mission to:
Reclaim Salem’s identity as a vibrant seaport, which makes use of its waterfront for a variety of commercial and recreational waterside activities, and has high quality landside facilities necessary to support these activities at an environmentally beneficial and economically sustainable level. Such waterside activities and landside facilities should preserve the City’s distinguishing historic character and ultimately enhance the quality of life in the City for residents, visitors and businesses.
Accomplishing this vision will require a concerted effort by the public and private sectors. However, by keeping the underlying goals clearly in focus, every project and new initiative can contribute to a vital, coherent and delightful waterfront and harbor for Salem.
The Salem Harbor Plan is a multi-faceted action agenda. Its pages list hundreds of individual tasks, which will integrate with and build upon each other to revitalize one of the city’s key assets. Most of the early responsibilities for implementing the plan rest with existing public agencies and organizations. Ultimately, the private sector will make important contributions to the revitalization of the waterfront.
One component of the Salem Harbor Plan is:
After months of hard work and deliberations, The Salem Ferry’s maiden voyage took place on June 22, 2006. It was launched from Central Wharf in Boston next to the New England Aquarium and traveled to the Blaney Street dock in Salem. Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, Representative John Keenan and Senator Frederick Berry joined Mayor Kimberley Driscoll of Salem, Russ Vickers, Chairman Emeritus of the Salem Partnership, Joseph Correnti, Chairman of the Partnership, and other dignitaries on the maiden trip. The first day of regular ferry service was Saturday, June 24, 2006 and the Salem-Boston ferry will run through October 31, 2006. Please go to www.salemferry.com for a complete schedule and ticket prices.
Of utmost importance to the projected success of the Salem Ferry is the previously tested Salem-Boston ferry operation trial run program implemented in 1998. This trial run proved its viability for both the back haul of a tourist trade and commuter runs to Boston.
The first component of the project was the Construction of a berthing site in Salem to accommodate small cruise vessels and ferry links to Boston. The Governor’s Seaport Advisory Council( chaired by Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey) voted over $650,000 through the Seaport Bond Bill to fund this phase of the project. The Department of Conservation and Recreation administered the project. Vine Associates was the project engineer and AGM was the construction contractor.
This represents phase I of the New Salem Wharf Project that promises to be a major construction expansion project to further develop Salem’s cruise/ferry terminal to service waterfront attractions, the downtown, the fishing fleet, water taxis, head boats, tour boats, and other retail and tourist facilities.
The second component of the project is the purchase of the ferry as means to support the operation of tourist and commuter ferry runs between Salem and the Boston links. The City procured the ferry with $2.3 million in assistance from the Executive Office of Transportation’s Water Transportation Capital Program. The City provided a 25% match and has title to the vessel.
The ferry vessel, a high-speed catamaran, is able to make the trip between Boston and Salem in less than 50 minutes. The Salem Ferry will dock at the New England Aquarium just steps away from Faneuil Hall, The North End, City Hall Plaza and the Freedom Trail. In Salem, the Blaney Street dock is just four minutes from the House of Seven Gables, seven minutes from the National Maritime site and 15 minutes from the NPS Visitor’s Center and the Peabody Essex Museum. The ferry marries the history and culture of both great cities.
© 2006 The Salem Partnership
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