Paving the Way for New Beverly Waterfront Restaurant

At 1 Water St, a city owned lot in Beverly, a lease has been signed for a 350-seat waterfront restaurant called Mission Boathouse.

Except, it is not completely clear if such a lease is allowable. In order to avoid any ambiguity, Representative Jerry Parisella and Senator Joan Lovely have filled a bill following a home-rule petition passed by the city of Beverly. This legislation, if passed, would clearly allow the use of the land for the construction of the restaurant.

The reason a restaurant may not be permitted is because Beverly acquired the property using a state parks and recreation grant, which placed certain protections on the land. Even so, city officials, Rep. Parisella, and the city solicitor all agree that that the restaurant is within the current permitted use and the legislation is helpful to avoid a legal battle but not required to proceed with the development.

The project is currently waiting for a state waterways license from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. You can read more about the legislation here.