By John Lynds
A Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) meeting held Monday evening in East Boston featured three separate proposals for developing the former Hess site on Condor Street near Chelsea Creek.
Among the three developers presenting plans was Chelsea’s Eastern Salt Company, seeking to expand its current operations westward across the McArdle Bridge into East Boston.
The former Hess Oil storage facility is classified as a Designated Port Area (DPA), which requires that most site activity serve marine industrial purposes.
All three proposals—from City Wide Organics, the East Boston Community Development Corporation (CDC), and Eastern Salt Company of Chelsea—incorporated maritime uses with community amenities. However, the audience response clearly favored the CDC’s vision.
Eastern Salt’s proposal, which drew a muted response from residents, called for establishing a ‘buffer’ salt stockpile similar to the one the company maintains across the Meridian Street Bridge in Chelsea at the Hess location.
During winter weather events, salt would be transported by barge from Chelsea for regional distribution. Though Eastern Salt offered community features including a harbor walk and green space, residents grew particularly worried about the potential for 40 to 50 truck trips daily during peak winter storm season.
Despite Eastern Salt’s community benefit offerings, many Eagle Hill residents expressed strong opposition to having a 50-foot salt mound visible year-round from their homes.
City Wide Organics presented a plan to transform the site into an organic waste recycling facility capable of converting waste into renewable energy and fertilizer, with public outdoor space surrounding the plant similar to the MWRA Deer Island facility in Winthrop.
The CDC proposal, presented by director Al Caldarelli, would “fblikebutton_button” limit traffic, produce no odor and generate employment opportunities. The CDC plans three buildings alongside a tot lot, harbor walk and dog park. These buildings would accommodate three established East Boston businesses: John Zirpolo’s Cora Group, an expansion of Dan Noonan’s existing Marginal Street shipyard and marina, and Peter Merullo’s Semper Diving and Marine. Each business maintains deep connections to marine industrial activity.