Marblehead is embarking on a $13.5 million project to protect its historic harbor and shipyards from the impacts of climate change, with the first phase focused on rebuilding the deteriorating Parker’s Boatyard, a public landing near Redstone Lane.
The Municipal Shipyard Resiliency Improvements Project will reconstruct aging seawalls, raise boatyards and roads, install wave-attenuating docks and improve public access along the waterfront from Parker’s Boatyard to the Cliff Street Boat Yard, about 200 feet. The town is seeking $2 million in federal funding to start work at Parker’s Boatyard, and another $2 million from Massachusetts’ Dam and Seawall Repair or Removal Program.
Harbormaster Mark Souza identified the seawall at Parker’s Boatyard as the top priority, noting that at low tide, there’s “not much left to it” due to age, erosion and frequent storms.
“That’s the major damage in that area,” Souza said. “Before you can really make any plans on a property like that, you have to shore things up and stabilize it.”
Souza explained that the damage is not just in front of the seawalls but behind them as well.
“The storms are really starting to undermine the ground and displacing the seawall from underneath,” he said. “It’s pulling all the fine material underground from washing away.”
Joseph Kowalik, general manager of the Marblehead Municipal Light Department, emphasized the importance of protecting the department’s assets in the area, particularly the critical infrastructure in the flood-prone area. The Light Department’s Hammond Park substation, located adjacent to Parker’s Boatyard, is a key concern.
“We have to defend this site,” Kowalik said. “Moving that substation would be tens of millions of dollars, which we don’t have. We have to rebuild thes seawalls from scratch.”
A 2020 study by the Woods Hole Group found that most of the harbor’s seawalls are in “poor” to “fair” condition and modeled future flood risks, indicating that Marblehead Harbor is increasingly vulnerable to flooding as sea levels rise. The study’s projections suggest sea level increases of 1.1 to 2.7 feet by 2050, with a worst-case scenario of 9.7 feet by 2100, along with more intense storms and wave action.
The plan includes installing wave-attenuating docks, which Souza likened to “wearing headphones” in that “you can still hear it, but it doesn’t have as much impact.” While he hasn’t seen them used in Marblehead’s more exposed northeast-facing harbor, he said engineers claim they will work to protect seawalls and mitigate waves overtopping coastal infrastructure.
Marblehead Sustainability Coordinator Logan Casey noted that the project aims to mitigate long-term risks, support water-dependent uses like boating and improve limited public access to the waterfront. Souza agreed, saying that while there are many ideas for the future use of Parker’s Boatyard, the immediate focus is on safety and making it a viable property.
“Public space is a rarity in seacoast regions,” Souza said. “Ideally, I think you’ll see that place as a multiple-faceted use — public access, commercial use. We want to make sure it’s in the best interest of the public.”
The project cost is divided into $4.8 million for Parker’s Boatyard improvements, $4.1 million for upgrades to Hammond Park and the Light Department facilities, and $4.6 million for enhancements at Cliff Street. Construction is set to start in summer 2025 and take 12-16 months.
Since 2018, Marblehead has engaged residents in planning, educating them about the harbor’s climate vulnerabilities and building consensus on adaptation strategies. The town secured over $768,470 in state-match grants with $188,401 coming from appropriations approved at Town Meeting.
