South Harbor Implementation Plan | El Puerto Sur - Plan de Implementación

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Aerial image of the waterfront of Lynn, MA

En Español

In the Vision Lynn planning process, Lynners told us they wanted to see the transformation of the waterfront. The City has worked to advance this transformation through our South Harbor Implementation Plan (SHIP) and coordinated efforts throughout the neighborhood. However, we recognize that certain blighted properties in the area are limiting our ability to deliver on the community's priorities, and have begun creating a South Harbor Urban Renewal Plan to ensure progress in this neighborhood can continue.

Thanks to a Municipal and Tribal Technical Assistance Grant from the Massachusetts Federal Funds & Infrastructure Office (FFIO), we have hired Innes Land Strategies Group, working in conjunction with RKG and Nitsch Engineering, to support our urban renewal plan development.

Join the Conversation: South Harbor Urban Renewal Plan

What would you like to see in South Harbor? Tell us on our interactive map.

Save the date for our future open houses on the South Harbor Urban Renewal Plan:

First Open House
Thursday, October 29
Lynn Museum
590 Washington St, Lynn, MA 01901

Second Open House
Wednesday, December 16
Lynn Museum
590 Washington St, Lynn, MA 019


About the SHIP

In 2023-2024, the City created the South Harbor Implementation Plan (SHIP) to build on previous planning work in the neighborhood to better articulate the infrastructure investments needed to support future development. This work was funded through a Housing Choice grant through the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and a local match provided by the Planning Department. We hired Utile, Tetra Tech, and Landwise to help us conduct this work, which concluded in Spring 2024.

Over the past years, Lynn has made tremendous progress in bringing the South Harbor Implementation Plan (SHIP) to life. Together, we’ve advanced key priorities identified by the community:

  • Launched engagement on the future of the Lynnway
  • Increased ferry service to Boston
  • Celebrated the opening of the breathtaking Harbor Park
  • Secured federal funding to explore making River Works a public stop
  • Supported private development projects that are reshaping the neighborhood

But there’s still more work to do. To fully realize the community’s vision for South Harbor, we need to unlock new tools that will help expand the street network and activate long-vacant lots.

El Puerto Sur - Plan de Implementación

Durante el proceso de planificación de Visión Lynn, los residentes de Lynn expresaron su deseo de ver una transformación de la zona costera. La Ciudad ha trabajado para impulsar esta transformación a través de nuestro Plan de Implementación del Puerto del Sur (SHIP, por sus siglas en inglés) y mediante esfuerzos coordinados en todo el vecindario. Sin embargo, reconocemos que ciertas propiedades deterioradas en la zona limitan nuestra capacidad para cumplir con las prioridades de la comunidad y hemos comenzado a crear un Plan de Renovación Urbana del Puerto del Sur para garantizar que el progreso en este vecindario pueda continuar.

Gracias a un Subsidio de Asistencia Técnica Municipal y Tribal de la Oficina de Fondos e Infraestructura Federales de Massachusetts (FFIO, por sus siglas en inglés), hemos contratado a Innes Land Strategies Group, en colaboración con RKG y Nitsch Engineering, para apoyar el desarrollo de nuestro plan de renovación urbana.

Participe en la conversación: Plan de Renovación Urbana del Puerto del Sur.

¿Qué le gustaría ver en Puerto del Sur? Cuéntenos a través de nuestro mapa interactivo.

Reserve la fecha para nuestras próximas sesiones informativas abiertas sobre el Plan de Renovación Urbana del Puerto del Sur::

Primera sesión informativa
Jueves 29 de octubre
Lynn Museum
590 Washington St, Lynn, MA 01901

Segunda sesión informativa
Miércoles, 16 de diciembre
Lynn Museum
590 Washington St, Lynn, MA 019

Acerca del SHIP

Entre 2023 y 2024, la Ciudad creó el Plan de Implementación del Puerto del Sur (SHIP, por sus siglas en inglés) para aprovechar los trabajos de planificación previos realizados en el vecindario y definir mejor las inversiones en infraestructura necesarias para respaldar el desarrollo futuro. Este proyecto se financió mediante un subsidio del programa Elección de Vivienda (Housing Choice) de la Oficina Ejecutiva de Vivienda y Comunidades Habitables (Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities), y una aportación local del Departamento de Planificación. Contratamos a Utile, Tetra Tech y Landwise para llevar a cabo esta labor, que concluyó en la primavera de 2024.

En los últimos años, Lynn ha logrado avances significativos para hacer realidad el Plan de Implementación del Puerto Sur (SHIP, por sus siglas en inglés). Juntos, hemos impulsado prioridades clave identificadas por la comunidad:

  • Iniciamos el proceso de participación ciudadana sobre el futuro de Lynnway
  • Aumentamos el servicio del ferry hacia Boston
  • Celebramos la inauguración del impresionante Parque del Sur (Harbor Park)
  • Obtuvimos fondos federales para evaluar la posibilidad de convertir River Works en una parada pública
  • Apoyamos proyectos de desarrollo privado que están transformando el vecindario

Pero aún queda trabajo por hacer. Para hacer realidad la visión de la comunidad para el Puerto Sur, necesitamos habilitar nuevas herramientas que ayuden a ampliar la red de calles y a reactivar los terrenos que llevan mucho tiempo sin uso.

En Español

In the Vision Lynn planning process, Lynners told us they wanted to see the transformation of the waterfront. The City has worked to advance this transformation through our South Harbor Implementation Plan (SHIP) and coordinated efforts throughout the neighborhood. However, we recognize that certain blighted properties in the area are limiting our ability to deliver on the community's priorities, and have begun creating a South Harbor Urban Renewal Plan to ensure progress in this neighborhood can continue.

Thanks to a Municipal and Tribal Technical Assistance Grant from the Massachusetts Federal Funds & Infrastructure Office (FFIO), we have hired Innes Land Strategies Group, working in conjunction with RKG and Nitsch Engineering, to support our urban renewal plan development.

Join the Conversation: South Harbor Urban Renewal Plan

What would you like to see in South Harbor? Tell us on our interactive map.

Save the date for our future open houses on the South Harbor Urban Renewal Plan:

First Open House
Thursday, October 29
Lynn Museum
590 Washington St, Lynn, MA 01901

Second Open House
Wednesday, December 16
Lynn Museum
590 Washington St, Lynn, MA 019


About the SHIP

In 2023-2024, the City created the South Harbor Implementation Plan (SHIP) to build on previous planning work in the neighborhood to better articulate the infrastructure investments needed to support future development. This work was funded through a Housing Choice grant through the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and a local match provided by the Planning Department. We hired Utile, Tetra Tech, and Landwise to help us conduct this work, which concluded in Spring 2024.

Over the past years, Lynn has made tremendous progress in bringing the South Harbor Implementation Plan (SHIP) to life. Together, we’ve advanced key priorities identified by the community:

  • Launched engagement on the future of the Lynnway
  • Increased ferry service to Boston
  • Celebrated the opening of the breathtaking Harbor Park
  • Secured federal funding to explore making River Works a public stop
  • Supported private development projects that are reshaping the neighborhood

But there’s still more work to do. To fully realize the community’s vision for South Harbor, we need to unlock new tools that will help expand the street network and activate long-vacant lots.

El Puerto Sur - Plan de Implementación

Durante el proceso de planificación de Visión Lynn, los residentes de Lynn expresaron su deseo de ver una transformación de la zona costera. La Ciudad ha trabajado para impulsar esta transformación a través de nuestro Plan de Implementación del Puerto del Sur (SHIP, por sus siglas en inglés) y mediante esfuerzos coordinados en todo el vecindario. Sin embargo, reconocemos que ciertas propiedades deterioradas en la zona limitan nuestra capacidad para cumplir con las prioridades de la comunidad y hemos comenzado a crear un Plan de Renovación Urbana del Puerto del Sur para garantizar que el progreso en este vecindario pueda continuar.

Gracias a un Subsidio de Asistencia Técnica Municipal y Tribal de la Oficina de Fondos e Infraestructura Federales de Massachusetts (FFIO, por sus siglas en inglés), hemos contratado a Innes Land Strategies Group, en colaboración con RKG y Nitsch Engineering, para apoyar el desarrollo de nuestro plan de renovación urbana.

Participe en la conversación: Plan de Renovación Urbana del Puerto del Sur.

¿Qué le gustaría ver en Puerto del Sur? Cuéntenos a través de nuestro mapa interactivo.

Reserve la fecha para nuestras próximas sesiones informativas abiertas sobre el Plan de Renovación Urbana del Puerto del Sur::

Primera sesión informativa
Jueves 29 de octubre
Lynn Museum
590 Washington St, Lynn, MA 01901

Segunda sesión informativa
Miércoles, 16 de diciembre
Lynn Museum
590 Washington St, Lynn, MA 019

Acerca del SHIP

Entre 2023 y 2024, la Ciudad creó el Plan de Implementación del Puerto del Sur (SHIP, por sus siglas en inglés) para aprovechar los trabajos de planificación previos realizados en el vecindario y definir mejor las inversiones en infraestructura necesarias para respaldar el desarrollo futuro. Este proyecto se financió mediante un subsidio del programa Elección de Vivienda (Housing Choice) de la Oficina Ejecutiva de Vivienda y Comunidades Habitables (Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities), y una aportación local del Departamento de Planificación. Contratamos a Utile, Tetra Tech y Landwise para llevar a cabo esta labor, que concluyó en la primavera de 2024.

En los últimos años, Lynn ha logrado avances significativos para hacer realidad el Plan de Implementación del Puerto Sur (SHIP, por sus siglas en inglés). Juntos, hemos impulsado prioridades clave identificadas por la comunidad:

  • Iniciamos el proceso de participación ciudadana sobre el futuro de Lynnway
  • Aumentamos el servicio del ferry hacia Boston
  • Celebramos la inauguración del impresionante Parque del Sur (Harbor Park)
  • Obtuvimos fondos federales para evaluar la posibilidad de convertir River Works en una parada pública
  • Apoyamos proyectos de desarrollo privado que están transformando el vecindario

Pero aún queda trabajo por hacer. Para hacer realidad la visión de la comunidad para el Puerto Sur, necesitamos habilitar nuevas herramientas que ayuden a ampliar la red de calles y a reactivar los terrenos que llevan mucho tiempo sin uso.

  • Resident Focus Group

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    Please join us for a resident focus group about the South Harbor Implementation Plan. This small group session will be focused on providing information and gathering feedback from residents who currently live in the South Harbor neighborhood.

    Resident Focus Group
    Thursday, September 24 | 6pm
    Demakes Family YMCA - Community Room
    40 Neptune Blvd, Lynn, MA

    From the main entrance of the YMCA, go past the welcome desk and take a right to find the community room.

    If you are not a resident in this neighborhood, consider joining us at a future open house or submit your comments here.

    Please join us for a resident focus group about the South Harbor Implementation Plan. This small group session will be focused on providing information and gathering feedback from residents who currently live in the South Harbor neighborhood.

    Resident Focus Group
    Thursday, September 24 | 6pm
    Demakes Family YMCA - Community Room
    40 Neptune Blvd, Lynn, MA

    From the main entrance of the YMCA, go past the welcome desk and take a right to find the community room.

    If you are not a resident in this neighborhood, consider joining us at a future open house or submit your comments here.

  • South Harbor Urban Renewal Plan

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    Pursuing Urban Renewal as a Tool for Lynn’s Future

    At our recent community meeting about the South Harbor Implementation Plan, we heard a clear message from residents: the City should explore every available tool to address the vacant and blighted sites that have sat idle along our waterfront for too long. One of those tools — which many communities across Massachusetts have used successfully — is urban renewal.

    What’s Next: Establishing an Urban Renewal Authority

    Right now, we don’t have the ability to use urban renewal in Lynn because the City doesn’t have a redevelopment authority. To change that,

    Pursuing Urban Renewal as a Tool for Lynn’s Future

    At our recent community meeting about the South Harbor Implementation Plan, we heard a clear message from residents: the City should explore every available tool to address the vacant and blighted sites that have sat idle along our waterfront for too long. One of those tools — which many communities across Massachusetts have used successfully — is urban renewal.

    What’s Next: Establishing an Urban Renewal Authority

    Right now, we don’t have the ability to use urban renewal in Lynn because the City doesn’t have a redevelopment authority. To change that, the City Council will soon consider a vote to establish a redevelopment authority.

    Creating this authority is simply the first procedural step that allows us to even begin exploring urban renewal as an option. It doesn’t approve any specific projects or grant any new powers on its own — it just opens the door for further planning and community discussion.

    Building on the Strengths We Already Have

    Rather than creating a brand-new board, our plan is to delegate the authority’s powers to the existing EDIC (Economic Development and Industrial Corporation) Board. This approach allows us to build on the EDIC’s existing expertise in economic development, site readiness, and real estate — and to avoid duplicating boards or adding unnecessary bureaucracy.

    What Comes After the Council Vote

    If the City Council approves the creation of the authority, that’s when the real community conversation begins. We’ll hire a planning consultant to help lead the development of an Urban Renewal Plan — a detailed roadmap that will take the South Harbor Implementation Plan to the next step and ensure our community has the authority we need to facilitate transformative development in the waterfront.

    That process will include multiple public meetings and opportunities for community input. Everyone will have the chance to help shape the plan and ensure it reflects Lynn’s values, history, and vision for equitable, inclusive growth.

    Only after the plan is developed would it go before the EDIC board for review and a vote. From there, the plan would also need formal approval from the Planning Board, the City Council, and the state before it could be implemented.

    A Thoughtful, Transparent Process

    Our goal is to take a careful, transparent, and community-driven approach to exploring urban renewal — one that learns from the past, listens to residents, and focuses on building a stronger, more vibrant Lynn for everyone.

    We’ll continue to share updates and meeting information at LynnInCommon.com as this process moves forward.

  • Meeting Recap: September 15, 2025

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    supporting image

    We hosted a community meeting on September 15, 2025 at the Demakes Family YMCA. Planning staff welcomed 32 residents, property owners, and elected officials to that session and shared a progress report of what has happened since the SHIP plan was completed.

    We also identified some key challenges and next steps, which includes shoreline restoration, expanding affordable housing opportunities in the neighborhood, implementing our street grid improvements, and tackling some key stuck properties throughout the district. Finally, we shared some possible next steps with attendees, which included the possibility of utilizing an economic development plan or urban renewal plan to

    We hosted a community meeting on September 15, 2025 at the Demakes Family YMCA. Planning staff welcomed 32 residents, property owners, and elected officials to that session and shared a progress report of what has happened since the SHIP plan was completed.

    We also identified some key challenges and next steps, which includes shoreline restoration, expanding affordable housing opportunities in the neighborhood, implementing our street grid improvements, and tackling some key stuck properties throughout the district. Finally, we shared some possible next steps with attendees, which included the possibility of utilizing an economic development plan or urban renewal plan to support acquisitions and provide more resources to turn vacant sites into more productive developments.

    The audience had many questions and points of feedback during the large-group meeting as well as in opportunities to connect before and after the formal meeting. We answered question about the SHIP, its intended timeline, and particularities of how urban renewal or economic development plans work. Our discussion touched on other priorities, including transportation access, workforce development, and ensuring job access for Lynners.

    To see the content we presented, you can download the slides or check out our video version, created in partnership with LCTV, below.


  • The Final Plan In Summary | El Plan Final en Resumen

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    Ver traducción al español abajo.

    Our priorities for this district, based on feedback we received from the community in this process, previous engagement processes about this neighborhood, and Vision Lynn, are:

    • Mixed-use and transit oriented development
    • Safer, more convenient mobility
    • Job growth and economic development
    • Neighborhood connectivity
    • Housing affordability
    • Strengthened tax base
    • Parks and waterfront access
    • Climate resilience and shoreline protection

    The SHIP identifies a number of projects to help unlock the potential of this district.

    • Complete the Harbor Park.
    • Fix the street grid by bringing back original rights of way to better manage vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
    • Redo the

    Ver traducción al español abajo.

    Our priorities for this district, based on feedback we received from the community in this process, previous engagement processes about this neighborhood, and Vision Lynn, are:

    • Mixed-use and transit oriented development
    • Safer, more convenient mobility
    • Job growth and economic development
    • Neighborhood connectivity
    • Housing affordability
    • Strengthened tax base
    • Parks and waterfront access
    • Climate resilience and shoreline protection

    The SHIP identifies a number of projects to help unlock the potential of this district.

    • Complete the Harbor Park.
    • Fix the street grid by bringing back original rights of way to better manage vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
    • Redo the Lynnway to make it safer and more convenient.
    • Create a publicly-accessible River Works commuter rail station to provide better transit access north and south of the tracks.
    • Create deeply affordable housing.
    • Foster transformational residential and commercial development by rewriting zoning and continuing to be proactive about supporting development in the neighborhood.
    • Make it feel like a real neighborhood by supporting existing residents and incorporating public art.
    • Ensure climate resilience using floodplain management and green infrastructure and protecting our shoreline.
    • Establish the ferry to Boston as a year-long, week-long transit option.
    • Support the thoughtful redevelopment of the Gearworks site.

    En español - El Plan Final en Resumen

    Nuestras prioridades para este distrito, basadas en las opiniones que recibimos de la comunidad durante este proceso, los procesos de participación anteriores sobre este vecindario y Visión Lynn, son:

    • Desarrollo de uso mixto y orientado al transporte
    • Movilidad más segura y conveniente
    • Crecimiento laboral y desarrollo económico
    • Conectividad entre vecindarios
    • Vivienda asequible
    • Fortalecimiento de la base fiscal
    • Parques y acceso al frente marítimo
    • Resiliencia climática y protección de la costa

    El SHIP identifica una serie de proyectos para ayudar a liberar el potencial de este distrito.

    • Completar el Parque del Puerto.
    • Reparar la red de calles recuperando los derechos originales de paso para gestionar mejor el tráfico vehicular y peatonal.
    • Rehacer el Lynnway para hacerlo más seguro y conveniente.
    • Crear una estación de tren suburbano River Works accesible público para proporcionar un mejor acceso al norte y al sur de las vías.
    • Crear viviendas profundamente asequibles.
    • Fomentar el desarrollo residencial y comercial transformador reescribiendo la zonificación y continuando siendo proactivos en el apoyo al desarrollo en el vecindario.
    • Hacer que se sienta como un vecindario real apoyando a los residentes existentes e incorporando el arte público.
    • Asegurar la resiliencia climática mediante la gestión de las llanuras inundables e infraestructuras verdes y protegiendo nuestra costa.
    • Establecer el ferry a Boston como una opción de tránsito durante todo el año y toda la semana.
    • Apoyar la reurbanización de Gearworks.


Page last updated: 15 Sep 2026, 12:46 PM