The Town of Cohasset has been awarded two grants totaling $330,000 by the Seaport Economic Council, for work in Cohasset Harbor. (Photo courtesy Town of Cohasset) 
The Town of Cohasset has been awarded two grants totaling $330,000 by the Seaport Economic Council, for work in Cohasset Harbor. (Photo courtesy Town of Cohasset)
COHASSET — Town Manager Christopher Senior is pleased to announce that the Town of Cohasset has been awarded two grants totaling $330,000 by the Seaport Economic Council (SEC) for work in Cohasset Harbor.
The first grant, in the amount of $160,000, was awarded for work on Government Island Wharf. The grant will support permitting and engineering services necessary to upgrade the wharf to improve commercial fishing access. Included in the plans to improve Government Island Wharf are rebuilding the pier to include a conveyor system and hydraulic lift to make the process of loading and unloading commercial boats easier.
A second grant, for $170,000, was also awarded for the Parker Avenue Boat Ramp. The grant will be used to fund permitting and engineering services that are required to replace the Parker Avenue Boat Ramp. The replacement of the Parker Avenue Boat Ramp will improve access to Cohasset Harbor for commercial and recreational boating.
“We are all very excited about these grants, which will benefit both our commercial fishing fleet and the regular recreational users of Cohasset Harbor,” Town Manager Senior said. “These two projects represent concrete action that will transform the goals of the Town’s Municipal Harbor Plan into critically needed improvements to our waterways. Many thanks to all the Town staff and volunteers who made these applications possible, and to the Seaport Economic Council for their ongoing support.”
“In the spring of last year, the Town of Cohasset unveiled their Municipal Harbor Plan and since then we’ve been working together to secure the funding needed to advance their vision,” said Senator Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth). “This round of funding will allow Cohasset to take the first steps in their plan and will benefit those that live and work on the South Shore.”
The SEC advances the Baker-Polito Administration’s support for communities and residents across the state by leveraging unique economic assets to drive sustainable regional growth. The council was re-launched in August 2015, with a mission to grow the maritime economy, promote economic development and support resilient infrastructure in all 78 of Massachusetts’ coastal communities, while preparing them to respond to the challenges posed by rising sea levels and increasingly powerful coastal storms.
The council’s capital grant program supports working waterfronts, local tourism, coastal resiliency and maritime innovation, from the North Shore to Cape Cod and the South Coast.
Investments in coastal communities are crucial to Massachusetts’ economy, safety and environment. The Baker-Polito Administration will continue to provide resources and programs, like Seaport Economic Council grants and MassWorks infrastructure awards, to ensure that coastal communities can improve, strengthen and protect the Commonwealth’s coastal assets.
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