Floating Restaurant Developers Put Project on Hold for a Year

Developers that pitched anchoring a floating restaurant off East Boston’s shores will delay its plans for one year according to City Councilor Sal LaMattina.

This concept of a ‘floating restaurant’ was dreamed up by Boston harbor Cruises’ Principal Owner Rick Nolan and was brought to the Jeffries Point Neighborhood Association (JPNA) for consideration back in October. At that meeting Nolan and Harry Collins of Development Consulting pitched their plan for this floating concept restaurant that was to be dubbed ‘The Mooring’.

Already, restaurants like K.O. Pies have peaked citywide interest in Eastie as a destination dining location on the waterfront.

Now with waterfront development like Portside at Pier One underway, developers of The Mooring may be waiting until there is more activity along Eastie’s waterfront before launching their restaurant idea.

According to Nolan and Collins The Mooring would be accessible via a free water shuttle provided by the restaurant from points along Eastie and South Boston’s Seaport District. Private boat owners would also be able to dock free of charge at the restaurant. The restaurant would operate during the warmer months with a season stretching from May to October.

According to Nolan the menu would be mainly seafood options with entrees ranging between $14-$18.

Once they revisit the concept next year Nolan and the company will still need to present its proposal to the Boston Harbor Master and the U.S. Coast Guard before nailing down an exact location off of Eastie’s shores. Nolan said he is looking to go somewhere in between the Logan Hyatt and Piers Park.

The neighborhood’s response to the proposal was very positive at the October JPNA meeting. Private boat owners in the crowd, like John and Melissa Tyler, welcomed the idea of bringing their boat to a floating restaurant for free instead of the $20 per hour docking fee charged at other waterfront restaurants along Boston Harbor.

After that meeting Nolan said he was very encouraged by the positive response his team got from residents.

City Councilor Sal LaMattina said at Monday night’s JPNA meeting he was disappointed in Nolan’s decision to hold off for one year but said he would continue to work with the developer to bring this concept to the neighborhood

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