Salem Seeks Private Partner For Winter Island Redevelopment

SALEM, MA -- The city has released a Request For Information from developers interested in partnering with Salem to redevelop the vacant the former barracks building and airplane hanger on Winter Island. CIty officials were scheduled to conduct a site visit with interested parties on Tuesday morning and are hoping to preserve the buildings.

"Winter Island is a 'diamond in the rough' and we are hopeful that we can find a partner to help us re-think the use of these buildings, with the goal of preserving the structures and improving this city-owned jewel," Mayor Kim Driscoll said in a Facebook post.

Salem, which took ownership of the island in 1972, completed a master plan and summary for Winter Island in 2011. The hangar has been vacant since the 1980's, when Salem State University renovated the building and briefly used it for its varsity sailing program. But the buildings have otherwise been vacant for decades, with redevelopment proposals dating back to at least the 1970s getting no further than the drawing board.

The 2011 report recommended redevelopment that preserves the historic buildings and character on the island. It cited a wide range of case studies, including Catle Hill in Ipswich and Fort Point Channel in Boston, as models. The complete report is available on the city's Website.

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Photo of Winter Island lighthouse by Dave Copeland/Patch.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).