Gloucester City Council authorizes $3.32 million loan to rebuild St. Peter's Landing Marina

Select Board · Meeting of March 10, 2026

Gloucester City Council unanimously approved a $3.32 million loan order to reconstruct St. Peter's Landing and Marina, backed by a $2.6 million Seaport Economic Council grant awarded in January 2026. CFO Connor McCorkle opened the meeting with a preliminary FY 2027 budget gap forecast of $2.93 million, warning that labor, health insurance, school costs, and debt service are rising faster than Proposition 2.5 revenue growth allows — though he stressed the figure is a planning tool, not a final budget, with a balanced proposal due in early May.

The council also voted 8-0 to grant a special permit to Essex County Habitat for Humanity to convert a former Action Inc. office building at 47 Washington Street into three affordable homeownership units at 60 percent AMI, with a four-bedroom unit among them. Community Development Director Alex Kopelman presented housing data showing roughly 6,800 Gloucester households eligible for deed-restricted affordable housing against only about 1,100 available units. The council confirmed three appointments — Ashley Curley as city Assessor, Patricia McCarthy to the Gloucester Cultural Council, and Esme Rose Sarraf as a student alternate on the Human Rights Commission — all by 8-0 votes with Ward 2 Councillor Dylan Bentz absent.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 1,234 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of March 10, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.