In an ongoing effort to retain the Boston Fish Pier for commercial fishing and other maritime-related uses, the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) today finalized a lease agreement with Stavis Seafoods, Inc. to locate their office operations on the historic pier on South Boston's waterfront.
Stavis Seafoods, Inc. is one of the largest fish processing and distribution operations in the Northeast and presently occupies approximately 16,000 square feet in the Fish Pier's East Building. The new lease is for approximately 10,000 square feet of office space in the Fish Pier West Building.
"Today's announcement, coupled with the BRA's recent lease extension for Stavis' facility in the Marine Industrial Park, ensures that this important Back Streets business will grow and thrive in the City of Boston," said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. "Working with Massport, the City is committed to retaining and growing Boston's small and mid-sized industrial and commercial businesses through the Back Streets program."
The Boston Fish Pier, owned and operated by Massport, is the oldest working fish pier in the country. It has been home to a number of seafood processing companies as well as fishing and maritime support industries for 87 years.
"For more than 70 years, Richard Stavis and his family have been mainstays of Boston's fishing industry," said U.S. Congressman Stephen F. Lynch. "Through this agreement, Massport has acknowledged the role that Stavis Seafoods and a handful of family-owned businesses have played in keeping Boston's historic Fish Pier economically viable for generations. I commend both Massport and Stavis Seafoods for working together to make this happen."
"Stavis Seafoods has been a cornerstone of the Boston seafood community for over 70 years. Thanks to the efforts of Massport and the City of Boston our place in the heart of the historic Boston seafood district is secured and we can grow to meet the challenges of the ever-expanding world of seafood," said Richard Stavis, President and CEO of Stavis Seafood, Inc.
Since acquiring the property in 1972, Massport has maintained the Fish Pier for maritime industrial use and last year reinforced its commitment to the fishing industry with an agreement to negotiate lease extensions of up to 25 years for current Fish Pier tenants.
"I am pleased that Stavis Seafoods, Inc. will continue to grow their business here and contribute to the vitality of our working waterfront," said Massport CEO Craig Coy.
Massport has been working with the City of Boston in building a new seafood district in South Boston to support the vital seafood industry. In 1996, Massport set aside a minimum of eight acres on its Marine Terminal (North Jetty) for the development of fish processing facilities. In 1998, the City of Boston completed the construction of the New Boston Seafood Center, a two-building complex on land contiguous to Massport's property designated for the seafood industry. In September 2000, the Harbor Seafood Center was completed, marking the first fish processing facility to open as part of Massport's four-phase development plan. In November 2002, Legal Seafoods broke ground on the second phase where it plans to relocate its headquarters and central processing facilities.