Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Massport CEO Craig Coy joined with Boston Redevelopment Authority Director Mark Maloney and Legal Sea Foods CEO Roger Berkowitz to break ground on Legal's new state-of-the-art seafood processing headquarters in the Boston Marine Industrial Park (BMIP). The event celebrated the welcomed addition of Legal Sea Foods to the BMIP, which is currently home to more than 3500 jobs and 180 businesses. Legal will relocate from their current facility in Allston, bringing 150 employees to the BMIP with the potential to further grow their job force.

"Legal Sea Foods is a leader in the seafood industry and a fantastic neighbor to the City of Boston," said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. "Our waterfront continues to be an valuable economic engine for the City of Boston and the New England region. This new facility illustrates the city's and Massport's commitment to making the Marine Industrial Park a catalyst for the growth of our maritime industries."

"Whether it is the Fish Pier, the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal or the Marine Park, Massport is committed to working with the City of Boston to support our historic maritime business. Legal Sea Foods' Processing Center represents the second of Massport's four-phase development plan dedicated to the seafood industry and will be an exciting new addition to our thriving working port. We are fortunate to have such strong believers in our waterfront like Mayor Menino and Roger Berkowitz," said Massport CEO Craig Coy. The first phase was the Harbor Seafood Center, Pilot Seafood, which opened in September 2001.

Massport has reserved approximately 10 acres of land on the North Jetty for the development of a seafood district. The district will join the New Boston Seafood Center (on city of Boston land in BMIP) in the Marine Industrial Park in creating local maritime related jobs. South Boston is a key area for the seafood industry due to historical ties and its proximity to major highways and Logan International Airport.

Due to its logistical and infrastructure advantages, the BMIP is an integral component of the Mayor's Back Streets initiative, which provides commercial and industrial companies the financial help, technical assistance and general support to retain businesses, grow them, and cultivate their diverse job base. The Boston Marine Industrial Park is where many of these companies call home.

The addition of Legal Sea Foods to the BMIP continues toward the City's and Massport's goals of maintaining and preserving the working port of Boston, while specifically encouraging and supporting maritime dependant uses. Already nearly 400 hundred seafood processing jobs exist in the BMIP.

"Our Allston operation has served us well for many years. When we started there, we were servicing two Boston restaurants. Today, we're supplying 26 restaurants in seven states. We look forward to the convenience and efficiency our new plant in the Seaport District will provide us," said Legal Sea Foods CEO Roger Berkowitz.

Shawmut Construction Company will develop the new 75,000 square foot plant on the vacant site on the BMIP's North Jetty. Designed by local firm Edwards and Kelcey, the $10 million project will be completed in about 11 months.

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