Phase I of Dickinson Dev.'s $35m Riverside Landing project underway

New life is coming to an old neighborhood along the banks of New Bedford's Acushnet River. Phase I of Riverside Landing will be completed this fall. The 97,000 s/f anchor Market Basket supermarket in the city's historic Hicks-Logan-Sawyer District is on a 14-acre site that for a century was home to Fairhaven Mills. At the entrance to the development pad sites are available for several commercial uses on a 2.24 acre parcel. Phase II will include 40,000 s/f of mixed-use space. Riverside Landing developers Mark Dickinson, president of Dickinson Development Corp. of Quincy, and Mark White, president of D. W. White Construction Co. of Acushnet, said hundreds of construction jobs have been created during Phase I, and the store will employ hundreds of full and part-time staff. At full build, Riverside Landing could employ more than 700 people and bring over $250,000 annually in tax revenues to the city. The initial phase of the development, by virtue of a Growth Initiative Grant provided by the state to the City of New Bedford, also includes public infrastructure improvements including: reconfiguration of new ramps from I-195; a safer signalized intersection; reconstruction of Coggeshall, Mitchell and Sawyer Sts.; and construction of a new pedestrian-friendly Riverside Dr. connecting Coggeshall St. to Sawyer St. White and Dickinson said the overall goals and objectives of the city's Hicks-Logan-Sawyer Master Plan are well represented in the Riverside Landing plan: * Generating economic revitalization * Creating a mixed-use destination * Removing blighted buildings * Improving connections to surrounding neighborhoods * Expanding access to the river and community resources New Bedford mayor Scott Lang has said the project will transform a primary gateway into the city, provide enhanced economic opportunities, improve the quality of life and employment potential for city residents, and welcome and attract visitors. Matthew Morrissey, executive director of the city's Economic Development Council, commended the teams from the private sector that have been working with state agencies and city departments to bring jobs to the city. Under Phase II, besides the mixed-use building, a riverwalk and park will be built along the water's edge to increase community access to the waterfront. In collaboration with the city, a new boathouse will be constructed to allow the community to offer community boating programs. Development partner Mark White, principal of D. W. White Construction Company, has over 46 years of experience with infrastructure construction and is regularly sought out by premier developers and engineers for their most complex projects. Development partner, Dickinson Development Corporation, has developed over three million s/f of office, retail and industrial space and hotels in New England and Florida. Mark Dickinson has a proven track record in successful development and repositioning of underutilized real estate. Dickinson said, "Transforming underused land into an attractive, productive property gives me a true sense of accomplishment. A successful development must fit in with surroundings, and new construction should connect with the community to bring new vitality."