“With this agreement, we now have the ability to build out our vision for this property,’’ said Kevin Chase, the LNR executive leading the project. “It gives us the land for amenities like the golf course, sports and recreation complex, and the village center where people can dine and shop.’’
The $1.5 billion SouthField project has moved in fits and starts over the years, with master developer LNR and the base’s public overseer, the South Shore Tri-Town Development Corp., battling bureaucratic snags and then the collapse of the housing market and broader economy.
An official with South Shore Tri-Town, which represents the three communities around the base, Weymouth, Abington, and Rockland, called today’s deal “a huge step forward for our region.’’
“We’re looking forward to working with LNR on the next phase of this development and to finally realizing our long-term goals of putting people to work here on the South Shore,’’ said the official, Kevin Donovan.
US Representative William Keating, who worked with Senator John Kerry to help finalize the land sale and Navy cleanup, estimated the project will create 10,000 construction and permanent jobs over the next decade.
The pace of work at SouthField has picked up in recent months, as several developers working under LNR have more than 500 single-family homes and apartments under construction. John M. Corcoran and Co. is building 226 apartments and 8,700 square feet of retail stores; Rogerson Communities is building 262 homes for seniors and a nursing facility; and builders Whitman Homes Inc. and Interactive Building Group Inc. are combining to build about 60 homes.
