Greg Verga, Mayor, City of Gloucester
Mayor of Gloucester Greg Verga spoke with Invest: about the ways in which the city continues to grow and thrive as it contends with long-term planning and the multifaceted effects of increased tourism. “We intend not just to stabilize Gloucester but to look forward and be ready to adjust as needed,” he said.
What makes Gloucester a great city in which residents can live, work and play?
Gloucester is considered the oldest fishing port in the country. Last year, we celebrated our 400th anniversary of the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In addition to our fishing industry we still have a working waterfront, which is in itself a tourist attraction. We have the oldest artist’s colony at the Rocky Neck Art Colony and a great history of artists who’ve lived here or created major works here. Gloucester has a thriving music community, with live music events almost every night of the week and original music being produced here. With 63 miles of coastline, people travel here to enjoy the scenery and our spectacular beaches. We are home to roughly 30,000 residents with many additional seasonal homeowners. While summer is particularly busy, we are a year-round destination, thanks to efforts such as “Discover Gloucester,” which has successfully promoted our city. We host tourists year-round and benefit from the overflow of visitors from nearby Salem, especially in October.
Could you describe a few milestones achieved by Glousester in the last year?
We’re always trying to expand our business base, and this is highlighted by the recent advent of The Cut, which is a 165-seat restaurant and 500-person music venue that opened in an abandoned CVS building. It’s like a mini House of Blues, and they’ve been drawing in national acts as well as providing space for many local artists.
How is housing development moving forward in Gloucester?
Housing remains a critical issue, and we have been making progress towards addressing the affordable housing crisis through state support and local initiatives. The Massachusetts legislature recently adopted the 40A/3A Zoning Act to help address the housing shortage across the state. This law requires the City to adopt compliant zoning, which fosters the creation of multifamily housing and we are currently working towards compliance. The proposed zoning amendments would streamline the process for homeowners to create three-family homes and provide opportunities for affordable housing production. Gloucester recently received a Housing Choice designation from the state which recognizes the City’s commitment to creating new housing and adopting best practices around creating sustainable housing development. One of these practices includes, directing our short-term rental tax into the City’s Affordable Housing Trust to continue supporting affordable housing projects. In addition to this dedicated funding stream, I appropriated $1.5 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to bolster the Trust’s ability to achieve their mission. The Trust has awarded about $700,000 so far which will help create about 120 housing units, and 90 of them are going to be designated as affordable. Another best practice that the City has adopted is inclusionary zoning, ensuring new developments include affordable housing units. These efforts are part of what is helping us make the city better.
How are tourism and hospitality driving Gloucester’s economy?
Gloucester has been a major tourist destination in New England for many years. We are home to some of the best beaches in the country and welcome thousands of visitors every year to enjoy all that we have to offer. From our breathtaking beaches, world-class art community, and charming Main Street, there is a lot to do here. During our summers, our community is flooded with visitors and this has a major impact on our local small businesses which depend on the busy summer season of tourists.
Our City has been featured in several popular films, like “The Perfect Storm” and “Coda”, which have drawn even more visitors to our island looking to check out our working waterfront and some of the iconic film locations.
Gloucester faces the challenge of balancing its identity as a tourist destination and the need to maintain affordable housing for residents. We can’t be both a tourist community and a community that has housing costs that are out of reach. The price of purchasing and renting housing are astronomical right now. Many couldn’t afford to buy their own family homes that they may have inherited or bought below market rate. That’s why we need to make these efforts to try to create more housing to create more supply to balance the demand
What initiatives are in place to enhance job opportunities?
Gloucester is investing in workforce development, with a particular focus on vocational education. Our high school has its own vocational programs, including carpentry, advanced manufacturing, auto and electrical, each of which ensure students are job-ready upon high school graduation. We will be launching a fifth track, Medical Assisting, in the vocational program at Gloucester High School to provide additional opportunities for our students and meet a staffing need within the medical industry.
Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute (GMGI) is a Gloucester-based life science company which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. GMGI is a world-class research institute that leverages Gloucester’s coastal location and rich maritime industry. In addition to their innovative research, GMGI offers a free 10-month training program for kids not necessarily interested in college. Graduates leave the program as lab technicians who can start earning $75,000 a year in an industry where there is a definite need for them.
Are there other developments underway to improve infrastructure or transportation in the city?
The city is undertaking a major $206 million upgrade to its wastewater treatment plant. Our plant was built around 1980 and performs primary treatment. We are now in the process of transitioning to secondary treatment to meet federal requirements- we expect the project will be completed by 2028.
This upgrade is not just a regulatory requirement but a critical component for our City’s economic growth. As America’s oldest fishing port, our traditional fishing and fish processing industries rely heavily on this facility and its dependable services. The lack of industrial wastewater pretreatment restricts fish processing and manufacturing in Gloucester, raises business costs and limits economic development within our community. With rising demand for processing in recent years, upgrading the treatment plant will make Gloucester a more appealing destination for both existing and prospective businesses.
How do you collaborate with neighboring cities, counties, and the state to advance your mutual interests?
Regional collaboration is integral to everyone’s success, so we place importance on participation in organizations like the Massachusetts Mayors Association as well as partnerships with neighboring communities on shared issues such as municipal services. For example, several neighboring towns are in communication with us regarding our wastewater treatment plant development and veterans’ services. Regionally, Gloucester is also involved in efforts to address climate change and electric supply concerns, particularly in our coastal communities, as we are exceptionally vulnerable to rising sea levels and the impacts of climate change.
What are your top priorities for the coming years, and how do you see Gloucester moving forward?
We, like many communities in the state, are facing budgeting challenges this year due to low state revenue growth, but we are confident in our long-term planning and fiscal management. With the addition of our new CFO, the City has a fresh set of eyes on our financial positioning. Instead of our previous “year-to-year” planning, we are thinking of the long-term and are focused on where we want to go in the future. As we look ahead to our next budget cycle, we must prioritize funding of the critical upgrades to our wastewater treatment plant, continuing to support essential housing initiatives, and maintaining strong school funding to support our current and future residents. We intend not just to stabilize Gloucester but to look forward and be ready to adjust as needed.
