Bustling harbor a key to Rockland’s future

Community leaders agree that what happens on Rockland’s waterfront in coming years will drive its economy.

Particularly symbolic will be what happens at the 76,464-square-foot former MBNA complex and boardwalk, now owned by Bank of America.

What happens to the complex will greatly influence what occurs along the rest of the harbor, Harbor Master Ed Glaser said, pointing to other properties for sale, including Hurricane Island Outward Bound School in the south end, and the former Black Pearl restaurant near the public landing.

In April 2005, MBNA closed the waterfront operation that employed 300 people.

MBNA’s 10-acre property is on the market for $9.45 million. The Outward Bound school, which has three buildings, the largest being 11,000 square feet, on 2.63 acres, is $1,595,000. The 3,500-square-foot former Black Pearl restaurant and 2,000-square-foot Conte’s restaurant, on a half-acre, are marketed together at $2.5 million.

A decade ago, Glaser owned the schooner Isaac H. Evans, which operated out of the city’s north end.

“I could hoist the sails and sail right off the dock to the breakwater,” he said. “Now, there’d probably be 200 boats in the way.”

Since the fish plant closings, the number of moorings has grown 5 to 10 percent per year, he said. Today, there are 400 private moorings and 160 rental moorings. In addition, local marinas serve another 150 vessels.

Mooring permit fees are $50 per year for up to a 30-foot vessel and an additional $1.50 per foot thereafter, Assistant Harbor Master Pete Thibodeau said. The annual revenue is in excess of $40,000, he said.

The harbor needs an anchor – something to draw people to the waterfront, Glaser said, like the Farnsworth, which attracts people to downtown, and Wal-Mart and Home Depot, which bring shoppers to Camden Street (Route 1). Perhaps an aquarium or an open-air market would work, he said.

Keeping a working waterfront is essential for sustaining a strong economy, say community leaders.

And a working waterfront “is more interesting from a tourist’s point of view,” said Bob Hastings of the area Chamber of Commerce.

Developing shipping and transportation alternatives by rail and water “is critical to us,” Hastings said. “The country has got to recover our railroad and realize water transportation of products is essential.”

“If we had real railroad service [to Portland],” he said, “we can become a stronger tourism destination.”

Rockland’s working waterfront has gained fame as the Schooner Capital of the World for its seven historic sailing ships and other passenger sailing vessels, and as the Lobster Capital of the World for its large lobster landings.

Today, some 50 lobstermen work out of Rockland, and the city’s municipal fish pier still serves about five companies that market herring. F.J. O’Hara & Sons has seafood, marine and ice-making operations on the waterfront.

The waterfront boasts a marine supplier, Hamilton Marine, Rockland Marine Shipyard, Dragon Products cement shipping terminal, several marinas, and canvas and sail makers, marine mechanics and riggers.

Despite that bustling atmosphere, “there’s going to be a lot of pressure for residential use,” Glaser said, noting many prospective real estate buyers are asking about such uses.

In Richard Spear’s 55 years on the Rockland Port District he’s seen many changes on the waterfront, he said, but his hope is “more marine-related business than condominiums.”

“The whole mix makes it good for the whole waterfront,” Spear said, rather than depending on one industry.

“Some say tourism and the creative economy is the answer,” said Rodney Lynch, the city’s community development director. “Don’t bank on one industry to go ahead and save you. When MBNA moved out of town, it didn’t affect Rockland that much because it’s so diverse. We rode it out very well.”