Shetland Park (proposed 40R)

Shetland Park project proposal overhead map

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Site: 27 acres
Housing: 1,200 units
Hotel: 13 stories, 200 rooms
Commercial space: ~1million sq ft
Parking: ~2,900 spaces
Development and Construction timeline: ~10 years (phased)

Shetland Park is a 27-acre privately owned waterfront property located along Congress Street in Salem’s Point neighborhood, a National Register Historic District.

The complex was reconstructed in 1915 following the Great Salem Fire and served as the home of the Naumkeag Steam Cotton Company, once one of the most significant textile manufacturing operations in the Northeast.

Today the City of Salem is advancing a Chapter 40R Smart Growth Overlay District for the Shetland Park site. Prime Group has presented a redevelopment concept that would transform the former industrial property into a large mixed-use district. Construction would occur in multiple phases over an estimated ten-year period.

The current proposal includes a multi-building development with approximately 1,200 residential rental units, a 200-room hotel, nearly one million square feet of commercial space, a new facility for Salem Academy Charter School, public waterfront access, and approximately 2,900 parking spaces, most of which would be located in underground structures.

WHY IT MATTERS

Redevelopment of the Shetland Park property represents one of the most significant potential changes to Salem’s built environment in recent decades.

Based on Massachusetts household size averages, 1,200 housing units could represent approximately 1,800–2,600 additional residents, increasing Salem’s population by an estimated 4–6 percent.

Because of its scale and location along Salem’s historic waterfront, the project raises important questions related to neighborhood character, infrastructure capacity, climate resilience, and housing composition. The site sits adjacent to The Point, one of Salem’s historic neighborhoods, making design standards, building scale, and waterfront development particularly important considerations.

Historic Salem, Inc. is monitoring the project as the city evaluates the proposed 40R overlay district and begins to establish design standards for the site. Our goal is to encourage a thoughtful planning process that ensures redevelopment of this historic property complements Salem’s character while carefully evaluating long-term impacts on infrastructure, neighborhoods, and the waterfront.