Image courtesy of JLL

A 7.2 million-square-foot development plan for Everett’s former ExxonMobil fuel storage farm includes 3,200 housing units, commercial and industrial space and an energy storage facility designed to improve the reliability of the region’s electric grid.

The Davis Cos. is seeking to begin transformation of the Everett industrial district with a new energy storage development by Trimount Energy, which plans a battery energy storage facility on 21 acres.

The Boston-based developer has been meeting with community groups and officials throughout the summer while preparing to seek state and local approval for the massive Everett Docklands Innovation District project, estimated at $500 million. The master plan applies to 86 acres off Beacham Street and includes office, lab, retail, manufacturing and industrial space.

Everett’s nearby Commercial Triangle district has attracted Boston suburbs’ largest cluster of multifamily development in recent years, following a rezoning plan that prompted national developers including Greystar to build thousands of new apartments off Revere Beach Parkway.

Before the housing and other types of commercial development begin, however, The Davis Cos. is planning a first phase to accommodate the Trimount energy project.

The battery storage facility would gather and discharge excess electricity from renewable sources such as offshore wind, tying into an Eversource substation next to the former Exelon Mystic Generating Station, according to an environmental notification form submitted to the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Construction would take place from 2026 to 2027.

The Trimount project would be built on both sides of Beacham Street and include the battery storage facility, two substations and two small personnel and storage buildings.

Other elements of the master plan include 3.3 million square feet of lab and office space, 400,000 square feet of industrial and 400,000 square feet of manufacturing space, and 240,000 square feet of retail space. The multifamily component spans 2.8 million square feet, or an estimated 3,200 units. Maximum proposed building heights are 370 feet, or approximately 37 stories.

Image courtesy of VHB

The Davis Cos. acquired the ExxonMobil property for $72.5 million in 2023 and reached an agreement with Attorney General Andrea Campbell on taking responsibility for the estimated $100 million environmental cleanup. The developers have been removing fuel storage tanks and distribution pipes along with contaminated soil to prepare for the redevelopment.

Developers are seeking a waiver of some MEPA reviews for the energy storage facility, seeking to meet deadlines related to offshore wind production under the state’s 2021 Clean Energy Act. The law sets a June 2027 deadline to place 5,600 megawatts of offshore wind energy under contract to decrease reliance on fossil fuels. Energy experts say dramatically increasing the electric grid’s capacity to store electricity generated from wind and solar sources is key to scaling up the nation’s energy transition.

“To meet the [ISO-New England] deadline, the Phase 1 Proponent must begin construction by the first quarter of 2026,” the ENF states. “The Phase 1 Project is a critical project that will help the Commonwealth achieve these goals. Were it to be terminated as a result of a permitting delay, the Commonwealth would lose up to 700± MW of energy storage  capacity and infrastructure that would otherwise facilitate off-shore wind development.”

Annual tax revenues generated by the project would be approximately $23 million, according to the filing.

Developers are simultaneously pursuing approval from the city of Everett, submitting a new master plan zoning framework and rezoning proposal for the property that are currently under review by the Everett Planning Board.

Master Plan for Everett’s Docklands Includes 3.2K Homes

by Steve Adams time to read: 2 min
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