Letter: Hotel approval will move city forward

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March 1, 2013

Letter: Hotel approval will move city forward

Anonymous Gloucester Daily Times The Gloucester Daily Times Fri Mar 01, 2013, 12:00 AM EST

The editor:

Fifteen years ago, my wife and I chose to move to Gloucester; because, if you will excuse the play on words, we love the soul of Gloucester. We are proud and humbled to be Gloucester citizens … home to the courageous and creative.

Today, I am the executive director of the Gloucester Economic Development and Industrialization Corporation or EDIC. Your EDIC is a commonwealth-authorized corporation that has been serving only Gloucester for decades. Its leadership on developing Gloucester’s industrial parks makes the EDIC quite experienced and successful at creating jobs for our citizens and revenue for our city.

Economic development for Gloucester must include protecting our 17th-century fishing village heritage. Our legacy must not be allowed to become only a part of our history and no longer the heart of our daily existence and future. We need to investigate 21st-century paths that complement our soul and add to the legacy of Gloucester’s greatness.

We have one of those paths before us now.

There are world-renowned scientists and entrepreneurs who could establish in Gloucester a state of the art marine science center to create new techniques that would precisely measure the state of the fish in our seas. These celebrated individuals could bring to Gloucester prominent contemporaries from around the world to help our fishing industry survive and thrive.

But where would the visiting dignitaries stay? Twenty miles away at the Marriott in Peabody or perhaps at the Hyatt at Logan International Airport in Boston.

Gloucester has many very fine motels, but none are aimed at the business traveler … and, in fact, almost all of them are closed this time of year.

Gloucester’s soul of courage and creativity are attractive traits to entrepreneurs so I believe that what Gloucester already is can be a beacon to attract the world’s best minds to Gloucester to help us respond to today’s critical challenges to our fishing industry and to create for us a better future.

A world-class business oriented hotel is a necessary component to attract high tech economic development opportunities to Gloucester.

Please, for all that Gloucester is and can become, approve this proposed Beauport Gloucester hotel.

TOM GILLETT

Gloucester

Exec. director, Gloucester Economic Development

and Industrialization Corporation