Boston gets vote for worst waterfront development!

[Java King]

......From this weeks Banker and Tradesman. I don't have the link to the full article because I don't have a subscriber login. However, I picked up the paper on Monday, and it was not a flattering article. Everything said was VERY true. Boston has not done a good job of creating destination places on the waterfront.

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Water, Water Everywhere, but Not Someplace to Think


The InterContinental Boston Hotel?s empty waterfront park is symptomatic of the problems that put the Hub in the ?Hall of Shame? for having the world?s worst waterfront development. New York and Seattle are the other U.S. cities on the list.
By Thomas Grillo
The Hub got snubbed. After making the list of best cities for health and lifestyle, singles, telecommuting and even having a baby, Boston has been named to the ?Hall of Shame? for those with the world?s worst waterfront development.

[Java King]

OK......I've been reading this board for years but never posted much. I decided to be more active this year since I'm so frustrated with the current sorry state of development. I'm an architect and get just about every development related paper you can imagine.

Here's the article typed in. (My coming out gift to you all!)

After making the list of best cities for health and lifestyle, singles, telecommuting and even having a baby, Boston has been named to the "Hall of Shame" for those with the world's worst waterfront development. "There are no must-see waterfront destinations in Boston, " said Frederick Kent, president of the Project for Public Spaces, a New York-based nonprofit group dedicated to creating and sustaining public places that posted the list on its Web site. "Boston has so many opportuniities to get to the water from Beacon Hill, City Hall and Faneuil Hall, but there's nothing to do there."

The seven-city list put Boston fourth behind New York, Copenhagen, Denmark, and Hong Kong and just ahead of Tokyo, Seattle and Paris. Boston has never lived up to its potential as a city by the bay, according to the report. Despite a handful of new developments in the city's Seaport District - including the InterContinental Boston Hotel, with its waterfront park - the study found that most new oceanside developments lack quality public spaces.

Boston's inclusion on the controversial list brought swift reaction from city officials and nonprofit agencies. Vivian Li, executive director of The Boston Harbor Association, an advocacy group whose mission is to promote a clean and accessible harbor, said Boston does not deserve the designation.

"I'm just shocked," she said. "Their criticism is unfair. I don't think they've walked some of these areas lately. Eighty percent of our waterfront is accessible and most is Americans with Disabilities (Act) compliant. There are signs directing people to waterfront areas and we are working on getting more amenities: public art, free concerts and events."

But the report said unlike the Swedish city of Stockholm - which provides opportunities for pedestrians and cyclists to enjoy its waterfront without traffic along the water - Boston is severely congested. An improved water-taxi system could yield major benefits, the study found. In addition, new construction along the water does little to enhance the public's access, it said.

"Unfortunately, most new developments on the water strive for an iconic, sculptural look, rather than seizing the potential of their sites to enhance the quality of public spaces." Kent said. "As more undeveloped stretches of the waterfront attract attention and investment, Boston must guard against the mistakes made by Vancouver and other cities, which have allowed the construction of high-rise residential towers to limit public activity along the waterfront."

Peter Shelley, director of the Conservation Law Foundation's Massachusetts Advocacy Center, said he was stunned to see Boston had made the list. "I was surprised because when you compare Boston's waterfront today to how crappy the harbor was 25 years ago, it's much better, " he said. "The public uses the waterfront much more than anyone imagined possible in the 1980's."

Still, Shelley said other waterfront communities such as Austin, Texas and Vancouver have activated their waterfronts more successfully. "Boston pales in comparison," he noted. "It does not surprise me that Boston came up short. We're still ambivalent about this waterfront-activation business."

The InterContinental opened last fall on Atlantic Avenue with a small waterfront park and a dozen park benches. A recent visit on a sunny morning by a Banker & Tradesman reporter found the space empty and no signs directing pedestrians to the location.

Shelley noted that the empty green space in front of the InterContinental is symptomatic of the problem. "The waterfront development community, by and large, still sees public access very begrudgingly," he said. "It's something they had to do to get permitted, not something they think enhances their business. As a result, you get unidentified spaces that might meet the letter of the Chapter 91 requirement but not much else." (Chapter 91, a state law, requires a developer to create parks and open space in return for being allowed to build a private development on waterfront parcels.)

For example, Shelley said, at Independence Wharf - next to the InterContinental - the landlord installed its public space on the top floor, but the public would never know it. There's a small, hard-to-find sign directing pedestrians to the building, he noted.

"There's a passive aggressiveness about public-space activation that's holding Boston back from being recognized as a major waterfront destination, " Shelley said. "There is sailing, recreational fishing, swimming, the New England Aquarium and water taxis, but creating public space is viewed as a nuisance by developers and therefore it is at best tolerated and minimized to the extent possible.

Richard McGuinness, the Boston Redevelopment Authority's deputy director for waterfront planning, said the description of Boston as one of the world's worst waterfront cities appears to be written by someone who had a bad experience int he Hub. he disagreed that developers are reluctant to provide the public access.

"In the past, some developers were suspicious of it, thinking that it's their land, " he said. "But now they get it. The Rowes Wharf developers in the '80's were miserable because they had to provide the Harbor Walk and public bathrooms, but now the love it"

McGuiness said the Project for Public Spaces report failed to consider Boston's HarborWalk, which offers 47 miles of green and open space through the city's waterfront neighborhoods from the downtown area to the Neponset River, through East Boston, Charlestown, the North End, South Boston and Dorchester.

While some waterfront locations have limited public access to protect public safety and marine industry operations, McGuiness said, there are connections to a network of trails including the Emerald Necklace, the Charles River Esplanade and the Rose Kennedy Greeenway.

In the future, he noted, Boston will offer new access to Boston Harbor on foot or bicycle. The trail will extend from the MBTA's Ruggles station and wind its way through lower Roxbury, the South End, and Chinatown to reach the HarborWalk at the Fort Point Channel.

McGuinness acknowledged that the InterContinental, Russia Wharf and 470 Atlantic Avenue have not installed HarborWalk signs. But he said the park just opened late last year and will become popular.

"I worked on the InterContinental for the last 10 years and lots of people are surprised it's there. This project is not on people's radar yet," he said. "But Boston Harbor's renaissance is based on the mayor's directive to make the waterfront accessible to everyone in the city. I like to say that you don't have to drive to the Cape - you can do most things that you can do on the Cape in Boston Harbor."

But Kent said a HarborWalk is not enough. "We're talking about places to go," he said. "You can have a HarborWalk as many cities do, but there have to be major destinations. If you look at Finland's Helsinki, there are waterfront locations with weekly events. In Australia's Sydney there are 120 places to go in the harbor on multiple levels. In Stockholm you can take a boat to almost anywhere. It's not just a bunch of buildings with little parks. We require a higher standard than just a suburban lawn along the water. That's what Boston is doing."

It's not the first time Boston has made a worst list. The city holds a perennial spot on Bicycling Magazine's list of the nation's worst cities for cycling. Last year, for the third time, Boston ranked one of the worst places in the country to ride a bike.

Thomas Grillo may be reached at tgrillo@thewarrengroup.com

[Java King]

OK.....now I'm talking to myself.

I couldn't agree more with Kent in the article. Sydney was one of the best cities and waterfront areas that I have ever visited. Of course, their weather is better than ours. However, they had restaurants, shops, boat tours, museums, and bars all along the water.

I would ask McGuinnes where can you eat a nice meal outside along the water? Joe's in Columbus Park, Tias at the Marriott, the Landing at the Aquarium, and Intrigue at Rowes Wharf. The Seaport Grill has a great deck, but the food is pretty standard. That's a fairly short list for a city the size of Boston. I usually take out-of-towners to Marina Bay in Quincy since it has great views and several nice restaurant choices right on the water.

I went to the outdoor plaza at the InterContinental. It's was utterly barren and boring. The new 24 hour restaurant is a great addition to Boston, though. Maybe things will pick up, but the two "alley corridors" on either side of the building to access the water are HORRIBLE spaces. They could have been so cool if done right.

[DudeUrSistersHot]

Marina Bay is one of the top 3 waterfront areas in metro Boston. How they are incapable of doing it in an urban environment makes no sense.

[Ron Newman]

Won't the Intercontinental attract more people when it's no longer a construction site?

As for must-see waterfront attractions, doesn't the Aquarium count?

[JimboJones]

Richard McGuinness, the Boston Redevelopment Authority's deputy director for waterfront planning says:

"Boston Harbor's renaissance is based on the mayor's directive to make the waterfront accessible to everyone in the city. I like to say that you don't have to drive to the Cape - you can do most things that you can do on the Cape in Boston Harbor."

Boy, that is one brave statement!

He's sure got a set on him, doesn't he?

[tocoto]

Anyone who thinks Boston has the worst waterfront in the US needs to do some traveling.

[Padre Mike]

A few points:
1. The history of Boston's waterfront is incredibly complicated and convoluted. It's demise was likewise. Thus will be it's revitalization, only it may take longer.
2. Comparing the history and development of American ports to that of European or Asian ports is like comparing apples and oranges.
3. Boston's winters do a job on the waterfront/tourist economy; many cities with lively waterfronts year-round never have snow.
4. Only recently has it been fashionable to move into the city or to make the city (and thus the waterfront) a destination. I recall vividly when Boston was a gritty industrial city and was dark and quiet at night, except for the rats and stray cats that roamed Quincy Market.
5. People come to Boston to see more than just the waterfront or even the city. They come to visit numerous places in New England. Within an hour or two of Boston, one may experience more historical, cultural and architectural diversity than nearly all other cities in the US.
6. Boston has done a wonderful job with the Harbor Walk even though its completion is seeming to take forever.
7. Do we really need an endless string of bars, nightclubs, restaurants and street performers along the waterfront for it to be interesting? Are we unable to entertain ourselves? What's wrong with quiet walks along the harbor, gazing toward the horizon, enjoying the landscaping, smelling the sea air and just having some time for quiet?

[ChunkyMonkey]

Thanks Java King for typing it all up.

Boston's waterfront is boring, probably not the worst. What it needs are a reason for people to go there. In Santa Barbara, there are vendors that rent family trikes and bikes that allow people to ride along the waterfront in traffic free lanes. Boston needs something like that. More traffic free bike paths and cafes along with large sidewalks. At least the waterfront is accessible but just being accessible will not encourage people to go there.

It is also unfair to compare Boston with Stockholm which is built on lots of islands. So, most of its attractions are by the water. Even so, I didn't think Stockholm's waterfront was anything super special. The only part I really liked was Kungstrag?rden with its beautiful buildings lining the water.

[Ron Newman]

One problem with the Harborwalk is that north of Commercial Wharf, it is all private residential and office space, with no retail or restaurants to attract anyone up there. It's a nice view, but there's nothing to do except walk and look. The few storefronts on the water side of Atlantic/Commercial don't help at all, as several of them house useless real-estate offices. There's one very lonely Starbucks, nothing else.

Battery Wharf may change this some, but probably not enough. After Battery Wharf is the Coast Guard base, which blocks further extension of the Harborwalk. After the Coast Guard base is the North End recreational area -- ballfields, swimming pool, bocce courts, skating rink, and tennis courts. All fine things for the neighborhood, but again nothing to attract visitors.

The one remaining vacant development site that might have some potential to change this picture is the Sargents Wharf parking lot. But I have never heard of any proposal to build anything there. (The construction you see there today is just rebuilding the Harborwalk along its edge.)

Where's all the street life? Two or three blocks inland, on North Square, Hanover Street, the Paul Revere Mall, and some of the small side streets.

[Ron Newman]

Santa Barbara's waterfront is a very long stretch of beach sand, interrupted by one recreational marina. That's a lot different from Boston's waterfront which is a series of built-upon piers that used to be part of the working port.

[tocoto]

Boston doesn't have an amusement park and Ferris wheel on the waterfront, but there are plenty of places to go and lots of people there. In the warm season, long wharf is mobbed; so is th Aquarium area, there's the ICA and plenty of restaurants and bars along the way. There are also beaches, islands and the Charles River Esplanade. All of these lists are made solely to sell advertising. They have no merit and are meaningless. Boston has an OK waterfront, I like going there. Calling it the worst is idiotic.

[ablarc]

Originally Posted by Java King

Vivian Li, executive director of The Boston Harbor Association, an advocacy group whose mission is to promote a clean and accessible harbor, said Boston does not deserve the designation.

"I'm just shocked," she said. "Their criticism is unfair. I don't think they've walked some of these areas lately. Eighty percent of our waterfront is accessible and most is Americans with Disabilities (Act) compliant. There are signs directing people to waterfront areas and we are working on getting more amenities: public art, free concerts and events."

Wheelchair-accessible parking lots. Who in his right mind could be attracted by scenes like this:

Originally Posted by kz1000ps

It doesn't take a curmudgeon like me to see this waterfront ain't fit for man nor beast --even if it is wheelchair-accessible.

I know, I know: it's temporary. Just wait until the future...

It's been temporary for forty years, and most of us live in the present.

The present waiting for the future. Will it ever come?

(Vivian Li is delusional.)

[kz1000ps]

Great to see you posting here again, Ablarc. At least a few of us have noticed your absence.

[statler]

Originally Posted by ablarc

It doesn't take a curmudgeon like me...

Curmudgeon, huh? That's a nice word for it... :wink:

Welcome back. Somebody here needs to keep us grounded.

And for what it is worth, Rowes Wharf is still one of my favorite parts of the city.

A shame everything around it sucks. :?

[ablarc]

Originally Posted by statler

And for what it is worth, Rowes Wharf is still one of my favorite parts of the city.

It should all be as good as Rowes Wharf.

Mystifies me that it isn't.

If it were folks would promenade around the harbor and populate cafes.

[Scott]

Thousands of people from all around the metro area do every day, just happens to be around Casle Island. I doubt the author has ever heard of such a place.

Sadly most people who come here to go to school don't either because they never venture outside the student ghettos.

[statler]

Originally Posted by ablarc

It should all be as good as Rowes Wharf.

Mystifies me that it isn't.

If it were folks would promenade around the harbor and populate cafes.

A polluted Harbor on one side and a crumbling elevated highway on the other. I'm still shocked we got Rowes Wharf built at all. That's some amazingly rare foresight on the part of the developers. I'm really not too surprised the rest of it sucks. Disappointed, but not surprised.

For some good news from this thread:

Press Releases
City Selects Restaurateur for Long Wharf Pavilion Site

Eat Drink Laugh Restaurant Group Plans Casual Seafood Establishment
The Boston Redevelopment Authority Board today selected Eat Drink Laugh Restaurant Group (EDL) to redevelop the Long Wharf pavilion site into a thriving dining and entertainment locale. EDL?s winning proposal includes the creation of Doc?s, a unique, casual 88-seat restaurant that will feature a mostly-seafood menu. Doc?s will be a completely new concept for Boston, not just a restaurant, but a full indoor/outdoor experience, anchoring Long Wharf as a ?must visit? destination for locals and visitors. EDL?s previous restaurants include The Paramount on Charles Street, 21st Amendment on Bowdoin Street, The Blarney Stone in Dorchester, Peking Tom?s on Kingston Street and West on Centre in West Roxbury.

?We chose Eat Drink Laugh because of their unique restaurant concept,? Mayor Thomas M. Menino said. ?This restaurant will enliven Long Wharf with increased daytime activity and nighttime entertainment. It will provide another way in which residents and visitors can enjoy Boston?s harbor.?

Doc?s will incorporate leading-edge, ?green,? engineering and strategies in its architectural design that will echo the character of Boston?s historic waterfront. In addition to the 88-seat interior capacity, Doc?s will feature an exterior capacity of 176 ? this includes a seasonal standing deck for 88 patrons, a promenade patio for 12 patrons and a compass patio for 76 patrons.

Doc?s will provide a warm and vibrant meeting point for locals, city visitors, business-people and others who are taking to the harbor or simply enjoying the waterfront. By night, Doc?s will transform to an evening destination for people seeking quality food, beer or wine, and socializing ? with Boston Harbor as a backdrop. Doc?s will be built, first and foremost, for its local patrons. EDL believes that if you build a loyal following in the neighborhood, visitors and tourists are sure to follow. The food at Doc?s will reflect the combination that has made all of EDL?s restaurants so popular: delicious food that isn?t fussy; meals that are moderately-priced, yet made with the highest quality ingredients possible.

EDL was founded in 1993 by principal owner Michael Conlon, a life-long Bostonian and second-generation restaurateur. EDL is distinct in that it is not a restaurant chain, but rather a series of unique establishments created specifically to suit the neighborhoods that they are in.

The BRA advertised a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Long Wharf site in August. The RFP called for a development team to rehabilitate the Long Wharf Pavilion building, which was constructed to serve as a MBTA vent building and Blue Line tunnel emergency egress, into a waterfront restaurant. The BRA sought a team that could create a unique restaurant concept which would further enliven Long Wharf and bring the activity of the city back to the harbor. The location represents one of the last opportunities to operate a restaurant directly on the waterfront with amazing panoramic views of the harbor.

Following this designation, EDL will comply with the City?s Article 80 development review process and complete Small Project Review before proceeding with their project.


Contact: Jessica Shumaker 617.918.4446

Release Date: December 21, 2006

From the BRA website:
"The BRA has retained the services of HMFH Architects, Inc. to review the building for the reuse by a food service operation. The firm has designed the preliminary build out plans for enclosing the structure ? a construction process that is needed in order to maintain the building?s MBTA use as well as a new restaurant feature. Early design plans include a kitchen, bar and waiting area, and a dining area. HMFH envisions aluminum curtainwalls with tinted and opaque glazing to maximize the waterfront?s scenic views while allowing natural light into the building. Also planned is the installation of panelized glass windows, allowing for seasonal operability, as well as brand new entrances and doors. Repairs to the structure?s slate roof will be made and updates to the building?s utilities will be undertaken for the project. The consultant has indicated that allowable occupancy of the project is approximately 86 persons in the dining area, 15 at the bar and waiting area."

http://www.cityofboston.gov/bra/pres...sp?pressID=333

[Waldorf]

^ You can thank Norman Leventhal, prolific developer, for Rowes Wharf. Too bad we didn't get him to do Winthrop Square or SB Waterfront.

[statler]

Originally Posted by ZenZen

^ You can thank Norman Leventhal, prolific developer, for Rowes Wharf. Too bad we didn't get him to do Winthrop Square or SB Waterfront.

I think I've said this before but I want to be Norman Leventhal when I grow up.