The Mayor of Silly Hats

It is a rather sad commentary on the state of the quality of Boston's architecture and development when the City's Mayor has evidently developed a new approval code based on building's "hats." (The city the mayor (painstakingly built), Boston Globe, August 23, 2009). Perhaps it is not as arrogant as his cellphone call to change a zoning code "on the spot" described in the 2nd paragraph, but it is certainly more indicative of a Mayor desperately in search of a development legacy, a Mayor suffering, as most do, from a case of severe Edifice Complex.

I have been involved in commercial real estate in Boston for 28 years. Fortunately, I have not been a developer and have thus not had to please the whims of an individual rather than of a citizenry. But if, in your article, you seem to have come to praise Caesar, maybe we best look at what Caesar has "painstakingly" accomplished.

First, you can toss out the ridiculous concept of development "per square mile." At a whopping 48.4 square miles, Boston is roughly 1/4 the size of the 10th most populous city--San Jose. In fact, Boston does not make the top 150 in area. Boston could comfortably fit inside of the 469 square miles of Los Angeles nearly 10 times over. The truth is that, of the top 10 most populous cities in the US, only Philadelphia has added less new construction since 1996. STRIKE ONE ON THE FACTS.

During Mayor Menino's tenure, 15.3 million square feet of office space has been built in Boston. Not bad for a 16-year reign which has no sight in end. During Ray Flynn's 9-year tenure, 36 million was added. Yes, Mayor Flynn in 7 years more than doubled the amount seen in the Menino era. Considering that the inventory during Mayor Flynn's tenure lacked the 15 million added during Menino's days, the percentage growth on a yearly basis under Mayor Flynn averaged roughly 8% per year. Menino has averaged 1.3%. Need we even mention Mayor White who, during 16 years, saw the construction of 24.3 million square feet? Again, looking at Boston before Mayor White, the percentage growth of the City was exponentially larger than our current Mayor's at nearly 7% per year in an era when developers did not line up to build in Boston. STRIKE TWO ON THE LEGACY COUNT.

And what specifically has the Mayor, other than hats, added to the skyline? In the entire 16 year tenure of Mayor Menino, a whopping 6 new buildings over 500,000 square feet, the minimum amount of space anyone in real estate internationally would even consider as a "tower", were built. Six. And of the six, three of them fell under the approval process of Massport--Fidelity's two office buildings on the Seaport and Manulife's new headquarters on Congress Street in the Seaport. The Mayor speaks frequently of 111 Huntington Avenue, that of the famous hat. And I would agree that some people know of the building. Quick, name the other skyline changing gems--10 St. James?; 33 Arch Street? The soaring State Street Global tower is worthy of mention and merit, none other. STRIKE THREE ON SKYLINE IMPACT.

The only thing less impressive of a Mayor who brags about his singular ability to stall projects "in my City", i.e. those of Mr. Chiofaro, is a Mayor who, one day on a whim declares that a 150-story tower will be built in Boston as if the Development Fairy was planning a visit. How many years ago did that triumphant horn sound--3,4? Perhaps that will be the tower built when it's 80 degrees in January.

Mayors do not build. They allow others to build. Buildings do not create jobs. The companies that choose to occupy them do. Mayor Menino has followed the similar path of his predecessors not only in Boston but in almost every major city. They need the tower and they need the power. The problem is that our Mayor Menino has struck out in doing so, no matter which way you count it or obscure it.

If you don't believe what the press writes, you can listen and watch the Mayor say the same thing on his wonderful video of his ride around Boston at http://multimedia.boston.com/m/25995125/mayor-menino-s-development-tour-of-boston.htm