Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Innovation District??

I don't know where to begin. Should we rewind to Mayor Menino in 1999 and again in 2002 and 2003 declaring the "Seaport" as the "New Boston" for high rise office and luxury reidential development "on a scale not seen since the Back Bay?"


Do we need yet another planner, this time the dubious Kairos Shen of the BRA, still wondering why nobody wants to build 12 story buildings along the Dimway?

Does anyone really believe that Joe Fallon wants to see his Fan Pier propertiesl filled by startups looking for "cheaper rent than Cambridge?"

Nobody's paying rent on the 14th floor of a new high rise on the harbor and the frustrated Mayor wants us to believe that kids playing with helium baloons while paying no rent constitute a good trend?

This is not unlike bad sports teams who change their uniform design every year hoping the fans won't notice that nothing has changed.

There are industries well suited for the east portion of the area. North Coast Seafoods is an excellent example. As is Massport.

With patience in what is already a recovering office market, office tenants like Fish & Richardson, who actually pay Joe rent, will come.

In the meantime, let's not assuage the Mayor's unlimited need for instant gratification by allowing him to generate more nonsense. I do believe the same Mayor wanted to move City Hall to this new Innovation District. Even he couldn't silent enough critics on the utter lack of a shred of sense in that brainstorm.

The Mayor's lack of inagination and reality has already killed the Dimway over a personal vendetta. Next thing we know he'll have his driver roaming up and down A Street demanding the buildings have crowns.

The newest business to open in the Innovation District is "Whisky Priest" on Northern Avenue right across from the Seaport Hotel.

2 comments:

  1. Good article Jim. I like to keep up on things out east. I remember the Seaport well. I did a ton of analysis on development potential out there. The bottom line is that you need rents that justify construction cost. In Boston, that's a big number. - Mike McGinnis

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good article. Why some people insist on thinking some of the stupidest things are good ideas, I don't know.

    ReplyDelete