Downtown Crossing/Financial District | Discussion

The Herald said:
Retailers: Don?t change Downtown Crossing name
By Scott Van Voorhis/ Special retail report
Boston Herald Business Reporter
Thursday, November 16, 2006 - Updated: 01:14 AM EST

Downtown Crossing retailers and shop owners are rallying to save the district?s name as City Hall weighs adopting a new moniker for the struggling shopping mecca.
Anne Meyers, president of the Downtown Crossing Assocation, said she has been flooded with calls from retailers opposed to the change.
The outpouring of concern followed a Herald report on Sunday that a marketing consultant hired by City Hall is studying whether a new name could help revitalize an area hit with the loss of key anchor stores.
The first call came in at her home shortly after 8 a.m. Sunday, Meyers said.
?They have invested a lot of time and energy and money on that identity, that they are such and such at Downtown Crossing,? Meyers said. ?It?s like saying it?s not going to be the Back Bay anymore.?
?Nobody called to say they loved it,? Meyers said.
The name Downtown Crossing itself dates at least to the 1970s and the administration of former Mayor Kevin White, who closed much of the area to traffic in a bid to create a pedestrian-friendly shopping district.
But city officials are now considering an array of changes as part of a broad effort to remarket the flagging retail district.
The city hired marketing consultant, Maureen Atkinson, who has acknowledged that a name change is among the ideas being explored, but has stressed that the discussions are still preliminary.
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The Herald said:
Crossing planners aim for ?quality?: Combine shopping and leisure
By Donna Goodison
Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Consultants developing an identity and branding strategy for Boston?s Downtown Crossing unveiled their proposed vision yesterday: an expanded pedestrian-only retail and leisure zone that serves as ?Boston?s meeting place.?
Although they see opportunities for more upscale stores in Downtown Crossing?s 1.4 million square feet of retail space, upscale wouldn?t define the overall district, said Maureen Atkinson, senior partner at Urban Marketing Collaborative, the Toronto consultants tapped by the Boston Redevelopment Authority. ?But we do want quality retail,? Atkinson said. ?Quality doesn?t mean it has to be expensive.?
The pedestrian zone, which would be strictly enforced, would allow for outdoor cafes and retail that spills into the street. The enlarged zone would include Washington Street from Temple Street to Milk Street; Winter Street; Bromfield Street; and portions of Summer and Franklin streets.
Curbs would be removed, and roadways would be recovered with decorative pavers. After early-morning delivery hours, electric bollards would rise from below ground to prevent cars from entering the area, traversed by 100,000-plus people each day.
Places where people can ?stop and look,? such as the paved areas outside Borders bookstore and next to the Filene?s building, also would be enhanced. ?We?re trying to slow people down,? said Randi Lathrop, the BRA?s deputy director of community planning. ?A lot of people walk through the Crossing, but they don?t shop in the Crossing.?
Pedicabs and a bike corral where people could lock bikes, get them repaired or rent them are under consideration.
The consultants developed their proposal after surveying Downtown Crossing stakeholders and people who frequent the area.
They delineated three districts within Downtown Crossing to determine where new businesses would best fit. The central district, where H&M and Macy?s are located, was identified as the mainstream retail area. ?We also see the opportunity to do things like a food market and wonderful restaurants there,? Atkinson said.
The north district, likened to Carnaby Street in London, is more historic and eclectic with smaller upscale retailers and restaurants. The south district, which abuts the Theatre District, was compared to Toronto?s King Street East design district.
?This is the innovative, funky district where things like a learning center could go,? Atkinson said.
The idea for a learning center came from London?s Idea Centers. Located in shopping areas, they combine retail, learning and cultural attractions with services usually associated with libraries, such as book and DVD borrowing.
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cross_ltp02282007.jpg

There are two larger renderings in today's paper if somebody has access to a scanner.
 
The Globe said:
Pedestrian-centric plan for downtown
Consultants add cafes, limit cars

By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff | February 28, 2007

Consultants hired to help remake Downtown Crossing are proposing to expand the pedestrian-centered shopping district while creating an oasis replete with sidewalk cafes, bicycle taxis, and a fresh-foods market similar to Harrods Food Hall in London

The multimillion dollar plan calls for closing parts of Bromfield and Franklin streets to vehicles, eliminating curbs throughout the pedestrian area, and installing barricades to restrict traffic. Washington Street, the axis of Downtown Crossing, is already closed to most vehicles.

"We want to open up the area as much as possible to pedestrians and create a meeting place for people to stop, shop, and spend their money in Downtown Crossing," said Maureen C. Atkinson, senior partner at Urban Marketing Collaborative. Last fall, the Boston Redevelopment Authority hired the Toronto firm to devise a plan for the area.

Downtown Crossing, the area around the intersection of Washington, Winter, and Summer streets, was once the city's retail mecca. But it faces big challenges.

It has, for instance, lost two of its biggest retailers in the past year, Filene's and Barnes & Noble. And the owners of Filene's Basement, the district's top tourist attraction, plan to shutter the store by fall for at least two years while the building in which it's housed undergoes major renovations.

For years, Downtown Crossing has struggled to keep pace with other retail areas around Boston, despite daily pedestrian traffic of more than 100,000 people.

The consultants said they considered options that included opening Downtown Crossing to automobile traffic -- a move that has worked in other cities -- but decided to preserve the pedestrian mall because of its heavy foot traffic, increasing residential density, and the convergence of subway lines.

"Over time, the pedestrian aspect has been frittered away -- with delivery vehicles all times of the day and curbs everywhere," said Chris Beynon , principal and director of planning and design services for MIG, another consulting firm working on the project. "Our strategy is to make it a true, robust pedestrian area."

The consultants developed their plan over the past few months after interviewing hundreds of merchants, residents, developers, and city officials.

Envisioned are open-air restaurants and upscale retail space on the north side of Downtown Crossing, with the central part anchored by Macy's and a food hall. South of that the consultants propose a library and meeting space as well as a home furnishings store, such as the Japanese merchant Muji, which sells furniture, office supplies, and apparel.

The consultants have not approached retailers yet, but hope to hold a meeting with potential tenants.

They expect to present a plan in May that outlines what would be needed to go forward, if the plan wins enough support.

"There's no doubt there needs to be more money spent in Downtown Crossing," said Ron Druker , a Boston real estate developer who owns property there.

"There needs to be enhanced maintenance, replacement, and reconfiguration of the streets to make it more pedestrian-friendly. This vision makes a lot of sense. The biggest challenge now is figuring out the financial vehicle to make this all happen."

Jenn Abelson can be reached at abelson@globe.com.
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Hmmm ...

Hmmm. The artist's rendering isn't quite accurate.

Where are the gangs of thuggish kids lurking in the middle of the street?
 
Well at least they included a guy in a tuxedo playing the violin. DC has so many of those you have to keep ducking so as to not get poked in the eye by all the sawing bows.
 
I'd actually prefer him to the guy in tux. I bet he plays better music. Plus he just looks 8).
 
statler said:
I'd actually prefer him to the guy in tux. I bet he plays better music. Plus he just looks 8).
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I dunno.. Just from my own observations, bearded crazy-looking old men tend to be pretty good violinists...
 
Roxxma said:
I dunno.. Just from my own observations, bearded crazy-looking old men tend to be pretty good violinists...
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The dude's a Gypsy! All the cool cities have Gypsys. Boston needs more Gypsys! :D
 
Boston needs more Gypsys!
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Amen to that! I think a Gypsy School of Music anchoring Downtown Crossing would work quite well, old and young alike dancing in the streets!

But seriously, I support any plan that will increase and more strictly enforce the pedestrian zone. I really don't understand why pedestrian only streets haven't been embraced in American cities, they work wonders in Europe! And what better place than Boston, with its narrow and twisty streets that no one likes to drive down anyway.
They also seem to have the right idea with attracting quality but not exclusively high-end retail. A good mix of retail brings a good mix of people, although some on this forum would disagree.
 
Any historians out there?

When I was a kid, we traipsed from the suburbs into Jordan Marsh's because there was no where else to buy clothes. We fought the traffic, the littered streets, the grime and the crowds. This was before the concept of the "shopping experience."
When they created "Downtown Crossing" it was out of sheer desperation. Suburban malls, urban crime, the perception that downtown was dead and the closing of many old-time shops and department stores all contributed to the decline of the area.
Now that the city has long removed all the benches from Summer St., the highly touted Franklin St. T station area has been derelict for years, and the larger dept. stores are closing, it's time to open the streets to traffic and entirely rethink the concept of a downtown shopping district. What we need here is a true NEIGHBORHOOD.
Fine, have a couple of dept. stores, a supermarket similar to the one at the Pru, lots of small shops and decent restaurants (not just fast food please!) as can exist and redevelop the entire area for affordable and market-rate residences, elderly housing, and LOTS of hotels, large and small, affordable and high-end. And please don't complain about the lack of parking, the traffic noise, etc. It's all part of the urban LIVING EXPERIENCE.
It's time to return the area back to the 18th and early 19th century, when Washington St. and environs was primarily residential, filled with homes, small businesses and gardens. Let's get off the idea that Boston needs a "Downtown Crossing." The neighborhoods and other areas of downtown already have plenty of shopping opportunities.
 
Perhaps ...

I guess car-free promenades work in some places. In others, they ruin everything.

Ever noticed how often people are walking through Downtown Crossing, and still stay on the sidewalks, even when nary a car is in sight?

It's a force of habit.

Sounds as though whichever way they decide, some will be unhappy.
 
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it's time to open the streets to traffic
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I don't see how that accomplishes anything....

It's time to return the area back to the 18th and early 19th century, when Washington St. and environs was primarily residential, filled with homes, small businesses and gardens. Let's get off the idea that Boston needs a "Downtown Crossing." The neighborhoods and other areas of downtown already have plenty of shopping opportunities.
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Cities, just like pretty much everything else in the world, tend to change over time. You can't expect to have a 19th century Boston full of homes and small businesses 100+ years later. In fact, that's the source of many of Boston's problems, the city tends to dwell in the past, and that doesn't get us anywhere. This attitude is what keeps the city from accepting contemporary architecture, more height, and anything that isn't brick.

The era of department stores that you remember is over. It's good that the city is looking for a new future at DTX, and not simply giving up. The trend is starting to lean back towards cities, and this is an effort to usher it in faster. Downtowns are meant to be the center, both economic and cultural, of an urban area, and I see no problem with the city trying to reach that goal.
 
Ever noticed how often people are walking through Downtown Crossing, and still stay on the sidewalks, even when nary a car is in sight?
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Yeah, you're right about that. But if they take away the curbs like the plan calls for, then I'm sure people will start to properly spill into the street.
 
Re: Any historians out there?

Padre Mike said:
Now that the city has long removed all the benches from Summer St., the highly touted Franklin St. T station area has been derelict for years
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This may change now that the Franklin Street headhouse is used as an entrance and not just an exit. (One of the benefits of the new Charlie system.)

it's time to open the streets to traffic and entirely rethink the concept of a downtown shopping district....
It's time to return the area back to the 18th and early 19th century, when Washington St. and environs was primarily residential
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You contradict yourself here, because the 18th and 19th century city didn't have automobile traffic. It was primarily a pedestrian city.
 
Nothing ...

Just hadn't noticed you posting for the past several days.
 
To Lexicon:

My issue is not literally to return to 100+ years ago, but to bring back the mix that existed back then, which hopefully would include high rises and contemporary architecture. I am not, as historians are wont to be characterized, someone who necessarily wants more brick in Boston! Indeed, there are many beautiful non-brick buildings in DC, ranging from Beaux Art to Art Deco. I love, for instance, the Vornado Gp. proposal for Filenes.
 
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