Quincy Center Redevelopment

Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

briv thanks for that great tour! I think we need to start a campaign to save Quincy Center. This isn't one building we are talking about, like SC&L, this is an entire neighborhood the developer wants to turn into a mall.

The key here will be to propose a better development, not just yell about what we don't like. Sure some of those buildings are clunkers but the basic fabric is sound and shouldn't be messed with. We should figure out how to best infill the area so the new development grows on the basic roots that are there.

Have there been any reactions in the Globe or Quincy paper(s)? What are the Quincy paper(s)?
 
Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

^ Right on, Ron !
 
Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

The Quincy newspaper is the Patriot Ledger. Since I don't live anywhere near there, I don't know what they've been writing about this.

Developers wanted to do a wholesale makeover of Davis Square when the Red Line came in, complete with towers. Organized neighborhood opposition (what some of you would call 'NIMBYs') prevented that, preserving the neighborhood fabric everyone loves today.
 
Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

Mayor Koch blogging on Ledger?s new Develop Quincy site

Mayor Thomas Koch has begun blogging on the Develop Quincy, the Ledger?s web site devoted to ongoing coverage of the $1 billion plan to overhaul the downtown.

?This project will be the largest private investment in Quincy history, and by the same token, this will be the most extensive public process for any project in Quincy history,? Koch writes in his inaugural blog posting.

?A major part of that process is listening directly to you, our residents. This is your downtown, and we want to hear your ideas, your concerns, and help answer any questions you may have.?

On the subject of taking on such an ambitious project in the worst economy in at least 15 years, the mayor says, ?Opportunities are often born from crisis,? he writes.

?This is Quincy?s economic stimulus plan.?
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Link

Tell us what you think comments section is full of the usual crappy comments but most people seem to agree on one thing: Quincy Center needs a ton of work.

The problem I see is that no one knows what the right kind of work is. The mayor is just gunning for anything to stick his name on and the developer just wants to make money. We need to point these people in the right direction.
 
Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

I actually like this part:

Street-Works?s plan includes more green space, wider sidewalks and a mix of retail, residential and office development. While Hancock Street would be rerouted to make it more pedestrian-friendly, other, deeply rooted elements in the city ? like the Church of the Presidents, the cemetery and City Hhall ? have been incorporated into the design.
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Quincy-center-green.jpg


Then there is this map which I feel is dangerously vague:

Quincy-center-DIF-map.gif


Link
 
Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

I'd rather see the parking lots developed first and allow the less aesthetically pleasing one story buildings on Hancock redevelop organically. I don't like the result that most of these massive, all at once, developments achieve; it's usually boring uniformity.

If you infuse the area with market rate residences and office space which should fill up quickly given the relative safety and the preexisting transit oriented nature of the location. The existing human scale of Hancock makes it even more likely to blossom when proper development occurs around it. With smart planning and adjacent development, the lesser one story structures on Hancock would eventually be replaced (over a longer period of time) one by one providing variation in style which I would much prefer to uniform mass development. There's no need to rush the Hancock Street portion of the development since proper scale already exists.

P.S. Anyone know if there are some nicer, older facades hiding under some of the ugly facades in the photos? Some of them look like they may have been face-lifted.
 
Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

From that wonderful tour it looks like all the one and two story buildings could be removed without any loss and great possible gain. Of course it depends on what they replace it with and I just have no faith that it will be anything good. The odds of them building a fine-grained urban center all at once like we all love seems all but impossible and we will probably end up with the only thing anyone seems capable of building these days, an office park.
 
Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

If it were my development, the first thing I'd build is a parking garage, to free up all the land area of those surface parking lots.
 
Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

This is a very bad idea that happens to have a couple good ideas sprinkled in it. I don't get the mass redevelopment thing. Fix the parking lots see what happens
 
Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

Ron Newman said:
If it were my development, the first thing I'd build is a parking garage, to free up all the land area of those surface parking lots.
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There is already a parking garage in place between Hancock St and Burgin Parkway. It's scheduled to be torn down to make way for the connector between Burgin Parkway and Route 3A (which has been in the planning stages for 40 years).
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Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

Well that makes no sense at all. Why is this connector 'needed' by anyone?
 
Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

They're not removing streets, just making one pedestrian-only. And in the process they're simplifying traffic movements. Seems like a win-win to me.
 
Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

cden4 said:
They're not removing streets, just making one pedestrian-only. And in the process they're simplifying traffic movements. Seems like a win-win to me.
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Agreed. This is one part of the project I actually like.
 
Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

czsz said:
This is just superblockification.
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Is superblockification necessarily bad? I don't see much wrong with this example.
 
Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

It doesn't really change much at all, except the street, which is definitely a plus. Will the T connection actually happen (or is it already there, I'm not familiar enough with the area)? And a new hotel? can't hurt, but I kind of doubt it would be very successful.
 
Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

I got a flyer in the mail today with information about the project. They are having several community meetings in April, and of course the one for my Ward was last week.

They have a website: http://www.newquincycenter.com but it's just a placeholder until May 1st.
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Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

Is this related?

Quincy, Mass. project gets $8.1m in stimulus funds

A plan to redevelop downtown Quincy is getting an $8.1 million boost in federal stimulus money.

Gov. Deval Patrick and Congressman Bill Delahunt announced today a grant that will help the second phase of a project meant to make improvements on Revere Road, an east-west connector road that will tie together the Quincy downtown area.

The project includes the reconstruction and realignment of 1,900 feet of roadway and the demolition of a city-owned building. The roadway will eventually connect a bridge to provide motorist and pedestrian access over the rail corridor.

The Quincy downtown area has long been separated by a north-south rail corridor.

Patrick said in a statement the project will "unlock economic development opportunities." (AP)
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http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2009/12/quincy_mass_pro.html
 
Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

Yea they've been working on this for some time. The city owned building is the old movie theater (and old RMV) if anybody knows it. They already demolished some other smaller building across the street back in March maybe
 
Re: $1 billion development proposed to reshape downtown Quincy

Can someone do something with the spaces that have been burnt out for at least five years (?) now? I'd be happy to see something done with that stretch.

Only looked superficially at the project so far. There are definitely some pluses, like getting rid of the massive parking lots, but I'm not a huge fan of some things, like the big box stores over the parking garage that exists where the RMV used to be.

That said, I think they should largely leave Hancock St largely alone aside from some piece-meal projects. As some have mentioned, with investment elsewhere in the area, the street will follow, but placing large office blocks will kill some of the diversity of the street.
 
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