Rose Kennedy Greenway

The Boston Globe said:
But many of the cultural institutions that were planned for the Greenway have either died or are stalled, including a so-called Garden under Glass near South Station and a local history museum opposite Faneuil Hall. The institutions have had trouble raising money, especially to cover the higher cost of building over the newly submerged interstate and its ramps.
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Were the laws of engineering or economics different ten years ago?

FAIL.
 
"Tax funding would need approval from both the city and the state. Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said he would back an improvement district because building owners would be helping to maintain a park system that has dramatically increased their property values."

Not sure if this guy knows what is going on with the economy but property values are plummeting, Commercial rents are dropping and our Mayor wants to raise taxes on our business's......LOL
Our public leaders truly small brains hard at work
 
One of the major problems with the Greenway is a lack of abutting businesses to engage the space and draw people to utilize it. Levying a tax on surrounding commercial real estate (in this economy of all times) is only going to drive stores, restaurants, and office tenants, away from an area which sorely needs them.

Additionally: If the Kennedys are are so saintly and beloved as all the politicians and the media make them out to be, why hasn't the family stepped in with funding? There's been no consideration of a privately funded Edward Kennedy library (you know those things filled with books the city government seems to hate) or educational center on a parcel which would be a far better location than the JFK library.
 
How about turning the parcel closest to South Station into a beer garden? We don't have one in Boston and this would be an excellent place to try it.

Were the laws of engineering or economics different ten years ago?
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To some extent, yes. The economics of a boom time (when the Greenway was conceived and largely built) are different from that of the current recessionary period.
 
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Below is a letter to the editor of the Boston Globe in response to its flawed assertion that the Greenway Conservancy needs more money in its article, ?Greenway funds fall short as costs rise? by Casey Ross.

Matt Conti
http://www.NorthEndWaterfront.com

The Greenway Conservancy?s Money Trees

The April 19th Boston Globe article, ?Greenway funds fall short as costs rise,? fails to acknowledge that the Greenway Conservancy spends more than 15 times what is necessary to manage the park. According to its own benchmarking consulting study, the Conservancy spends $250,000 per acre as compared to a ?regular? park that would cost only $15,000/acre. These ?regular? parks include the Esplanade, Boston Common and the Public Garden. I have attended every Greenway Conservancy and Leadership Council meeting in the past two years. Never before have I witnessed such wasteful spending nor lack of transparency. The organization needs to stop its excessive spending, cut costs and increase transparency to gain the public?s trust.

One of the Greenway Conservancy?s largest costs is executive salaries. Nancy Brennan, the Conservancy?s Executive Director, cries poor in the Globe article yet takes home a $225,000 compensation package according to IRS filings. This is more than the Governor and many times that of a park-related manager. With several other 6-figure executives walking their halls, it is no wonder the Conservancy is quickly burning through its generous taxpayer funds. The Conservancy has been stashing much of its funding into a rainy day reserve fund that exceeds $12 million. The assertion, courtesy of Ms. Brennan, that the Greenway is running out of money is not only unfounded, it is ridiculous.

The good news is that MassDOT and the State have woken up to these facts because they are tired of cutting every other budget line item, many of which involve much more important municipal services. The State?s funding of the Greenway Conservancy is a luxury in a time when libraries are being closed and every other public service is being cut back. Park experts know that it does not cost $8 million/year to manage less than 20 acres. By the Conservancy?s own numbers, the State could maintain the parks for less than $1 million/year, even with the special features and fountains.

The legislators that created the Conservancy were certainly looking for something more than a regular park but they had no idea how ineffective an organization they created. The Conservancy staff was hired to raise private funds, which they have failed to do. The economy has hurt charitable giving, but the Conservancy should take some of the blame for failing to bring private donors to their cause. The Conservancy has also failed to rally the volunteer community. Master gardeners have appeared at several public meetings offering dozens of eager volunteers, yet are turned away because of disagreements with the Conservancy.

In my neighborhood, the North End Greenway parks get some community use, but not nearly as much as Christopher Columbus Park, Langone Park or DeFillipo Park (the Gassy). Why? These ?regular? parks are integrated into the neighborhood fabric with community activities and local groups. Contrary to that goal, the Conservancy is spending $250,000 on ?branding signage? to separate itself from the surrounding areas. Its staff mostly works on its own programming and events that are distinct from what is going on in the neighborhood. Much to their chagrin, the most successful events are community-focused such as storytelling, fitness activities and family games which cost next to nothing. The out-of-state visitors they prefer, tend not to linger but pass through quickly after wondering why they paid $3 per person for an extremely short carousel ride.

Talk of new ?revenue sources? as mentioned in the Globe article is concerning because it is could inhibit the public use of the parks. The Conservancy has a basic conflict that encourages it to ?rent the parks? and raise money to fund itself.

A lack of trust in the Conservancy comes from its limited transparency. Unlike a public agency, there are minimal financial details disclosed about its operations. This is despite the fact that most of their funding (over $15 million) has come from the public. The volunteer Greenway Leadership Council (GLC) has helped pierce the veil a bit, but its advisory role gives it no real power.

Everyone wants the Greenway to be successful. Unfortunately, the Greenway trees don?t grow enough money to keep up with the Conservancy?s spending. The organization needs to learn financial discipline, cut its costs and operate more efficiently. The State needs to remind the Conservancy that these are public parks, funded with public money. Paying themselves to pursue foolish dreams or renting the parks for fees is not in the public?s interest.
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I'm going to be there.

Does anyone know if there are any rules about coolers/chairs/blankets, etc on the Greenway? I checked the website, but couldn't find anything.
 
TMBG did the Dunkin' Donuts commercials awhile ago, didn't they?
 
kennedy said:
TMBG did the Dunkin' Donuts commercials awhile ago, didn't they?
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The artistic highpoint of their ignoble career...

Full disclosure: I'm a real friggin' snob where Boston music is concerned.
 
Just back from the concert. The Greenway was quite full of people, and I really liked the stage location, which was framed by Rowes Wharf on the left and International Place on the right. The Greenway should consider erecting a permanent stage here for daily late-night use during warm weather months.
 
^^Hahahah good luck getting that by the Harbor Tower residents!

This is Boston, keep the nightlife in Allston and Brighton.
 
CLEARLY photoshopped. I know this because of the location and having seen the Greenway quite a few times.
 
^^Believe me, I didn't post those pictures to sell anyone on the Greenway. You can find pictures of City Hall Plaza with twice as many people packed in. The occasional crowd does not a good urban space make.
 
But what if you could make it an every-day crowd (at least every good weather day)? It's nice to have an outdoor alternative to the Hatch Shell, and one where events can run much much later into the night. It is also a much more pleasant place for them than City Hall Plaza.

(The pictures were not photoshopped. I was at the event too, though I didn't knowingly run into statler)
 
I've been using photoshop as part on my profession for over 13 years and I see nothing in those shots that says they were manipulated.
 
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