Nothing says "crap" quite like patchwork use of cheap-looking materials and mishmash of textures. "We built this using scrap materials leftover from 5 other projects.. think anyone would be able to tell?"
1) it's EVERETT (and not even near the Mystic Shoreline)
2) People were saying that when the Moakley Courthouse was built on the Fan Pier in 1999.
OF COURSE it's going to be desolate right now. Once thousands of people are living there, let's see whether restaurants/shops/services all of a sudden start proliferating. That's how it usually works. I can't wait to see. I'm grateful that someone planted this seed.