The New Retail Thread

So I stumbled upon this by accident while looking for the official name of the "Washington Mall" (brick pedestrian area between Staples and 28 State leading to City Hall/CHP). I remember seeing something about this a few years back, but I guess it's actually happening and it's close top opening.

Apparently the Boston Wax Museum is opening at "1 Washington Mall" This summer: https://www.facebook.com/bostonwaxmuseum/ (official site under construction: http://bostonwaxmuseum.com/)

This is the spot that I think was a gym until about 6 or so months ago (right on the corner across from City Hall- Staples is on the 2nd floor). I'm no fan of wax museums, but I'm excited at the prospect of something like this activating the space a bit.
 
Lrfox said:
Apparently the Boston Wax Museum is opening at "1 Washington Mall" This summer: https://www.facebook.com/bostonwaxmuseum/ (official site under construction: http://bostonwaxmuseum.com/)
Click to expand...

Why put "1 Washington Mall" in quotation marks? It's a regular freestanding office tower, just like 28 State St. and all the abutting buildings. Doors, floors, rooftop, tenants, everything. Admittedly, it's a weird-sounding name--but it's also certainly accurate in terms of the original, pre-WWII era definition of what constitutes a "mall."

https://www.emporis.com/buildings/119197/one-washington-mall-boston-ma-usa
 
Disappointed with the location of the wax museum. Itfthis was in the downtown crossing or the Theater district. It would have been a home run adding to the nightlife foot traffic.
 
DBM said:
Why put "1 Washington Mall" in quotation marks? It's a regular freestanding office tower, just like 28 State St. and all the abutting buildings. Doors, floors, rooftop, tenants, everything. Admittedly, it's a weird-sounding name--but it's also certainly accurate in terms of the original, pre-WWII era definition of what constitutes a "mall."

https://www.emporis.com/buildings/119197/one-washington-mall-boston-ma-usa
Click to expand...

I get it. I just don't know that many people identify that spot as 1 Washington Mall the same way they would, say, 1 Beacon Street. It fits the definition of a mall and that's the actual address, but to many people, that's just a spot on the edge of City Hall Plaza. If you said 1 Washington Mall to almost anyone not as interested in Boston's built environment as we are, you probably would get some blank stares.

ShawnA said:
Disappointed with the location of the wax museum. Itfthis was in the downtown crossing or the Theater district. It would have been a home run adding to the nightlife foot traffic.
Click to expand...

I disagree. I like the location for this type of thing (which i'll likely never set foot in). For starters, I don't think the wax museum will be doing much for nightlife foot traffic anywhere since it's almost certainly going to be a daytime destination. I also think it's probably the best type of activation for this space you could have. A museum that will likely be on every tourist brochure and hotel room guide to the city is a destination people will seek out, unlike most retail spots which require visibility and foot traffic. This should help boost foot traffic in the immediate area and should pull from Faneuil Hall Across the street. I don't know if the impact will be dramatic, but having another attraction a stone's throw away shouldn't hurt the Quaker Lane/Congress Square retail either. This is right where the city hall food trucks assemble too. So maybe it'll mean more than 2 or 3 on a given day.
 
Have you been to the Wax Museum in New York or LA? They both add to the nightlife foot traffic. Even the North Station Complex would have been a better location for this.
 
ShawnA said:
Have you been to the Wax Museum in New York or LA? They both add to the nightlife foot traffic. Even the North Station Complex would have been a better location for this.
Click to expand...

I've been to the New York location. It's open later than any of the others in the U.S. -- 10 p.m. The rest mostly close at 8 p.m. a couple close at 9 and DC closes at 6 (which is likely the best comparison to Boston). Again, these are predominantly daytime attractions. I don't see 42nd Street losing much of its nighttime foot traffic if Tussaud's closed all of a sudden.

FWIW, I'm not arguing that a wax museum wouldn't work in DTX (or N.Station, Faneuil Hall, etc.). I just completely disagree on what a wax museum open from 9am-8pm would do to improve a neighborhood's nightlife.
 
Lrfox said:
a destination people will seek out
Click to expand...

How much seeking out even has to occur when you've positioned yourself more-or-less directly on the Freedom Trail pathway? Seems they'd have to peel off such a small number of the massive hordes of FT visitors in order to be successful...
 
Anybody have an idea what retail rents are for seaport vs back bay? (ie newbury st, dtx, financial district)
 
Newbury is almost always $95-$120+ NNN. Boylston, can be similiar, but from my experience more in the $80-$100 range. ATT pays some absurd rate far above that as well.
 
DBM said:
How much seeking out even has to occur when you've positioned yourself more-or-less directly on the Freedom Trail pathway? Seems they'd have to peel off such a small number of the massive hordes of FT visitors in order to be successful...
Click to expand...

No, I agree that the location is perfect for this type of attraction. My point about "seeking it out" is that while this is right next to the FT, it's not directly on it, and it's out of the direct path for anyone going between Faneuil Hall and the Old State House. They've had a tough time keeping that corner spot occupied over the years, in part because it doesn't naturally get a ton of foot traffic directly in front of it. I don't know that something like a retail storefront or restaurant would be successful there. But a tourist trap like this right off the Freedom Trail will work. Especially if they throw some wax figures outside during the operating hours and slap ads all over brochures and hotel guides. I think it's a perfect spot.
 
falcon42 said:
Newbury is almost always $95-$120+ NNN. Boylston, can be similiar, but from my experience more in the $80-$100 range. ATT pays some absurd rate far above that as well.
Click to expand...

Thanks, what is the seaport?
 
BBJ article mentioning Bank of America is opening its first branch in the Seaport. Couldn't get far enough on the free version to see where. Anyone know?
 
falcon42 said:
BBJ article mentioning Bank of America is opening its first branch in the Seaport. Couldn't get far enough on the free version to see where. Anyone know?
Click to expand...

25 Northern Ave. in The Benjamin building.
 
Reebok has apparently opened a store in the South End on Tremont Street next to David's Tea.
 
I know this is old news, but the Primark expansion to the MT looks awesome. 3rd floor:

76B72026-C7B7-4425-942D-26244794F177_zpst7wyudkp.jpg
 
So glad they didn't wrap those beton brut columns in gyp. Sexy.
 
http://www.cambridgeday.com/2017/04...rs-tests-zoning-board-with-tardy-submissions/

If I were the business owner in this case, I'd be totally ready to pull my hair out. Between the Historical Commission, Zoning Commission, and Harvard Square Advisory Committee, it seems like the design is based on a lot of different opinions rather than on clearly defined design guidelines. Then throw in how they can be denied because there isn't a "need" for pizza in Harvard Square (how to prove this one way or the other, I have no idea), I'd probably just pack it in and try to open somewhere that is more business friendly.

I'm absolutely in favor of good design, and left to their own devices, many business owners will provide an inappropriate (out-of-context) design or use cheap materials, so having some kind of design approval process is definitely needed. However, the guidelines should be clearly laid out, and a design should be approved as long as they meed those guidelines. The committee or board can of course make additional suggestions, but approval should not depend on them.
 
Lrfox said:
I know this is old news, but the Primark expansion to the MT looks awesome. 3rd floor:

76B72026-C7B7-4425-942D-26244794F177_zpst7wyudkp.jpg
Click to expand...

That's also a great view of the former Barnes and Noble building. I hope they manage to somehow reclaim that horrible two-story base.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top