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Faneuil Hall Marketplace operator gets BRA nod for open-floor-plan idea
By adamg on Thu, 07/16/2015 - 10:39pm
The BRA board today approved Ashkenazy Acquisition's general "vision plan" for how to turn Faneuil Hall Marketplace into a destination that attracts not only rich tourists but local residents and visitors of more moderate means - in part by making the historic buildings at the core of the marketplace as much a part of visitors' experience as the stores and food.
At a presentation before the board, Ashkenazy Executive Vice President Barry Lustig described opening up the inside of the Quincy Market building to expose the architectural details now hidden by all the ovens and storage areas of the linear food-stall "colonnade" and create "an open, free-spirited market vs. the linear approach it is today."
Yet at the same time, Lustig said, "it is absolutely our intention to retain as many of the current food operators as possible, although he was unable to give an exact answer as to how they could keep going while the building is renovated and the current stalls removed - the "vision plan" does not have the specific details of just what the company, which leases the marketplace from the city, will do.
And while Ashkenazy is looking at national and international retailers, he said the company is looking to keep the same ratio of local-to-chain concerns as it has now; local is one of the things that will continue to keep the marketplace unique.
Other renovations to the Quincy Market building include a 185-195-room hotel, and renting a large part of the second floor to Uniqlo - a Japanese clothing vendor he says gets the historic nature of the marketplace; it won't for example, be hanging clothing off the walls, but will instead expose the walls and columns that make the building unique.
Lustig said Ashkenazy wants to turn the marketplace into a destination for all the Bostonians who now wouldn't be caught dead there. Part of this will be turning the Chatham and Clinton sides of the marketplace from ugly service entrances and uninviting walls into more vibrant parts of the marketplace; part will be through such small but vital touches as chess sets and ping-pong tables.
Ashkenazy will also create foot- and wheelchair-friendly pathways to supplement the rough-hewn and ankle-twisting bricks that now make up much of the space between the marketplace buildings. The marketplace will also get new lighting, directional signs and trees, he said.
Board member Ted Landsmark voted for the broad vision, but said he would love to see Ashkenazy how to move beyond the historic nature of the buildings and somehow highlight that "Boston as a living, evolving city that is full of creative people."
Neighborhoods:
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Comments
A190 room hotel will markedly
A190 room hotel will markedly change the historic building. Why would the BRA approve this part of the plan?
Like Mahty Walsh...
They do as they're told.
Will they keep the historic
Will they keep the historic nature of the market and hang poor people on hooks in the windows?
Is it really such a failure now?
Every time I go there the place is packed. And I could swear I once heard it's one of the most visited tourist attractions in the country.
There really isn't that much else to do here.
The tourism epicenter follows the waterfront from the Aquarium to the old Navy Yard.
Where else are they going to go? The rest of the city is set up for business, residential or ostentation shopping along Newbury.
I like the idea of making
I like the idea of making Chatham and Clinton streets more appealing but putting down a couple chess boards won't do it. Clinton has a huge gross parking garage and Chatham is filled with horse crap and delivery vehicles. I guess the horse crap is historically accurate but the trucks, not so much.
'' Clinton has a huge gross
'' Clinton has a huge gross parking garage and Chatham is filled with horse crap and delivery vehicles. I guess the horse crap is historically accurate but the trucks, not so much.''
Logistics is the management of the flow of things between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet requirements of customers or corporations.
As much as locals make fun of it
do they really never go there? Admittedly, I'm a transplant (and I know many of you are too), but would consider myself a local (NOT read: native) at this point. I go there often enough for a few places in the food court (The mac and cheese place and the Prime Shoppe are wonderful, and they have the only Steve's Greek left), one of the better Newbury Comics locations, GAP, and some of the pop up shops (There's currently a Foo Fighters one there if you're a fan).
I love some of the new ideas, including highlighting the architecture, making it more walkable, and the game lounge idea which appears to be in "beta" right now. I just hope it doesn't become like another Pru/Copley Place, i.e. mirroring retail development with the city's housing development for a "luxuriously innovative" experience.
I really never go there
Why? Because there's about a billion better places to eat in the rest of the city.
I'm not saying there aren't
But if you're in the area and want something quick, there are some really great options. I supposed there's also a difference between locals going there on occasion and it being a destination.
Here's what I get from this...
Blah, blah, blah...We're taking out the food stalls and putting in a hotel
Blah, blah, blah...We're removing a bunch of the cobblestones
Blah, blah, blah...We're making a bunch of promises and not providing any real details except that there will be ping pong and chess.
I tell you, they are going to f*ck this place up.
How did this private company come to run the show anyway?
Was there a bid process? Does the agreement ever expire? And does the city get a share of the rents/profits or what?
Neoliberal privatization strikes again.
And what is interesting is the absence of annual revenue stats online. There's probably a query that'll work.
The middleman company kicks 23 percent of rent money to the city. This still looks a lot like Ashkenazy suits made overly optimistic calculations of their take and are now scrambling to find ways to increase it.
It's also interesting that the prior middleman outfit initially signed a 99 year lease. I wonder why it was terminated? The years following 2007 have also seen a decline in frivolous money squandering.
Probably
I don't know how you make an "open market" idea from the single hall of food places that are there now without kicking out all the people there now. The "open market" is going to mean little-to-no prep area and kitchens, which means food is brought in pre-prepared or just assembled at the counters or made using fast-food compact convection microwave ovens. Most of those places have a back half that lets them make their food on-site, like having a series of food trucks parked next to each other. Take that away to "open up the space" and their whole concept is going to have to grow wheels.
Completely unrelated, but...
Yesterday a woman asked me what direction to walk to get to Quincy Market. We were standing outside Quincy Center Station. Her confusion as I tried to explain that QM is in Boston, not Quincy the city, was a highlight in my otherwise boring week.
surreal experience of political maneuvers
As a bystander at last night's meeting I was actually amused by the non-actions of the BRA. Most of them looked at their cell phones when presentations were conducted. Brian Golden never looked up once at any of the speakers and his position is as director of the BRA really? The article published in the globe was indeed timely. The only thing the BRA accomplishes is rubbing stamping every project that comes across its table. Marty Walsh says just do it and like sheep they follow. You read and hear about corrupt governments and political maneuvering all the time but to actually see it happen before your eyes is surreal. Interestingly enough Ashkenasky's general Manager at Faneuil Hall Marketplace is a former BRA employee. Coincidentally, Ashkenasky hired Paul Barrett formerly with the BRA and currently embroiled in a tax evasion mess with the IRS for non-payment of taxes to lead the charge in getting a yes vote from the current BRA board. All the cronies were together again at lastnight's meeting. It was truly a love fest of handshakes and hugs. The construction currently taking place at Quincy Market for Uniqlo, a Japanese retailer who basically in my opinion sells terrible cheap, cheap clothes has destroyed the historical integrity of the federal landmark. The construction team has ignored the Boston Landmarks Commision's guidelines for what can not be constructed in the building. They have destroyed original walls and fixtures all in attempt to satisfy Uniqlo's modernization. Clearly the entire market needs to be upgraded and most of Ashkenasky's vision is wonderful however it should not come at the expense of Quincy Market's original aesthetics or its current LOCAL tenants. Let's see if Ashkenasky keeps its promise to keep 70% of the current local tenants. I guess only time will tell.
Well said..
thanks for posting.
Excellent report
Nothing we'd ever get from our local (reputed) major new sources.