The Menino Legacy

With nothing much to crow about under his belt for his mayoral tenure, Hizzoner Tom Menino has sandwiched his year with two pronouncements no one was prepared for - the first being a solicitation to build a 1,000 ft. skyscraper just outside the Financial District, and the second a radical idea that will undoubtedly change the landscape of the city of Boston: selling Boston City Hall and the Plaza, and relocating the central government of the city to Drydock Four, near Southie (I used to call this area Southie, but I've been advised otherwise by J.O.). Whether this change is for good or bad remains to be seen. Boston City Hall and the Plaza have been the butt of jokes and the target of critics' wrath since it was built in 1969. Certainly it's a product of the era and has not withstood the test of time very well, but I've come to enjoy the building. A piece in the Globe this morning says it well:

"Those who admire the building sometimes argue that architecture doesn't have to be beautiful to be great. For them, City Hall is an ugly, wonderful, powerful, unforgettable building."

I agree with pchippy when he says that mostly what needs to be added to the plaza to make it more hospitable is an abundance of trees and benches, and that City Hall would look much better and more alive if its exterior walls were crawling with ivy. The original plans for a basement (or even ground floor) beerhall could be brought back to life and people would have a reason for being on the plaza that didn't have to do with paying their parking tickets or changing their place of residence with the Elections Office.

Aside from the fact that Menino has staked a lot of political capital on making the land south of Fort Point Channel into a bustling metropolis, it doesn't make much practical or aesthetic sense to move City Hall over to that neighborhood. Being centrally located is what makes City Hall so accessible to the public, and that's what a city hall should be about. It's easier for people to get their business done in the city, and it gives the impression that the mayor would like to hear from his constituents. His idea to move to a spot on the fringe of the city tells me on of two things:

1. Menino doesn't want to hear from his constituents.
2. Menino doesn't have any idea how ill-equipped the Silver Line is to take the heralded hordes to Drydock Four, and how long that trip will be for most people in our fair city (or if he does know this, please see #1).

Before I go on, I need to say that I'm going to create what I think is a new abbreviation...in the spirit of SoWa and NoHa, I'll be calling this new, bustling part of town...SoFoPo (for South of Fort Point). Not that I like these abbreviations (I don't), but it makes it easier to type. And it's not Southie, after all. Please, let the flames fly for my transgression!

Now that the new ICA has opened (and it's fantastic, you should all go see it, experience it, see the water views, etc. - totally phenomenal), the doorways have publicly opened for more rapid development of SoFoPo. And Menino claims that the city workers and constituents drawn to City Hall will be a huge boon to the activity in the area, and a whole new world in Boston will be open to everyone. I disagree. Maybe the Mayor has never heard of the Financial District? It's a beautiful part of town, with some gorgeous skyscrapers and undoubtedly majestic residences, but it's dead after 6 pm or so. I don't think it's far-fetched to say that the same thing could occur in SoFoPo, only it would be much less reachable by your average T passenger. Which I guess is what it all comes down to: it's insane to move City Hall to such a remote place in the city that, unless you have a car, bike, or enjoy walking a lot, would only be directly reachable by a bus. The only conclusion I can come to from Menino's Radical Plan is that he wants to be secluded from your average Bostonian, have a water view, and take a look at the ICA during his lunch breaks. Ultimately, it would be shameful for the city to undertake this project, and I hope it meets a timely death.

Mayor Says He'll Build Waterfront City Hall (Boston Globe, 12/13/06)

Opportunity In Two Prime Urban Centers (Boston Globe, 12/13/06)