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March 02, 2004 - 09:04 PM
Michael J. Rossini from Quincy
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Hey folks, just wanted to brainstorm again on some thoughts I had for the city. Welcome to Part 3!
1.
Business Opportunities: The City of Quincy is strategically located to
major highways, we have hotels located just outside the center AND we
have a college, right in the center of our city. As a former employee
at Harvard University, I witnessed first hand the leveraging of such
great assets. The school uses its athletic & class room facilities
for non school related sporting and business activities, which generate
revenue streams for the school, the hotels, and all the area
restaurants, etc. Business seminars are booked in classrooms not being
used for day/night classes. sandwiches & food are catered in by
local businesses, shuttles to the hotels provide participants round
trip transporation - Harvard is partnered with the City of cambridge
and all the local businesses, so that one hand washes the other with
cash flows. technical seminars are the hot commodity these days, with
classes being offered in everything from Windows NT to Power Systems
Analysis to CPR. The college only needs to form a few strategic
alliances with some of the bigger players in the Continuing Education
market to begin to place Quincy on the map as a place where folks go to
get their CEU's(which are usually corporately funded!) These seminars
are usually given at hotels for convienence & cost. However, since
Quincy owns many classrooms, the city could partner with local hotels
to make a sweeter deal for all ( Leveraging the hotels to provide
lodging and transportation with the city providing the venue &
instruction, with no winner take all). Classrooms could be booked
during regularly scheduled breaks in classes, optimizing revenues
generated per SQFT per year. College leadership would need to do a
sensitivity analysis to find out what claasroom resources are idle and
not generating cash flows. the school could also use this analysis to
optimize classroom coeficients of utilization, so that some spaces are
freed up more routinely.
Hey, its just a thought that was flowing through my circuits!
2. Traffic: This is my favorite area! Lets revisit my far reaching proposal for a Quincy Shore Drive Extension.
Analysis:
Southbound traffic compounds at the end of the beach, backing up badly
where it meets Sea St. It only gets worse, as vehicles go through to
the Coddington St intersection, and then travel left, through a
gauntlet of lights that pass by McGrath HWY and onto Southern Artery
heading south to Washington St.
Proposal: extend quincy Shore Drive
where it meets Sea St., extending over the marshlands(to the rear of
Quincy's DPW), continuing on to the area just prior to Captain's Cove,
where the tanks are presently located. I know it sounds crazy, it may
all be pie in the sky with private property, permitting, state
approvals & federal funding grants, however, looking longterm, it
will take a big chunk of the heat off of one of the busiest sections of
city roadway. It will benefit traffic flows during morning and
afternoon commutes, open up McGrath HWY & Coddington St, and make
business located along Southern Artery more consumer freindly during
high traffic times - I would bet a lot of people would want a quick
bite to eat at McDonalds, Wendys, D'Angelo Subs, etc. at the end of the
workday, but when they get near these places on Southern Artery at 5pm
on a work day, most would rather starve than try to negotiate the
absolute blitzkrieg of vehicles blocking them.
Yes, I have
been thinking about our traffic tooooo much, but complaining does
nothing, it will take some creativity to arrive at the end solution!
....Got to run for now!
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March 01, 2004 - 06:58 PM
Michael J. Rossini from Quincy
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Hello! I am back for Part 2 of my suggestions for better traffic and business opportunities for downtown Quincy.
1.
Business Opportunities: Currently, FEB04, Quincy has a decent quantity
of unleased/unoccupied office space. Cost/SQFT I hear is dropping
slightly. I think, in addition to our shortage of retail income
streams, we are battling ever growing tax rates, so I think our city
leaders and their consultants should be marketing Quincy's office space
like there's no tomorrow. Incenticizing employers with the likes of the
MBTA, free parking, lots of social amenities such as great sandwich
shops, hair care, dry cleaning and a bevy of other small businesses
that support workers occupying offices. State Street Bank, one of the
states best company's has been leaving the city for Braintree, I think
in part to slowing business growth and our not-so-friendly business
policy. At any rate, before we attempt to attract potential employers,
Quincy's leadership needs to exhaustively investigate how we treat
businesses, and list out why employers should come here, and know why
they might not.
2. Traffic - entering South & West Quincy:
Each morning, thousands enter our city through these parts of the city,
mostly via RT 3N to Burgin HWY and the West Quincy Exit. traffic, in
general is similar to the flow of widgets in a manufacturing line. make
too many too fast, you have log jams, too few too slow, and your
holding things up. Its all about the flow, and getting the right mix of
safety, volume and flexibility. Lets begin our traffic discussion
w/Burgin HWY the RT3/RT93 Quincy Bypass. The bypass has 5 lights to the
Granite St. intersection. Programing could be adjusted to minimize
stoppages (during peak flow times) after the first light (Center St
intersection). Granite St. requires standard stoppages. However, the
Dimmock St light should be minmized. Adams & Furnace PKWY &
Beale require Standard Stoppages. However, Brook St, Hobart &
Holbrook Rd should be minimized.
Now for the West Quincy Exit -
Willard St. becomes a bypass for RT 93 every peak flow period. In
woeful attempt to thwart flow, we installed stop signs (which do not
get followed) and a light at Mullin Ave & the Home Depot. These
lights should be minimized during peaks. I suggest stoppage
minimization at non "Sub-thoroughfares" only, where flow is minimal.
The idea I suggest is to handle the flow quicker. Why? Quincy and the
local cities real estate costs are soaring, more folks are
moving/buying south. The train system is already operating at peak, and
therfore our roads leading to Boston bear the additional burden.
OK, enough for now, see you all soon!
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February 29, 2004 - 05:12 PM
Michael J. Rossini from Quincy
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Hello City Smarts Board!
I would like to share the folowing thoughts for Quincy Center Redevelopment.
1.
Business Infusion: The south shore plaza has captured much retail
business from Quincy. If retail business is a prime goal, then folks
could look at what stores/markets are under-represented at the Mall,
and make a short list. Youth and women, I believe are still prime
marketing targets for merchandizers. Sporting Goods that do not focus
on Sporting/Social Apparel & Shoes could be one idea, given the
sports appetite in the area. Another prospect is the exploitation of
the voluminous flow of vehicles along what I call the RT 3/Rt. 93
Bypass - Burgin Hwy/Newport Ave. There are limited points along this
path to cross the railroad tracks, hence funneling the flow of
vehicles, limiting opportunities to "Stop and have dinner, pick up dry
cleaning, etc. Presently, its painful.
2. Traffic: Have we studied
the traffic flows through our new interconnect located at Burgin Hwy
& Rear of Quincy Center? The flow of cars at 5pm M-F on Burgin
Hwy/Newport Ave is heavy, but atleast it moves. My suggestion here is
better coordination/sequencing of the lights at Furnace Brook Parkway
& Adams St. where they meet the "Bypass". For Rt 3A traffic along
Wollaston Beach to Southern Artery, I propose a far reaching project.
Create a new roadway & viaduct/bridge system at the Sea St.
intersection, that passes over the marshlands and connects to Southern
artery just prior to the Quirk Dealerships. This I think will divert
Hingham/Cohasset/Weymouth/Scituate bound traffic from clogging up city
access from the shore end.
More to follow...I have to run!
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November 12, 2003 - 03:47 PM
Carmela DiSciullo from Quincy
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Your
series were interesting. I live in Quincy center and we already have a
traffic problem. What plans are there for traffic flow in and out of
Quincy? Traffic lights need better timing. Also the businesses we need
to attract people--should be upscale & trendy like in Hingham,
otherwise the new residents will just live in Quincy but go elsewhere
to spend their money.
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November 11, 2003 - 05:57 PM
Kevin Reid from Quincy
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I
grew up in Quincy,left in 1978 and have only been back a couple of
times. I spent alot of time in Quincy Center. There were a variety of
stores which
provided several different products.
As I read your article its sad to see that such a "Great City Center" may fade away.
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November 11, 2003 - 01:40 AM
bob adams from Quincy
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I
agree that bringing tenants to downtown quincy will help with more
people in the downtown area but if all you have to offer is hair and
nail salons it will not work. count them just on hancock st from north
quincy to quincy center. I have no problem with these buisnises but it
is overloaded with them and nothing else. when they close the people
leave the area. we need more busineses to sustain people for A longer
time.
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November 05, 2003 - 04:56 PM
Editor from Quincy
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Welcome
to the City Smarts Message Board. Please feel free to add your comments
about Quincy's redevelopment plans. Questions and comments are welcome.
E-mail may be sent directly to citysmarts@ledger.com, if desired.
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