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BEAUTIFICATIONCosmetic improvements are still essentialCosmetic improvements won’t be enough to attract new businesses or bring residents back to Quincy Center.
But they have to be part of the equation, experts said. “Streetscape improvements are necessary, but insufficient,” said Alex Krieger, chairman of urban planning and design at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. “Brick sidewalks and gas lights are not going to do it for you if nothing else happens, but they’re necessary.” Hancock Street in Quincy Center got a facelift in the mid-’90s under former Mayor James Sheets. The brick-bordered sidewalks, new trees and antique-style lights have helped elevate the look of the commercial strip. Extending such treatment elsewhere downtown might further create the village-like charm that is so sought after. But that’s not the only option when it comes to aesthetics. Out-dated and dingy signs, pealing paint and other sore sights don’t do much to add to the appeal of Hancock Street and the surrounding area. The city doesn’t have a lot of control over the way private property owners maintain their buildings, but other communities have found ways to exert influence. In Portsmouth, N.H., for example, a city architect provided free design services to businesses that wanted to rehabilitate their storefronts. The proposals he crafted were in keeping with the downtown’s historic character. In Mansfield, Ohio, murals are appearing on the sides of buildings, adding color to what would have been a drab landscape. Other cities have used grants to help business owners pay for new awnings, signs or other cosmetic improvements. Quincy is in something of a jam, because the city is using a chunk of its federal Community Development Block Grants, traditionally reserved for economic development purposes, to pay a loan it backed for the failed developer of the Fore River shipyard. Payments must continue until 2016. Still, officials might be able to come up with creative funding ideas. Such initiatives aren’t just about making places look pretty, though that’s important. Clean, well-lit neighborhoods also help residents and visitors feel safe. Since one of the city’s goals is to attract newcomers who like Quincy Center’s location on the Red Line, it is important to ensure they feel comfortable walking home from the station. |
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