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ABOUT THIS SERIES ... Quincy, a city of 90,000, remains the largest community on the South Shore. Although it’s no longer the retailing hub of the region, it remains home to the South Shore’s largest employer, State Street Bank. And its transformation from a blue collar town to an ethnically diverse community with lots of young professionals moving in, continues. Ultimately, though, a community’s heart is found in its downtown. Enlivening Quincy’s heartbeat is a goal worth pursuing and it’s why The Patriot Ledger decided to work with the City of Quincy to raise awareness about the issues related to downtown development. A public forum planned for later this year will provide the opportunity for anyone to express their vision. The content of the stories in this series was independently developed by The Patriot Ledger and is the sole responsibility of the newspaper.
SERIES SUMMARY ... DAY 1, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2003 A confluence of events mean Quincy is well-positioned to launch redevelopment
and revitalization efforts. Nearly every mayor for the past three decades has vowed to revive
Quincy Center. Are today’s promises any different?
A redeveloped downtown could mean more revenue for the city, and better
services for residents.
With Gov. Mitt Romney’s administration eager to invest in city centers,
Quincy could be poised to receive state money as it moves forward with
redevelopment plans.
Who are the people helping Mayor William Phelan craft a vision for
downtown?
Quincy Mutual Insurance, a bulwark of Quincy Center for 152 years,
considered moving, but didn’t. Why?
DAY 2, Monday, Nov. 10, 2003 There is no one-size-fits-all solution to resurrecting a downtown.
Mansfield, Ohio’s salvation was a huge carousel. Roanoke, Virginia’s
was a farmer’s market.
Housing was an essential ingredient when Waltham developed
a recipe for reviving Moody Street.
Portsmouth, N.H., teaches that appearance does matter when it comes
to a successful downtown.
Somerville officials influenced, and in some cases controlled, redevelopment
efforts as the once down-trodden Davis Square became a trendy destination.
Shopperstown, Quincy’s post World War II retailing machine, is now
a faded memory.
If Mark Bertman of Rogers Jewelry has learned anything in his years as
a downtown Quincy retailer, it’s that people bring retail, not the other
way around.
DAY 3 Transforming Downtown Quincy will be evolutionary, not revolutionary.
O’Connor and Drew, a medium-sized accounting firm, moved from an office
park to Downtown Quincy. Why? The city hired urban planner David Dixon to help draft a vision for
downtown. He shares some ideas. TOOLS NEEDED FOR SUCCESS: Redevelopment is no longer done with bulldozers and wrecking balls. Rather, consultants suggest, communities need to do such things as update zoning rules to permit certain types of development, deal with parking and traffic in a comprehensive way, treat beautification as an integral and basic aspect of improvements and consider the role that tax incentives play in encouraging certain catalytic projects.
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