A detailed look at ways Quincy might revive its downtown

Ideas run gamut from mixed-use high rises to cafes along brook

By CHRISTOPHER WALKER
The Patriot Ledger

QUINCY - published 3-15-04

A 16-story building towering over the Hancock parking lot. A cobblestone-lined Hancock Street off limits to cars. A downtown park with a carousel as a centerpiece.

Ideas ranging from the highly practical to the practically unimaginable set the tone of a day-long brainstorming session on how to redevelop Quincy Center. Seventy-six people turned out for the session, called a charrette, Saturday afternoon at Quincy High School. They spent several hours discussing and then literally constructing visions for the future of the city’s downtown.

The program provided the city’s paid development consultants with a number of ideas to work with as they and a committee of experts enlisted by Mayor William Phelan draft a plan to reshape the city’s downtown. While some of the ideas suggested Saturday are likely never to be discussed again, some almost assuredly will be, officials said.

“We’ve done one of these programs for every major project we’ve been involved with, and some very important ideas have come out of every single one of them – and this one’s not an exception,” said David Dixon, the city’s chief development consultant from the firm Goody, Clancy and Associates.

Participants, which included a mix of residents, city officials and civic leaders, broke into five teams and spent the first half of the day reviewing Quincy Center’s existing strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. The second half was spent using foam building blocks, stickers and markers to model their development ideas onto a map of Quincy Center.

DAVID GORDON/For The Patriot Ledger

From left, Amit Price Patel, Rob Ross and Cynthia Pierce Barney discuss the options on the redevelopment of downtown Quincy with fellow group members on Saturday at Quincy High School.

While ideas varied greatly, a number of central themes seemed to emerge: Downtown’s historical value holds untapped potential to attract visitors. The area needs to be more friendly to pedestrians. Green space needs to be accentuated to soften the feel of downtown.

The would-be architects provided a series of parameters to guide their designs based on a rough estimate of what development possibilities exist downtown. Creating housing was one key assignment, and the amateur designers also were asked to find space for parking and retail areas. The designers also had to find room for a new eight-story building.

The city-owned Hancock parking lot was selected as the focal point of development designs, but teams often extended their work beyond that area. Some groups eliminated traffic on Hancock Street between Granite and School streets. Others created gateways to various sections of Quincy Center.

A number of teams centered most of construction directly behind the Granite Trust building, while others picked the Hancock lot for most of the development. Participants were careful to place buildings away from the existing neighborhoods, such as Revere Road near Quincy District Court.

The most common theme was mixed-use buildings, featuring housing units atop first-floor retail shops. It was the size and shape of the proposals that varied.

“I think we should try for a little more I.M. Pei,” resident Kevin Dye told his teammates, referring to the famed architect of the John Hancock Tower and the John F. Kennedy Library. He then proceeded to shift three proposed buildings on Cottage Street to unorthodox angles.

Groups shifted focus from placing buildings to discussing what should be in them. Strengthening the cultural offerings downtown was mentioned repeatedly.

A number of groups suggested building a performance or cultural center downtown.

“If people are going to live here, leave for work and then back home, what are they going to do when they get home? There has to be something for them do, or why would want to live here?” Gary Sottile said.

Added Susan Hannon, who was in the same design team: “Retail doesn’t have to mean a Dunkin’ Donuts. It can be a ground-floor gallery that hosts local artists.” All the design groups included creating open space. The one idea that was repeated by every group Saturday was trying to bring Town Brook to the surface as it snakes through parts of Quincy Center, including the Hancock lot. It’s not known just how feasible raising the brook to the surface actually is.

“It should be a peaceful place. You can have open-air cafes there,” resident Sally Owen said.

Phelan called the event “great,” and said several more forums will be scheduled as planning for redevelopment continues. The ideas generated by the forum will be incorporated into a plan that Phelan’s task force is expected to send out to potential developers. The Hancock lot looms as the most prime piece of buildable property, and the upcoming sale of the Granite Trust building is also expected to play a major role in redevelopment efforts.

“There was a lot of enthusiasm and optimism here today, and a lot of good suggestions that are going to make their way into plans,” Phelan said.

He said he wants to start focusing attention on planning for the second stage of the Quincy Center Concourse, connecting Burgin Parkway with Route 3A. Meetings with business leaders who will be directly affected by the concourse extension are high on the priority list, Phelan said.

Christopher Walker may be reached at .