Rendering via Elkus Manfredi Architects

On Monday, the Boston City Council held a public hearing regarding economic development, planning and labor, specifically regarding the future of Faneuil Hall Marketplace. The discussion surrounded the marketplace’s retailers and impending changes coming to Faneuil Hall.

Of the points made, one assertion was that Faneuil Hall’s new owners hope to better serve Bostonians, rather than visitors. Faneuil Hall brought in 18 million visitors in 2013, according to Travel and Leisure’s annual ranking – just shy of Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Still, the owners, Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation, have many changes coming to Faneuil Hall, which, while highly trafficked, is also largely outdated.

The planned changes include a 180-room boutique hotel replacing offices on the third, fourth and fifth floors of the South Market Building, a revamped food court with added space for a bar, more retail and new restaurants, and some shake-ups to the current vendors, some of which have been there for decades. Renderings of the changes to Quincy Market’s food court, from Elkus Manfredi Architects, are shown above.

In regards to the retail changes, Faneuil Hall’s general manager Kristin Keefe told guests during today’s meeting that the number of pushcarts will be reduced by five percent, and that Uniqlo, which currently has a modest pop-up shop located in the South Market Building, will open a permanent store in July of 2015. One Faneuil Hall vendor, bar and restaurant The Salty Dog, is reportedly being evicted by property managers, per NorthEndWaterfront.com.*

The owner of Al Mercantino, a fast Italian food counter inside Quincy Market, complained their business was evicted the day after Thanksgiving, after 30 years without missing a rent payment. Adam Gaffin of @universalhub tweeted:

The updates to Quincy Market, which include the new retailers, the hotel and more developments, are all part of Ashkenazy’s plan to make Faneuil Hall more attractive to those living in Boston.

Per Gaffin, we also learned that Faneuil’s notorious brick walkways could be repaved with smooth granite, with benches replaced by movable chairs, drastically changing the marketplace’s familiar and historical facade – but making it easier to walk, especially for those in heels.

Ashkenazy bought the 63-year ground lease for the 350,000-square-foot property in 2011.

Past coverage of the impending changes in Faneuil Hall have filtered in from both the Boston Globe (in September) and the New York Times (in early December). While today’s City Council meeting was held in regards to the impact on pushcart vendors in Faneuil Hall, the conversation focused on the many alterations slated for the marketplace. The redevelopment is in its early stages, and some of the proposed changes would require the BRA’s Article 80 review.

Update 12/15: Despite previous reports, the Salty Dog in Faneuil Hall has not been evicted, according to a representative from Ashkenazy Acquisitions Corporation. More details can be found here.

Merchants sound off in City Hall hearing on proposed changes to Faneuil Hall.
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