In South Boston’s Seaport, there sits a 2.7-acre gravel lot on D Street noticeably unused except in times of parking and event overflow. The Boston Convention and Expo Center, which owns the property, isn’t just sitting by idly watching as Boston builds out the city around it, giving apt reason for calling the area the Innovation District. The BCEC, too, is innovating its public space, using a tactic that’s become known as “guerrilla urbanism” to provide civil services to those in the neighborhood, and encourage more to visit.
Boston is currently in the midst of an urban renaissance, kickstarted by former Mayor Tom Menino’s administration and perpetuated by incumbent Mayor Marty Walsh’s new regime less than half a year into his gig as chief executive of the city. Municipal offices like the New Urban Mechanics spend their time experimenting in City Hall, failing innumerably along the way, but only then do they find success.
After all, as the basketball legend Michael Jordan once said, “I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that’s why I succeed.”
BostInno spoke with Executive Director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority Jim Rooney to find out how he and his constituents are taking this experimental sentiment to heart and, more importantly, how he plans to occupy the space using a cool $1.1 million bankroll.
The initiative is part of a major expansion project for the Convention Center, and ideas will be attempted prior to construction and implemented for the long-term upon completion.
“It’s kind of experimental,” Rooney told BostInno in a phone call. ” We’ll have the ability for flexible framework, to have a tent, paved areas, grass areas and we hope to keep it open for 18 to 24 months.”
Many of Boston’s public spaces are already experiencing the benefits of civic innovation. The Rose Kennedy Greenway is now home to solar-powered cell phone charging stations, public art is becoming popular in the city’s outer neighborhoods, Wi-Fi is open for public use and urban art is taking advantage of clean energy.
Many of these same aspects will be put to good use on D Street.
“It fits in with the mayor’s objectives,” added Rooney. “He’s sent a pretty strong signal to enhancing what I call the ‘coolness factor’ in Boston, in particular with the waterfront.”
Rooney told us that the D Street lot will be utilized in three general ways. The first is if people holding a convention center event want to book the space for people to spill out into, the way they would book a ballroom or conference room. The second is for private and public events affiliated with community organizations, like if the nearby Institute of Contemporary felt compelled to host an affair, for example. The third, and arguably most popular, will be to have some kind of placemaking event like an art installation, public concert, or food truck event for all of the general public to savor.
Possibility abounds for this gritty, yet prime, plot, especially when we consider that Rooney is hoping it’ll stay open for public enjoyment year-round.
“We want it to be a 12-month space,” continued Rooney. “We’ll experiment with it; curling, ice skating, we want to do something different.”
The underlying infrastructure of the lot will allow for a number of different styled events. Utilities and various electrical connections will add to the space’s dexterity in that there will be no need for bulky, out-of-place generators to provide power. Anchors will be incorporated for tents, lighting and security will add ambiance and safety and Wi-Fi access will make the space appealing for those looking to take their work outdoors.
“This is unique because, while Boston certainly has some nice open spaces, it’ll be the only space specific for events,” Rooney said. “We’ll be able to serve alcohol, for example.”
If you trek down to the Seaport today, the ornate, corporate atmosphere will not be lost on you. Seemingly on every corner is an office building or a hotel. It’s home to plenty of what Rooney refers to as “the hardware.” But in terms of “software,” the Seaport is lacking. A place like the Back Bay, he told us, has an abundance of both “hardware” and “software.” There are hotels, there’s the Hynes Convention Center and there’s office space. But there’s also a plethora of restaurants, entertainment and shopping options.
Missing in the waterfront is the “software,” the things that’ll attract and retain people. The D Street lot is perfect to fill this void, as it literally sits at the epicenter of the entire community. It’ll inject a sense of neighborhood without necessarily duplicating other public spaces.
The only facet missing from the equation is reliable transportation. Hauling people to and from the area is certainly a concern, but not a pressing one. Over the next 5 to 10 years, the MassDOT will consider activating an old freight line that connects to the Back Bay for passenger transit. Rooney mentioned that if this were to be the case, the BCEC would spring for a station as part of that expansion.
As Rooney and the BCEC continue to outline plans for the 2.7 acre lot, he stressed to us that the most important priority at the moment is public engagement. The BCEC can speculate all day about what the people want, but they’ll never know for sure unless they hear directly from them.
“We would love to get ideas and love to get feedback,” Rooney said in closing. “I’ve got thick skin.”
So what do you think, Boston? Sound like the BCEC is getting it right? Feel free to drop your thoughts, as well as ideas on how to viably occupy the D Street lot, in the comments section below.
Images via Sasaki Associates
