When Thomas Koch, mayor of Quincy announced in 2009 a plan to renovate downtown Quincy that will be in excess of a billion dollars, he and the project's master developer, New York-based Street-Works LLC, promised a dynamic master plan with an aggressive implementation schedule. Well in January 2012, The Beal Companies joined Street-Works Development and mayor Koch announced an expanded partnership on the 3.5 million s/f, $1.6 billion revitalization of 20 urban blocks of downtown Quincy. As Beal/Street-Works, the partnership will execute the largest historic redevelopment in Massachusetts history: New Quincy Center.
At the core of the Beal/Street-Works partnership is the commitment to cities, an appreciation for preserving history, and an innovative approach to what's possible in development. There is no truer test to the merits of this vision as the economic and civic benefits that have been demonstrated in previous similar projects undertaken by this team. After over eight years of planning a shovel will go in the ground in the first quarter of 2013 to begin constructing the long awaited redevelopment of historic downtown Quincy.
The Granite Trust building, at 1400 Hancock St., has long been notable as an icon in Quincy Center. After the turn of the year it will be notable as the location at which redevelopment of Quincy Center will begin. This October, plans were submitted to Quincy's Planning Department for review and approval of the first step in this historic downtown redevelopment, dubbed Merchants Row. The hope is that construction can begin as early as first quarter 2013. The historic building itself will not be touched, but the parking lot behind it, and more recent building additions, will be replaced by a project that incorporates components that will make it a magnetic gathering place for the community. Included will be street level retail and restaurants around the block, great new sidewalks, and approximately 300 residential units on the upper floors focused around a new public place known as the Kilroy Courtyard.
In addition, a new street - to be known as Kilroy Way - is being introduced to reduce the scale of the large block. Similar in scale and character to the great alleys of Beacon Hill, Kilroy Way will provide a through-block connection between Chestnut St. and Hancock St. and will create pedestrian access to more street level shops as well as to the new 200 space, below grade public parking garage.
Although this block was not anticipated as the initial development site, when paired with the new Adams Green infrastructure that the city is currently designing and will soon be constructing, it is hard to imagine how it could have been any other way. Together, Adams Green and Merchants Row represent almost every aspect of the new Quincy Center, from history to public space to building design. In fact, the name "Merchants Row" was chosen as a way to honor Quincy's past commercial and other historic interests including its entrepreneurial history.
Adams Green and its associated public improvements will return to Quincy Center some of the qualities that existed here centuries ago, when the town's Training Field stood adjacent to the United First Parish Church. But the park will be unmistakably contemporary as well, creating a vibrant, convivial public place and a truly superior pedestrian environment that encourages walking and using transit.
In the Granite Trust Building itself, current uses are being maintained (retail/commercial at the street level and office/commercial on the floors above) and the only renovation anticipated is to remove the non-original, architectural additions to the building to create a new 'back' entrance into the banking hall from Kilroy Way.
Adjacent to the Granite Trust building on Hancock St. will be the Granite Trust Lofts, a new 5-story building whose architectural style and detail, color, street level storefront and materials have all been designed to reflect an Art Deco orientation and to match 1400 Hancock's existing materials and aesthetic.
Around the corner, on Chestnut St., The Kilroy is a 15-story building with residential rental units above the street level restaurants and shops. The facade of this larger building is broken into distinctly smaller facade components. The top of the building projects a strong traditional front to the rest of downtown along Chestnut St. while projecting a new, more modern façade to the center of the downtown district. The design of both new buildings will establish a sense of continuity with neighboring buildings while introducing imaginative and high quality design of this generation.
Finally, both new buildings of Merchants Row will incorporate significant sustainable components, and are expected to be LEED Silver-certifiable at a minimum.
Clearly the city of Quincy is on the move and the revitalization of its downtown commercial center is a priority for community and state leaders. The city takes great stock in its tremendous assets and is exhibiting leadership and vision as it strives to establish a 21st Century City that is reinvigorated physically, socially and economically.
The city welcomes the opportunity to boast of these exciting initiatives to promote new investment opportunities within our rejuvenated downtown and that place high value on protecting the public realm, preserving history and fostering sustainable development practices. Whether a company requires public transportation, a deep sea port, commercial rail, a beautiful waterfront, access to major highways, proximity to Boston, a quality workforce or a diversified community - Quincy is the place to live, work and invest in. Quincy 2000 Collaborative, a division of the Quincy Chamber of Commerce, and the city administration are eager to convince you that here in Quincy "We Mean Business!"
Dean Rizzo is president of the Quincy Chamber of Commerce, Quincy and Lucy Wildrick is a partner with Street-Works Development, White Plains, N.Y.