Introduction

             This is the first issue of a new bi-weekly newsletter that will report on the activity all along the rapidly developing Boston waterfront, including developments in Charlestown, Chelsea, East Boston and the South Boston neighborhood. Development projects, plans for new buildings, the arrival and openings of businesses, stores, and public attractions will all be chronicled, along with the concerns of all of the people who will live, work or visit the Boston harbor front. Over the next twenty years the Boston harbor front, including the Charlestown Navy Yard and the piers on East Boston will see the construction of hundreds if not thousands of residential units and hundreds of thousands of square feet of new office space. There will be concerns about traffic, quality of life design and most importantly different opinions about how the harbor front areas of Chelsea, Charlestown, East Boston, Boston and South Boston will be developed. Will Boston's harbor be the home of buildings of striking design, whose construction will give Boston the appearance of a world class city? Will the harbor front be like La Defense, the soulless district at the east side of Paris, a sterile canyon of sleek high rise office buildings desserted at night? Or will it be a Canary Wharf in London, with office buildings and expensive residences? Will the charm of Boston survive as it has in Amsterdam? Or will the Boston harbor front be a parody of itself like the tacky fisherman’s wharf and surrounding piers in San Francisco's bay? Will the waterfront become a collection of tourist attractions? Even the best intentions can go astray. Thirty years ago Boston was assured that Quincy Market would retain its original unique colonial charm and history when it was restored. Economic forces gave us a far different result. This newsletter will chronicle all of the development and report the details of all of the building projects. There are many large projects taking shape. In the weeks to come we will profile all of them. We are not making judgment, only making all of those involved or affected by the various projects along the waterfront aware that as this harbor front develops it must take on a character that is truly unique to Boston and evolve into a stunning vision that will signal Boston's arrival as an international city. Boston’s waterfront is almost a blank pallette ready for whatever anyone with enough resources can put on it. Late night bars and clubs will impact everyone and the city itself. It could become a major tourist attraction far more powerful than Quincy Market. It could end up as a ghost town, busy and crowded by day, empty and dessert at night. Developers, residents, neighbors, politicians, commercial real estate developers and investors will shape the harbor front. Knowing about the plans and concerns of all of these people is important to everyone who has an interest in this valuable and unique landscape. We are going to do our best to report on these developments to you as they occur.

                                                                                                            The Boston Harbor Journal