Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Protect Downtown Crossing
Downtown Crossing is a Boston treasure. It’s probably the only really integrated part of Boston. It’s our Times Square, the perfect place for people watching. Urban living to the max. Instead of trying to relocate vendors to Government Center, where no one goes and where these vendors’ livelihood will just wither, during the construction project on the Filene’s building the Downtown Crossing Association should increase the number of licenses to keep people coming. Bring on more street musicians and more ethnic food.
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Hi there. I happen to be one of those street vendors and there are a few things you should know.
I (and my wife) have owned and operated 3 kiosks in front of Filene’s for 15 years. We are both educated, honest, hardworking tax payers. We pay THOUSANDS of dollars every year to the Downtown Crossing Association in rents and fees. They have chosen to stop providing us with pushcarts, a warehousing facility, any support whatsoever and have literally dropped us out there without a net. In my humble opinion one of the major reasons the area looks the way it does is because the DCA has chosen to pocket this money and never reinvest in an area they really don’t care about. It isn’t my fault the carts are falling apart. I spend a grand a year to fix them up. The DCA and BRA won’t approve new carts. In fact the BRA picked out those silly orange tops you see out there now.They won’t LET us put up new signage. If it looks like crap blame them. The board of the DCA refuse to meet with us, refuse to make changes and believe it or not has received three rent increases in a row from us. Anne Meyers and her cronies won’t even admit the area has been hurt by the departure of Filene’s, Barnes and Noble and now the basement. The Mayor easily could have had the marketplace repaired, spruced up and moved across the street for a few years so the “regular” folks can have an inexpensive place to shop, (oh and they do shop there. We wouldn’t be there for 15 yrs if they didn’t) BUT he didn’t because the developers and deep pockets really do rule. They decide what happens. Not you. Ever. They don’t mind if the whole area goes bankrupt while they build. They don’t care if heroine addicts piss on the walls and street gangs shoot a kid a day. You know why? Because in few short years it will be DISNEYLAND. It will be Beverly Hills, 5th Avenue, South Beach….. The BRA believes this. We all know the truth. The inner city will be the inner city. A diverse, colorful place that can be both dirty and charming and fun all at once.It will never be disneyland. Too bad we let the Ivory Tower group steal it from us all and Screw it all up. At least stop by and say hi while you can. Someday when the tower remains vacant and rents come down maybe we will all come back.
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