History
By the early 1990s when six presidents of the neighborhood associations bordering Washington Street began meeting to improve its fate, the street cut a swath of desolation through a revitalizing historic neighborhood. Destined by its geography as the only land entrance to the original city of Boston, the commercial route had been wracked by forty years of urban renewal: All but 10 blocks, 2 historic parks, a cathedral and five buildings in scattered sites had been razed in the 37 blocks along Washington Street in the Gateway district. And, although the Urban Renewal of the 60’s and 70’s built housing developments and created two large parks on Washington Street, nine acres of land remained vacant and many of the historic buildings were boarded. The City’s once grandest boulevard was unsafe and deserted; prostitution and drugs were commonplace, and merchants kept roll-down gates over storefront windows.
The Elevated railroad that had run down Washington Street for 100 years had been torn down in 1987. Yet, the investment expected as a result had not occurred. Residents argued over suitable replacement transportation, light rail or bus, effectively stopping street improvements tied to a new transit system. Racially, ethnically, and income diverse, residents argued over and inevitably stopped, the few, mostly ill-conceived, projects proposed for the street.
In 1995, recognizing that the City controlled the majority of the land along the street, the neighborhood associations sought the help of Mayor Menino, who appointed a 28-member Task Force. The Task Force forged a common purpose among residents who 1) developed an Action Plan for the street’s revitalization, emphasizing the creation of a neighborhood shopping district, an increase in middle-income housing and the retention of diversity; 2) got all the district’s elected representatives to direct the transportation authority to immediately commence street improvements that would accommodate either light rail vehicles or buses.
In 1997, Task Force members, concerned that their plan would not be implemented without continued prompting from the community, sought and won Boston Main Streets designation. Washington Gateway Main Street, Inc. (Gateway) began implementing the Task Force’s Action Plan using the ready-made model of the National Trust’s Four Point Approach and with baseline funding from the Boston Main Streets program. Gateway also raised an additional $27,500 per year over four years from Mellon Trust ($10,000/year) and other supporters.
Four of the same neighborhood association presidents joined other Task Force members on the first Gateway board of directors thus solidifying Gateway’s ties to the community. Their active familiarity with the plan, neighborhood players, city and state officials, and government departments enabled Gateway to be immediately effective.
Initial Gateway efforts focused on setting the stage for development: Members worked with the city to rezone Washington Street, parts of which had allowed industrial uses, as a “Neighborhood Development Area”. Members joined the task force to design the street, complete with new trees, brick sidewalks and bus shelters. Two historic buildings that were in danger of collapsing, were stabilized by the city in response to requests by members of Gateway and South End Landmarks Commission. Local developers were lobbied and bought the stabilized buildings, leading the way in a revitalization that has remained mostly a local effort
Today, the Gateway district is the heart of the surrounding neighborhood. Widespread publicity touts it as a vibrant place to live, work and shop. Thanks to the work of hundreds of volunteers who have, every year, donated between 1500 and 4500 hours to stabilizing and attracting businesses, seeking developers, reviewing 80 new buildings, renovations and storefront improvements, and forging strategic partnerships with community organizations and government departments, the district has been transformed. New and old buildings provide housing for people of all incomes who shop and work at the 46 new and 40 improved businesses that line the landscaped and reconstructed street. A new bus rapid transit line, complete with kiosks chronicling the history of the neighborhood, provides easy access to downtown.
