Hey, there! Log in / Register
Election roundup: We could turn the entire city into an Innovation District
By adamg on Tue, 08/27/2013 - 10:06am
Bill Walczak, who says Suffolk Downs should be turned into an Innovation District instead of a casino, says Harvard should turn its vast tracts of land in Allston into an Innovation District:
I believe the residents of Allston would welcome an opportunity to work with Harvard on plans for an Allston Innovation District. The "enterprise research campus' formerly discussed with the community would provide a critically important complement to the nearby Harvard Innovation Lab and Startup Lab Boston.
Question of the day: Will any of the candidates bring up Liberty Mutual's decision to cut worker benefits? And if they do, will they also talk about the sweet tax deal the city and state gave the insurer to build its new headquarters? Like, say, Mike Ross, who bitterly complained about the company back in the day?
Marty Walsh wants just East Boston to decide the casino issue.
See how mayoral candidates stand on city funding for the Greenway and expanding South Station.
Left Ahead interviews Felix Arroyo at 2:30 p.m. today.
Teamsters locals 25 and 122 say Mike Flaherty's their man in the at-large race. Massachusetts NOW goes for Annissa Essaibi-George in the race.
David Bernstein interviews Tim McCarthy, a DPW worker running to replace Rob Consalvo in District 5.
Neighborhoods:
Topics:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
With Menino looking to give
With Menino looking to give taxpayer subsidies to the new Filene's developers, after previously vowing not to, it would be great to hear what the candidates all think given how most Bostonians feel about Liberty Mutual getting them. Why are we even giving tax breaks to any office builders or high end condo developers? The market takes care of them, what tax breaks should be used for is middle income housing, which is not getting built downtown or the Seaport/Innovation District/Waterfront.
Boston needs more housing much more than office space, thats what the next mayor needs to address.
Middle income housing
There's plenty of T-accessible affordable housing in Dot and Roxbury that would be perfect for those working downtown (west of Dot Ave on red line, southeast of orange line) - problem is, no one in their right mind would live there right now because many parts are currently crime-infested sh*tholes. We need a mayor who's willing to grow a pair and take care of the crime problem, not another mumbling moron who thinks wasting $10M on a new crappy 15 unit building is going to solve the housing crisis.
Not all college grads get $80K jobs right off the bat, and it's only a matter of time before they get fed up with being stuck with roommates in a crappy apartment while making what's considered a decent salary, pack up and move somewhere else. Who's going to pay for Boston's huge underclass when there's no middle class left? The rich know all the tricks, it's usually Joe Sixpack who gets nailed on his taxes.
Um, also, MBTA. I tried
Um, also, MBTA. I tried living just off Dot Ave near Savin Hill. It was awful. A dump in the cheap part of Brookline was no better. The MBTA just fucking sucks.
Post-Sandy, perhaps
Post-Sandy, perhaps candidates should be talking about protecting the City from rising sea levels. This could cost maybe $2BigDigs.
How about we don't.
Innovation District doesn't do squat for the average Boston resident. Unless he proposes free computer programming classes for 100's of thousands of people, it sounds like a terrible idea.
Walsh double-talk
In the Masslive Walsh article first he says, "The casino is mostly going to affect the ward that it’s in." (referring to East Boston). Then he says, "Charlestown is going to be the most impacted with traffic..." (referring to the Everett casino). Which one is it? For Suffolk Downs many pretend like only East Boston will be affected, not Winthrop, which will be most affected by traffic, not the North End, which will lose business, not anyone using the tunnels or 1A, which will get locked up. But for the Everett casino, which is in a whole other city, they are worried about outside impact. An urban casino will affect all the surrounding towns and they messed up this law trying to pave the way for Suffolk Downs.
What these guys are really saying is that this law was written for Suffolk Downs to get a casino and they want it and the cash it will bring to the city. They don't care about how it will affect the neighborhood, the city, or the region as a whole. They don't care that if the casino opens and fails the whole city will have to pay for it. They just want to make sure Boston gets the short term windfall and not Everett. Walczak is the only one willing to say that an urban casino is just a bad idea and that we can do better.
Why would the North End lose business to a casino?
They seem to me to be completely different things, attracting completely different kinds of people.
Which kinds of people?
If you are implying that a casino would attract a poorer population with cheap access via the T, then you are right, the North End wouldn't be affected. In that case another part of the city would be greatly affected. The pols are telling us that this resort casino would primarily attract tourists, which I would guess would have an impact on the North End (closest dining area to the airport) among other areas.
since the casino would be
since the casino would be located on the blue line, which has no link to the MBTAs most used line, the Red Line, most people tourists or local, would be driving. So the tunnels would be much more congested, and the drivers would be much happier with ample free parking subsidized by the casino and the cheap food (and free booze) offered at casinos to encourage gamblers to stay. Casinos also frequently subsidize entertainers who would otherwise be playing downtown theaters. Without a red-blue link, the casino is going to make a bad traffic situation unbearable.
Simple fix to that is to
Simple fix to that is to require the casino operator to fund the Red-Blue connector at Charles-MGH and not have a permit to open until that station connection is finished.
*yawn*
Just *yawn*
So tired of hearing about making things 'innovation'.
yeah we need more tax breaks for corporations to BEG them to move here. once the sweet tax deals end, they leave.
Enough is enough.. Companies will come if they really want to be here, sans a sweetheart tax deal. If they don't, screw'em. This isn't the DTA Corp Welfare office.
So tired of being bent over a barrel by Corporations and Politicians for 'sweetheart' tax breaks while the rest of us watch our taxes and fees go (Tolls come to mind).
Agreed
No tax breaks, no stupid slogans. Try this: A quick, dependable permitting process without stupid interference or need to hire expeditors. Vastly improved public transportation. People want to work where they want to live. Startups get based out of where the founders enjoy living themselves or think the talent they wish to hire wants to live.
If you make it easy for local restaurants to open, make it easy for people to get to and from work, and make it easy to rent and renovate office space without needing "connections" you'll find the high income jobs will move in without the need to cut taxes. Everyone wins. Play favorites and everyone looses.
How about lowering all Boston
How about lowering all Boston business taxes by .5%-.25% for the same initial loss of revenue? No special deals or favoritism. Every company from a one man band to a megacorp should benefit equally.
What is a Boston business tax?
What is a "Boston business tax"?
It's
codified in the general laws of Taxachusetts. Duh.
Nope. Still don't know it.
Nope. Still doesn't ring a bell. Are you talking about the city's meal and sales tax surcharge on top of the state's meal and sales tax?
Are you talking about the capital gains tax?
Are you talking out of ...
A modest proposal
Build the casino on the Allston vacant lot and hire Larry Summers as manager - he has experience with gambling.
Bill Walczak Hates Animals!
Look, I understand why people are opposed to an East Boston casino, but at least theoretically Suffolk Downs could still survive without one. Heck, the legislation specifically notes that there is to be money for race purses to go up. All this talk of turning the track into an "innovation district" seems to me to be a bit premature. Leading that drumbeat, at least to me, is saying that you want the fine sport of horse racing, which has taken place at Suffolk Downs for over 75 years, to end.
hate to break the news....
...but that horse already left the barn....
As a mild Dick Francis fan it bums me out, but such is life.
The key phrase is "theoretically"
Yup, the sport of kings is looking long in the tooth, but tracks are still out there, getting aid from outside casinos (see Emerald Downs) and trudging along with low level claiming races.
Of course, the handles are still good at Saratoga and Del Mar, but it does seem like the industry is doing a lot to shoot themselves in the foot.
Bring back the Mass Cap! That's what I say.
Innovation District? AHAHAHAHA!
Yeah, right. We can't even get prime waterfront real estate developed and you want to turn a horse track surrounded by tank farms into an 'innovation' district.