Friday, February 17, 2006

If we build it, they will come ... and we still will have the highest cost of doing business in the country

Mayor Tom Menino wants to build Boston's tallest skyscraper. He says, "it will be a stunning statement of our belief in Boston's bright future." You know what would actually be a stunning statement about our future? Getting the price of doing business down so Boston can attract business and retain our citizens. Boston consistently ranks as the most expensive city in the nation to do business. Massachusetts is one of the few states to loose population every year. A skyscraper isn't going to solve that.

I love spectacle and the thought of a big building is cool. But, (1) Extra office space isn't going to help us out & (2) It smacks of NYC ... Boston isn't a town with an amazing skyline and shouldn't aspire to be part of the skyscraper club. I whole heartedly support civic development that moves us forward. I just don't see how a new skyskraper will accomplish anything.

If private developers want to move forward with this, I'm all for it. But I don't think it's a point for political grandstanding and it sure doesn't deserve a lot of tax breaks.

1 comment:

ackfoo said...

Agreed. Menino apparently likes to play architect. When I was living there he pushed the people putting up that new building (the one on the far right in this picture) into making the top of the building "interesting." I think he wants the big building thing to be a part of his legacy. The problem is that more companies are moving out of Boston (Fidelity is apparently moving more of its operations to Rhode Island) and i don't think demand for space is going up. I don't doubt that an increase in office space (with the corresponding decrease in average price per square foot) could help with economics, but I agree that the city should not be paying in any way.