BLOCK PARTY IN SEAPORT
Retail project is unveiled
The biggest retail project since the South Bay Plaza opened decades ago was officially unveiled yesterday, but it’s just a small portion of what is to come in the Seaport District, aka the South Boston waterfront, developers and officials said.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Yanni Tsipis, an executive with WS Development, said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for One Seaport. “Even with today’s opening, not even 25 percent of the total retail and restaurant space in this neighborhood that will be opening in the coming years will be complete.”
The 1.5 million-square-foot project on Seaport Boulevard is the largest mixed-use development built in more than 30 years, developers say, and includes more than 800 apartments.
Yesterday, developers officially opened much of the retail part of the project, including fitness club Equinox, modern bowling alley Kings and lululemon.
L.L. Bean and movie theater ShowPlace ICON are expected to open in coming months. Restaurants in the project include Luke’s Lobster, Tuscan Kitchen and 75 on Courthouse Square.
One Seaport is a three-acre development at the center of countless new buildings in the area, taking up two city blocks. WS Development is responsible for the retail across 23 acres in the area.
“It’s becoming a place where families can raise families in the neighborhood, businesses can come here, we can see businesses grow and thrive,” Mayor Martin J. Walsh said.
The area has been maligned for its abundance of luxury housing and retail, but lack of basic necessities for any neighborhood. Finally, there are signs that may be changing, including the opening of the first barbershop in the waterfront. Walsh said he is also pushing for a grocery store, along with other neighborhood amenities.
“We’re working on that stuff, we want to make sure they get a grocery store,” Walsh said. “We have to make sure as we continue to build out the waterfront that we keep space for arts and culture and open space so people can come and enjoy it.”
Still, there are concerns that the neighborhood created from the ground up may be too tailored to upper-class residents. At-Large City Councilor Michael Flaherty said he will be keeping a close eye on the types of retail and entertainment that open in the area.
“We want to make sure it’s an affordable experience to folks so they know and feel welcome,” Flaherty said. “If the price points are going to be such that they’re exclusive, I’m going to have a problem with that.”