"They are talking about getting some designers to compete," Bob Bliss, spokesperson for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, tells GlobeSt.com. According to Bliss, it is the waterfront area here that is proving to be most difficult to create a plan that satisfies all relevant parties, including local neighborhoods, state and local agencies and the public.
Designing the Surface Artery has been a source of contention for over a year now as various groups--the city, the state, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority--argue over who will govern it and who will pay for its maintenance. According to Meredith Bauman of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the Central Artery Surface Restoration Commission will be meeting shortly to continue discussing plans for the Artery. "There are still no definitive answers on who is overseeing it," she tells GlobeSt.com.
The Surface Artery Commission has been meeting for nearly 18 months now and has come up with designs for certain parts of the Surface Artery reportedly including the North End, the Quincy Market area, Chinatown, the Leather District and Dewey Square. The Turnpike Authority hired a master planner last year.
Unconfirmed reports state that a new plan is brewing that would address the problem areas and would include year round enclosed gardens, a park and an underground museum. Suggestions in the past for the Surface Artery have included fountains, pools, tourist information kiosks, cafes and even a carousel. Planners would also like to see walkways, plazas, benches and other gathering spaces. Environmental permits for the Surface Artery ensure that land designated as open or public space cannot be developed.
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