Meeting Reveals Most Pushcarts Will Stay After Faneuil Hall Renovation
Quincy Market is getting a facelift. What exactly that will entail is up for debate.
Few things are more iconic to Boston than Quincy Market. The huge Greek Revival structure, built in 1826, is visited by some 18 million visitors per year – that’s more than the Great Wall of China.
Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation (AAC), the New York firm that has owned Quincy Market since 2011— along with city officials, locals, and food and pushcart vendors — have decided Quincy Market is long overdue for a facelift. But what this facelift will entail, exactly, is where there lies disagreement.
Local architect Elkus Manfredi has sketched out a “Master Plan’’ which includes a 180-room hotel, more open space for sit-down restaurants, a bar and new restaurants. What’s missing? Many of the food and pushcart vendors who have previously voiced concerns that their license agreements and leases might not be renewed after the redesign.
[fragment number=0]
(Floorplans for Quincy Market Redevelopment courtesy of The Boston Landmark Commission.)
According to AAC, pushcart vendors are on short-term leases. They sign 12-month agreements that let the landlord terminate without cause with 30-days notice, or within five days of a monetary default.
Monday afternoon, the Boston City Council addressed some of their concerns at a public forum The meeting, run by BCC, specifically focused on the impact the redesign could have on pushcart vendors, but AAC also revealed more details about which businesses would stay, and which would go.
More Changes Revealed
Faneuil Hall’s general manager Kristin Keefe said the new pushcart program would try to accommodate as many vendors as possible, and that they only expect a “five percent reduction overall.’’
A five percent reduction means decreasing the number of indoor and outdoor pushcarts by three—from 59 to 56 total.
“The pushcart program, or the Bull Market, as it is known, is an original feature of the Marketplace and one that we are committed to continue well into the future,’’ AAC said.
The statement also said the cart designs will be updated and the carts will be grouped by category to create villages.
The food vendors can expect a bit more change, however.
AAC said food vendors The Monkey Bar and Boston Chowda have been offered lease renewals. Al Mercatino and West End Strollers will be combined into one location and given a multi-year lease.
Those three food vendors were the only ones mentioned in AAC’s statement. The rest of the decisions regarding the renewal of food vendors’ licenses will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
One Asian food service will be evicted because they were unable to meet their “contractual obligations,’’ AAC said.
“A multitude of factors were considered in making these difficult decisions, including location and sales volume. These business decisions were made on a case-by-case basis and the discontinued concepts are under-performers in their category on the property,’’ AAC said.
Someone present at the city council meeting said the total amount that tenants currently owe to AAC and the city in late rent was around $750,000.
Instead of paying taxes, AAC said they pay the city 23 percent of retail revenue. When rent is not collected, both AAC and the city lose money.
Some Vendors Still Worried
Still, some food vendors remain skeptical and continue to push back at the changes.
Harry Haralabatos, owner of Aris BBQ, a food vendor that sells hamburgers, fries, and barbeque chicken in Quincy Market, said he doesn’t think that number is accurate and disputed it at the meeting.
“There aren’t enough stores to include that kind of rent problem,’’ he said. “Do the math. It won’t happen that way.’’
Haralabatos said his lease has yet to be renewed. “We can’t live like this. I can’t run a business without a lease.’’
Carol Troxell, president of the Faneuil Hall Merchant’s Association, spoke on behalf of the vendors at the meeting.
“The pushcart merchants can sleep better at night knowing that the program will continue,’’ she said. “The other merchants are also thankful that the city council shares our concerns about not having leases. We hope that communication will be better between the property management and all the merchants so that we can both work toward a successful future for Faneuil Hall Marketplace.’’
Susan Luongo runs Happy Hangups, a pushcart at Quincy Market that has sold Christmas ornaments for the past 32 years. She’s worked there since she was 15 years old. Though her license agreement has been renewed, she’s worried about the future of Quincy Market.
“What’s bad to me,’’ Luongo said, “is that as a country, as a whole, we’ve become like sheep. We’ve lost our uniqueness. Our beauty.’’ She paused, and then turned to straighten a crooked snowman ornament.
Luongo said she has seen management companies come and go, and each one runs things differently. AAC, brought international retailers like Uniqlo, a Japanese clothing store into the marketplace. Luongo said these big businesses push out the local merchants.
Luongo said Happy Hangups has many of its ornaments made in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, and New Hampshire. “We are a unique. Local. Boston. Tax-Paying. Retailer,’’ said Luongo, pausing for emphasis after each word.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com