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A Boston Jazz Hall of Fame on the Waterfront will be a catalyst for drawing connections within Greater Boston, such as between the downtown side and airport sides of Boston Harbor; between the neighborhoods of Roxbury and East Boston; between the traditions of the city's black and white jazz artists; between formal education and the informal aspects of learning about music and culture; between broadcasting and the record business and the performance of live music; between the generations of people who have performed, taught and appreciated the music through the years; between the people working on this project and those dedicated to establishing new parks, walkways and maritime and immigration museums; and also between all of the related nonprofit and profit-making institutions - Logan Airport, the public schools, music colleges, hotels, water transportation companies, eateries, convention centers, tourism bureaus, the filmmakers, music stores, the broadcasting industry, and, most of all between Boston's wonderful network of musicians and those who appreciate them. When it comes time to search out the financial backing for the Jazz Hall enterprise, it would be foolish not to include all of these elements in the mix.
PLANNING STAGE
Currently, the drawing board is clean, and for the Boston Jazz Hall of
Fame to become a reality, building/renovation sites must be chosen, cost
estimates made, and the way must be cleared politically as well as
financially. Therefore, time should not be wasted to put together a
co-ordinating group to begin this process while also continuing to
expand the connections mentioned above.
At this stage, it would seem that the City of Boston would be the appropriate overseer for the preliminary planning and that financing could be drawn from the State Lottery arts fund, the tourism bureaus and perhaps Massport. Hopefully, the chosing of a final architectural designer/builder and establishment of the financial resources will flow out of this process.
PILOT PROGRAMS
Although those involved so far have little reservation that a Boston
Jazz Hall of Fame on the East Boston waterfront would work well in every
aspect, culturally, economically and environmentally, it would be useful
to demonstrate the credibility of the proposal through some early pilot
programs.
With the help of Boston City Concillor Diane Modica, a $1 water shuttle service has been established connecting East Boston to Long Wharf and Charlestown. So far, not many people from the other side of the harbor have been using it to visit East Boston. However, once an anchor is established to draw visitors from downtown and the other neighborhoods to the Samuel Maverick Square area, advocates of the Jazz Hall believe ridership will increase overwhelmingly.
A Thursday night "Taste of Eastie" festival at East Boston's Harbor Hyatt on Jan. 30 drew about 300 visitors, who paid $30 each to enjoy the neighborhood's tremendously diversified menu. A survey of those attending indicated that many of them were from other communities or worked at Logan Airport. The potential economic benefits of a similar on-going effort appear obvious, and shifting the focus of such activities from the Hyatt to a redesigned, friendlier Maverick Square would not be difficult. Massport's plans to introduce shuttle bus service between Logan's passenger terminals and East Boston's main squares plays right into the dynamic.
It would be useful to begin a process of involving the hotels on the other side of the harbor in musical events already scheduled in East Boston.
POOLING RESOURCES, INTERESTS
If there is to be an economic justification for establishing a Boston
Jazz Hall of Fame on the waterfront, it should be based on the number of
interests it would serve.
Because it would be founded as a cultural, historic center as much as an entertainment venue, every effort should be made to keep admission charges minimal, and free for residents and those with student IDs. Admissions could be tied to packages that might include air fares, hotel accommodations, water transport, food and visits to other attractions, such as the proposed maritime and immigration museums and Boston's colleges and universities.
Because of Boston's musical heritage and resources, a Boston Jazz Hall of Fame on the waterfront would make it possible for the city and its hotels, colleges, airlines, travel bureaus, convention centers, restaurants, realtors and media outlets to make a one-of-a-kind promise to all who are trying to decide whether to live, work, study or visit: Your entertainment is included!
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Last modified: May 07, 2006, 14:53 EDT