Few and far between are those public building projects that are criticized for proceeding too quickly.
Yet there's reason for concern when the state, after decades of promising rail commuters it would build new garages at the Salem and Beverly depots, is now rushing to complete them by December 2011.
The additional parking facilities are much needed, and should help encourage people to use mass transit rather than drive to and from Boston. However, both were envisioned as part of more ambitious plans to promote transit-oriented development in downtown Salem and along lower Rantoul Street in Beverly.
Now the state says the development aspects will have to wait since it is under court order to have the parking facilities up and running before the stroke of midnight on Dec. 31, 2011.
Be that as it may, both the Driscoll and Scanlon administrations should insist that these projects be designed to enhance, rather than detract from, the surrounding area and accommodate future development on site.
Asked whether the MBTA might construct some cookie-cutter concrete structure at her city's commuter rail depot, Driscoll said last week, "That is clearly not going to happen." We hope not.
The Salem garage is approaching the 30 percent design phase, but city officials have been closely monitoring the project to make sure it meshes with the new courthouse and other nearby structures. The facility will stand at a key gateway to the downtown astride the North Street overpass, after all, and it is absolutely essential that it work functionally and aesthetically with both the existing infrastructure and whatever the city plans for the property it owns (currently used for parking, separate from the MBTA lot) at the depot site.
The uncertain economy has put a damper on commercial development everywhere, and that certainly seems to have been the case with plans for a mix of residential and retail uses which were to be built in conjunction with the garage at the Beverly Depot site. But like, his Salem counterpart, Beverly Mayor Bill Scanlon says he's confident investor interest will be there when the business climate improves.
In the long term, both the Salem and Beverly garages promise to be a boon to their respective downtowns. And while it's good to know they will be built sooner rather than later, there's good reason and plenty of time to make sure they are designed properly.
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