The Salem Partnership, which just turned 25, represents a quarter-century's worth of successful joint endeavors involving the city, its business community and its major institutions. Without it, there likely would be no Friendship, no J. Michael Ruane Judicial Center.
Here's a couple of suggestions on how, going forward, such cooperation might bear fruit in the future:
The Essex Street pedestrian mall is badly in need of a face-lift.
While debate continues on whether it should be open to traffic on a limited basis, there's no question that the infrastructure — cobblestones, bricks, fountains, lighting, etc. — needs to be updated.
The city is seeking city and federal funds to help finance this work, but there's also opportunity in the major expansion planned by the Peabody Essex Museum for its downtown campus.
It would benefit everyone, in our view, if the museum were to take the lead in renovating East India Square, transforming it into a European-style plaza that would serve as a true gathering place for visitors, residents and workers during the warmer months.
The Salem ferry has fallen on hard times with talk of a greatly reduced schedule this season.
Salem officials have reached out to their counterparts in Lynn about the possibility of using the city-owned vessel to help realize the latter's dream of having a maritime link to Boston as it seeks to revive its moribund waterfront.
We would urge those in Lynn, including Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy and Sen. Tom McGee, who chairs the legislative transportation committee, to take the Driscoll administration up on its offer.
The two cities are already linked by rail and bus routes. This would provide a third transit option for commuters throughout the north-of-Boston area, and might eventually be expanded to include stops at Logan Airport and direct service on weekends to the Boston Harbor islands.
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