Jay Walsh
Title: Executive Director, Downtown North Association
Age: 43
Experience: 15 years
Jay Walsh was named executive director of the Downtown North Association in October to succeed the retiring Bob O’Brien, and assumed the new post on Jan. 1. The 120-member nonprofit organization represents the business, institutional and residential interests of the West End and North Station neighborhoods. The area is at the epicenter of one of Boston’s most active commercial and residential development scenes, with several massive projects nearing groundbreaking in 2015, including redevelopment of the Government Center garage and TD Garden properties. A West Roxbury native, Walsh spent 15 years in the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, including nine years as executive director, from 2005 through May 2014.
Q: You’re no stranger to the Downtown North neighborhood through your role at neighborhood services, but what have you learned about the area in the past three months?
A: There’s a ton going on here right now and it was an opportunity to get to know people and what was going on. I knew a lot from my previous job, but it was more from the outside looking in. There are huge significant projects that are in process or about to break ground in 2015. These are going to be transformative projects. We’re going to have significantly more residents coming to the area, along with the office towers that are going to bring more people on a daily basis.
Q: How do the organization’s priorities change as North Station becomes more of a residential neighborhood?
A: If you want this area to become a destination place for residents, you want them to have everything they need to accomplish in their own lives, things like a supermarket. One thing is to look at the retail mix and have more retail for the needs of the people who live and work in the area. And with these projects come some significant infrastructure projects. In early 2015, the Connect Historic Boston project is going to kick off between Causeway Street and Merrimack and Staniford streets. That’s going to include new streets, sidewalks, streetscapes. The goal is better connections for pedestrians and vehicular traffic.
Q: What does the neighborhood still lack from a real estate perspective?
A: We’re meeting with restaurants next week to talk about ways to promote the area for non-Garden events. The way they’ve planned their establishments, they’re looking at the Garden for being draws. We’re looking to promote non-Garden events to bring people to the area. Tavern In The Square is an example. They seem to draw a couple of hundred people for lunch and dinner during the evening and weekends. It’s shown there are people willing to come here on non-event nights.
Q: What’s the top priority for the new year?
A: The goal for 2015 is to continue to push for infrastructure upgrades to the area, monitor new developments and bring new development issues to the table. With those major transformative projects, it’ll be making sure the impacts won’t be negative to the businesses in the area, to make sure there’s communication with the city of Boston and the contractors.
Walsh’s Top 5 Favorite TV Series:
- “The Wire”
- “The Blacklist”
- “Homeland”
- “The West Wing”
- “House of Cards”
