Joseph O’Malley
Joseph O’Malley
Title: General Manager, Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Age: 34
Experience: 20 years
Joe O’Malley is overseeing a series of changes designed to help Faneuil Hall Marketplace compete with revitalized shopping scenes in Boston neighborhoods such as Downtown Crossing, the Seaport District and the Fenway. A Dorchester native and first cousin of Mayor Marty Walsh, O’Malley worked as an event manager and building manager for the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority before taking over as general manager of the Colonial-era landmark in April. O’Malley says he’s determined to repair the sometimes-prickly relationship between leaseholder Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp. of New York and the 200,000-square-foot marketplace’s tenants.
Q: What’s your top priority as general manager?
A: Overall, you can tell it’s a 40-year-old marketplace. We’d like to bring some unique local concepts in the food court but also redo those that we feel do well here. We’re in the process of rolling out the first phase of lease renewals. It’ll be the first of many phases. Quincy Market makes this space special, and so do the pushcarts. Without naming specific businesses, we are lacking some things in there. Now with Eataly in the Pru, a fresh concept, people want fresh things, but also good food quickly. In 2017, we’re observing what works and what’s missing and trying to bring that exciting new vendor in.
Q: What are the latest plans for the rotunda?
A: We want to really create it as an extremely unique event space, one of the most unique event spaces in the city. Just the nature of it: where else can you go with a 19th-century rotunda? Giving that to a food and beverage provider to handle, there’s so many logistics that go on with that, making sure the tenants and the food court tenants aren’t impacted with foot traffic. From the plans that I’ve seen and are working on, a nightclub is not really the word. It’s more like a lounge and event space. We had a yoga class and dance party from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on a random December morning. We want to expand on that and how we can use that event space so that it can benefit the folks that are already here.
Q: How is the relationship with the current group of merchants?
A: We’re trying to be as transparent as possible with the merchants’ association so the right people are involved in the process, people who have been here 30 or 40 years and have seen what works. In the past, that hasn’t been done and that’s something I’ve been focused on. I’m in every merchants meeting, speaking with the executive board, being the conduit between Ashkenazy and the merchants. This place needs a facelift. It needs a change and some exuberance and we have a young, intelligent, energetic team.
Q: When is Sephora opening?
A: Feb. 27 is the soft opening. And then probably a bigger reveal in the spring when the weather is good. It’s the first of many steps that we’re going to implement to improve this place. Sephora will attract the locals. It’ll also be good for the tourists as well. What we’re going to work on in 2017 is our outdoor programming. We’re not a mall. We’re a festival marketplace. We have been for 40 years. We’ve done dance classes, chess tournaments, just trying to be a little innovative and creative and push the envelope as well.
Q: What’s the timing for the hotel project?
A: In this (South) building, we are still looking at a hotel, but that is not even in the design phase yet. It would be great, anything to capture the shoulder months of the year, which is only January, February and March. The holiday season we did great. What I found remarkable was October. I couldn’t believe how many cruise ship (passengers) we had, you have 650 people on a cruise ship, it’s remarkable.
Q: Any plans to hire an outside broker for the 150,000-square-foot office space segment?
A: We just hired Boston Realty Advisors. They’ve been working for us the last couple of months. In April, our occupancy was only 72 percent. By May, our occupancy will be in the low 90’s. As far as retail, there are discussions. The Ashkenazy team in New York has retail brokers, and it’s me and my team looking for leads. We are looking for the new exciting retailers, and I really want to focus on local.
Q: What can you offer local retailers to compete with credit tenants on lease terms?
A: A very competitive rent, certainly. Right now, we’re in the need and there is a demand for makers. We have space available for artisans. We’d be happy to help them on rent. Right now we have the 1630 shop. They have a gift shop and in the back they had a little museum-type exhibit. Now they have a makerspace, folks who come in and make their own product. They’ve been here a year now. They’re a pop-up. It’s Boston-based, named after the year Boston was founded.
Q: How do you define a pop-up store?
A: It would be a license agreement instead of a lease. The outdoor seasonal carts are on a seasonal nine-month term. (The length) would be on a case-by-case basis.
Q: Has the mayor given you any advice?
A: He didn’t, actually. I wish he did. No, he’s been giving me advice since I was a child, so it’s been great to grow up with him as a role model for me.
Q: And he can keep an eye on you from his office.
A: He can indeed.
Watch Joseph O’Malley’s video interview for more about gift shop 1630 and Faneuil Hall’s strategy to fill vacant storefronts.
O’Malley’s Five Most Memorable Boston Sports Moments:
- Patriots win Super Bowl XXXVI
- Red Sox win World Series 2004
- Ryder Cup 1999
- Bruins Stanley Cup 2011
- Savin Hill Expos Little League Champions 2014
