Downtown Boston businesses hope new mayor brings revival

BOSTON — Businesses in the commercial heart of Boston have high hopes for a comeback as a new mayor takes the reins.

Commercial sections of the city that emptied during the pandemic continue to see a limited amount of foot traffic. Some businesses in the Financial District remain closed because the majority of office buildings have not returned to full-time in-person work.

Many of those businesses have always relied on the daytime rush of office workers. Boston’s new Mayor Michelle Wu said she’s been talking to employers about returning to the office but also sees an opportunity to reimagine downtown.

The solutions that Wu has in mind include repurposing some of the excess office space into housing, creating new opportunities for commercial tenants, and pushing for on-site child care at every large office building.

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“One of the challenges for Mayor Wu will be dealing with the very real needs of social equity while at the same time making sure that the people who pay taxes remain,” said Edward Glaeser, professor of Economics at Harvard University.

Glaeser taught Wu when she was a student at Harvard. His latest book “Survival of the City” analyzes the future of urban centers in a post-pandemic world.

“One of the options as Boston looks forward is to rezone some areas that are currently commercial as more mixed-use,” Glaeser explained. “Cities at their best are machines that constantly reinvent themselves.”

Glaeser said Boston has been built around high-skilled workers for decades. He believes that will play a role in downtown Boston making a steady return down the line.

“Face-to-face contact is crucial in a knowledge-based economy,” he added. “We certainly don’t know all the answers to a post-COVID Boston.”

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