The proposed City Hall would cost $300-million and be located between Northern Avenue and the harbor's edge.

Reaction has been mixed. Community leaders including Senator Jack Hart of South Boston hailed it as visionary. Others wonder about parking and access by public transportation. "Let me see, how to say this delicately: I don't think this is a good idea," said Thomas H. O'Connor, a South Boston native who has written several books on Boston's history, including "Building A New Boston: Politics and Urban Renewal." "It's supposed to be a teeming, busy City Hall, and he's going to stick it way the hell out on the peninsula in South Boston, where it will be all alone?" he said.