Seaport District through the years

In 1925, the area revolved around the piers. Called the Harbor Wharves at this time, the Seaport Distict was primarily used by boats to unload fish.

The two piers were named Fish Pier and Commonwealth Pier.

In the ‘60s, Fish Pier was still a hub of shipping activity. Fishermen would unload their catches to the mainland for storage and distribution.

The local economy revolved around the Wharves, with shops and restaurants opposite the docks.

Pictured are Fish Pier (left) and Commonwealth Pier (right), today they are the home to seafood restaurants and Boston’s World Trade Center, respectively.

Boats dock along Fish Pier, unloading their hauls.

Fish on the aptly named pier.

In the late ‘60s, developers had big plans for the piers—plans that would never become a reality.

Fast forward to 1998. The Moakley Courthouse (pictured right) dominated the otherwise barren wasteland of the area now known as the Seaport District.

This aerial shot shows the Seaport in the late ‘90s as many Bostonians remember it: a barren wasteland of parking lots and concrete.

Apartment complexes began taking shape in the early 21st century, as developers realized the untapped potential of the area.

The Westin Hotel, pictured under construction in 2005, capitalized on the harbor and skyline views to bring people into the developing neighborhood.

In 2006, the area around the Moakley Courthouse was mainly parking, which is now in short supply throughout Boston, as space gets snapped up by developers.

The Harborwalk and Fan Pier, just around the corner from the Moakley Courthouse, started getting a makeover in 2012.

Dubbed the “Innovation District’’ by Mayor Tom Menino in 2010, the area continues its rapid development today.

Boats still dock along the former Harbor Wharves, but today they hold cruises rather than boatloads of sailors.

Construction continued in 2014 along the Innovation District’s main artery, Seaport Boulevard.

State Street Corp and a host of other businesses now call flashy new offices in the Innovation District home.

Just across the Fort Point Channel, visitors are greeted by sights of new apartment and office complexes being erected.

Boston’s newest waterfront neighborhood continues to take shape.

The construction of a new waterfront community on Pier 4 will include approximately 1 million square feet of office, residential, retail, and public space.

Boston’s Institue of Contemporary Art wants to expand next door into some of the new space at Pier 4.

District Hall, a 12,000-square-foot, multi-use urban meeting area, opened in the fall of 2013 as a kind of clubhouse for the Innovation District’s new residents.

Construction at Fan Pier begins to take shape.

The Parcel K proposal would replace a parking lot across from the Bank of America Pavillion.

Parcel K would also include residential buildings as part of its construction.

One of the newest proposed projects is a Yotel, a European chain of small, luxury hotels, with locations already in New York, Amsterdam, and London.

This rendering of a few buildings of the Seaport Square development typify the new Seaport District architecture: lots of glass and green urban spaces.