None springs to mind for me. (BTW, I'm a 69 year Boston resident.)
Maybe there wasn't much residential in the Seaport District, but in the early 60s there were plenty of small (maybe tiny would be a better word) businesses there (at least one sued in the 80s -- I didn't get on the jury, but I was called for jury duty but not selected) -- I had an after school job in that area. I don't recall what was there before the Convention Center -- my point was that it was a union boondoggle; from what I read, state-financed convention centers, like state-financed sports arenas, are always a loss to the taxpayers.
Charlestown was yuppified while Southie was still having a rash of arson fires in the early 80s, some vacant buildings, others apparently to get rid of tenants the easy way.
I suspect the only lesson learned from the West End was to try not to do it so crudely.
I have quite a few relatives that have done very well for themselves by selling their homes in South Boston in recent years. I am still kicking myself for not buying a 3 family for $225K back in 1996 on N street.