11-21 Bromfield Street | DTX | Downtown

[stefal]

The PNF is up.

I was not aware this switched over to office space. Kind of disappointing - even though it would not have added many people to the ground floor, shifting downtown to being more residential was something I was looking forward to. The program makes sense with the massing.

No on-site parking! Loading dock is not on Bromfield either.

Seems like a punch in the face to the existing ground level with this render. They also don't anticipate any further coordination with historical boards, so any hopes of maintaining the facades are pretty far gone. The balconies in the upper levels are kind of interesting, though. Not sure how active they would be in an office setting... Also, they're really following Jeff Bezos sporting a striped shirt walking around DTX in every render.

They note a material for the facade has not yet been selected, but they want to respect the warm colors of Boston's copper, wood, terra cotta, etc.

Hope they really push for some pretty drastic redesigns here, overall...

 

[eddy2698]

I feel like a larger project would have done well here

 

[Money]

I feel like a larger project would have done well here

It didn't. That's why we are stuck with the smaller one.

 

[HenryAlan]

This is kind of disappointing and boring.

 

[chrisbrat]

KIND OF disappointing and boring? this'd be the ugliest building in evansville, indiana. it's not even hot garbage, it's tepid garbage. this better not get approved as-is.

 

[Suffolk 83]

No one from the mayor down to the poorest abutter ever gives a shit about design in this city. Its pretty sad. Parking/traffic/noise/height/shadows thats the only language

 

[Equilibria]

This is a handsome design and you're all just pissed it's not 700 feet tall.

 

[Massachoicetts]

I like the design.

 

[stick n move]

This is a handsome design and you're all just pissed it's not 700 feet tall.

Agreed. I hated the 1 bromfield design so Im greatful its dead. MT and the future winthrop will do fine as the downtown crowns.

 

[617]

I like it too. Love that it continues the Washington street wall with a slight curve. Love that they kept the lagrassas/gem building. Love the balcony’s with greenery and the use of glass. I think it make a nice retail gateway/entrance to Bromfield. If anything just wish it weren’t brown. Would prefer gray

 

[Nibbles O’Plenty]

It looks a bit boring…but has some nice touches. Would be a lot more appealing at ten stories higher. Ok as long as it has no effect on Sam LaGrassa’s. I could not go on without looking forward to my next Pastrami and Swiss on dark Rye with extra brown Mustard and a side of Cole Slaw!

 

[atlantaden]

I would guess that Covid was the chief architect of the many balconies that this building presently sports.

 

[DBM]

I would guess that Covid was the chief architect of the many balconies that this building presently sports.

I would not. From what I can tell, these renderings are essentially interchangeable with the one that were released in early March, when COVID was obviously not being factored-in by the architects.

(someone please correct me if I'm mistaken and point out some significant revisions)

Here's the early March rendering that Equilibria posted upthread:

https://archboston.com/community/th...ield-street-downtown.2330/page-56#post-372413

I'm just not seeing a radical departure from that (?)

 

[estyle]

I think this looks pretty good. My biggest issue with the early design was how it just killed Bromfeld with that huge porte cochere (the one nearby at 45 Providence is managed really badly--there always seem to be too many cars around it and edging in on the sidewalk). This is better but that view of the Gem building shows how they have work to do on the ground floor to make relate to context or be really different in an interesting way. Flat with a too-high canopy isn't quite there yet

 

[HenryAlan]

This is a handsome design and you're all just pissed it's not 700 feet tall.

Yes, that's a big part of my disappointment, but I also thought that the previous design, though needing some street level tweeks, was extraordinary. This, on the other hand, is quite ordinary.

 

[Suffolk 83]

This is a handsome design and you're all just pissed it's not 700 feet tall.

Its a box just like everything else in the city so it is in fact boring. Boring can be done well and its still fucking boring.

 

[617]

Better than empty storefronts and tumbleweeds...I’m shocked anything is being built here.

 

[DZH22]

Still think we should be pushing for facadectomies in exchange for more height, all across the city for any historical building at risk. The Payless building may be relatively unremarkable, but it's another "Boston" corner that will become an "anywhere" corner. The outside should be saved, with double-height podium floors to the top of the old building, and then the tower itself should go 15-35 stories higher than the current proposal.

 

[Life Coach Mike]

This is a handsome design and you're all just pissed it's not 700 feet tall.

I like the fact that they have retained the corner building with it's more interesting facade detail and historical nature.

 

[DBM]

I like the fact that they have retained the corner building with it's more interesting facade detail and historical nature.

It wasn't theirs to retain--it's owned by the LaGrassas. I imagine they offered the LaGrassas a king's ransom to sell it but if you read the PNF and its description of the development site its clear the LaGrassas didn't sell. Must've hampered their development scenarios mightily.