General Electric HQ (Necco Buildings Reno) | 5 Necco Street | Fort Point

[JumboBuc]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

The full City/State proposal to GE is here.

The volunteered non-Seaport buildings for renovation were:
-Former BPS HQ at 26 Court Street.
-Mass DOT building at 185 Kneeland Street.

The possible Seaport locations are:

 

[Scalziand]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

-Mass DOT building at 185 Kneeland Street.

Lol, nobody except MDOT wants a building in the middle of a highway interchange.

 

[Arlington]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

It strikes me as odd set of transport criteria. Isn't the bottom line that a decent share of execs are going to come/go by Black Car?

If it is all about Logan access for execs, how many of them would ever care what the "by transit" time is??

Face it, the farther East you go in the seaport, the suckier everything gets: transit, car, & access to South Station.

 

[stellarfun]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

If one goes to Figure 5 in this Massport presentation, there is a good schematic of all the parcels with massing buildout.

https://www.massport.com/media/2771...RFP-Graphics-Package-Revised-October-2014.pdf

 

[Mongo]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

Does anyone who what determines Helipad eligible land? Like is the Kendall area eligible?

 

[Semass]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

Seems to me that with a number of these parcels on offer, the T Under D project becomes more pressing. Or, at least, some fucking signal priority.

 

[whighlander]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

Does anyone who what determines Helipad eligible land? Like is the Kendall area eligible?

Mongo -- all you need is space for the Heliport [ place to land + clearance from ground objects] and no overhead things such as power lines

That's why a lot of heliports are atop of buildings such as Mass General

Obviously the top floor of a big parking garage makes an excellent heliport -- just need to move a few lights out of the zone and of course clear out the cars

A big surface lot with no really tall buildings around it such as the Volpe Lot would work also

I'd say there's plenty of room for a heliport in Kendall

 

[Arlington]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

Seems to me that with a number of these parcels on offer, the T Under D project becomes more pressing. Or, at least, some fucking signal priority.

Totally. And even more urgent to know where the next gen of SL bus fleet is coming from. And using the downramp by the State Police into the TWT. It is also time for the Gold Line

North Station
Haymarket
Aquarium
Seaport (Signal priority on Congress)
Ted Williams
Airport

The Seaport needs real transit ,connections from the West and North and higher-frequency service in the existing tunnel(s)

 

[whighlander]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

Lol, nobody except MDOT wants a building in the middle of a highway interchange.

Scalziand -- today on NECN, Peter Howe, the business editor, indicated 2 properties were currently the most likely candidates for the GE HQ:

1) the strange shaped parcel in the midst of all the ramps between Summer St. and Congress St., owned by Massport
2) 121 Seaport Blvd -- Skansa's project that they tag with "Think forward. Work forward. Move forward."
a 17-story 400,000 SF Class-A office building -- plunk a big logo

on it and Voila

Of course once the advance GE HQ folks are here for a few weeks other options might become available

I would think that GE will want to have something settled for Jeff Immelt to mention as "our future home" when they have the official welcoming "Whoop de Do" on February 18, 2016. The location of the public session is as yet unspecified, although I'm guessing its likely in the Seaport / Innovation District such as the Westin or the BCEC Ballroom

 

[TheRifleman]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

Totally. And even more urgent to know where the next gen of SL bus fleet is coming from. And using the downramp by the State Police into the TWT. It is also time for the Gold Line

North Station
Haymarket
Aquarium
Seaport (Signal priority on Congress)
Ted Williams
Airport

The Seaport needs real transit ,connections from the West and North and higher-frequency service in the existing tunnel(s)

This would have made sense before the entire buildout happening in Seaport. I think we might be too late for MBTA infrastructure change in the area. And that is why Seaport will be flawed

That is what happens when you have leaders with shit for brains

 

[stick n move]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

Its never too late. We have some of the smartest people in the entire world here, we may not know the answer but that doesn't mean there isn't one. That being said money is the issue.

 

[whighlander]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

This would have made sense before the entire buildout happening in Seaport. I think we might be too late for MBTA infrastructure change in the area. And that is why Seaport will be flawed

Riff -- take a look at the site or even just look at Google Map satellite -- yes there has been a lot of development -- however, it is not anywhere close to "Build-out"

While there are constraints -- mostly due to the Turnpike and various ramps -- there are still plenty of possible road and transit improvements which can be built in the Seaport / Innovation District -- as someone once said -- all it takes is money

 

[Shepard]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

Totally. And even more urgent to know where the next gen of SL bus fleet is coming from. And using the downramp by the State Police into the TWT. It is also time for the Gold Line

North Station
Haymarket
Aquarium
Seaport (Signal priority on Congress)
Ted Williams
Airport

The Seaport needs real transit ,connections from the West and North and higher-frequency service in the existing tunnel(s)

Spot on, Arlington. It's disgraceful that you can't get from North Station to the heart of the Seaport (beyond walking distance from South Station) with fewer that 2 transfers. (Blue Line isn't even worth trying, although the new SL Chelsea seems scheduled to stop at Airport station and proceed from there to the Seaport - so that will be corrected).

This is one reason the Piers Transitway (the SL tunnel) was such a boondoggle. Every seaport street as laid out is clearly wide enough for real surface BRT, which would have given much greater routing flexibility to hit points north and west of South Station rather than dead-ending there. (The other reason it was a boondoggle, of course, was the terrible planning at the other end that lacked any direct connection into the TWT short of a massive roundabout surface route.)

I wonder what the real cost would be of what, on the Green Line Reconfiguration Thread, F-Line, Davem and others have dubbed the "Phase 1" - sending GL trains south from Boylston through the Tremont Street tunnel and, possibly cheaply on surface routing, bring it around by the pike into the transitway. Even though that first phase doesn't hit Back Bay (without a reverse-direction transfer at Boylston) it does bring North Station and GLX into the direct Seaport orbit. I'd expect that phase to be quite inexpensive, being mostly re-used infrastructure and plying urban renewal land.

 

[Arlington]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

I think we might be too late for MBTA infrastructure change in the area.

I see the "Gold Line" as a surface route with signal priority, not a tunnel.

The silly thing is they built that downramp for the Silver Line (see page 1-2 in a later EIS) and have given it plenty of lane-buffer for merging,[/URL] but have never used it.

As an amateur planner has pointed out, using that ramp would save serious time and traffic (and a light), but everyone seems to have forgotten that it was designed for the Silver Line but by 2007 it has come to be known as an emergency ramp controlled by massport police. How'd that happen? Can the Governor make it unhappen?

 

[whighlander]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

Spot on, Arlington. It's disgraceful that you can't get from North Station to the heart of the Seaport (beyond walking distance from South Station) with fewer that 2 transfers. (Blue Line isn't even worth trying, although the new SL Chelsea seems scheduled to stop at Airport station and proceed from there to the Seaport - so that will be corrected).

This is one reason the Piers Transitway (the SL tunnel) was such a boondoggle. Every seaport street as laid out is clearly wide enough for real surface BRT, which would have given much greater routing flexibility to hit points north and west of South Station rather than dead-ending there. (The other reason it was a boondoggle, of course, was the terrible planning at the other end that lacked any direct connection into the TWT short of a massive roundabout surface route.)

Shep -- those are valid points -- but hardly insurmountable

For the short term GE just as Fidelity, can run a private bus from North Station to GE temporary HQ -- possibly it could run NS to SS to GE via Summer St.

Longerterm there will undoubtedly be talks now that envision major fixes for the transit and auto issues in / to / from the district

The really good news is that the Gov. and the Mayor seem to be on the same wavelength on the GE thing -- so now when you add Jeff Immelt to the picture -- I'm sure that the new Big 3 will be able to come up with a plan

By the time that GE is settled in 2018 Summer -- there will be a process underway with a good prospect of success

 

[bigeman312]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

It may be time to revive a modified Silver Line Phase 3. Connecting the SL1/SL2 to the Orange and Green Lines would substantially improve trips between the South Boston Waterfront and:

• Back Bay Station. Currently, transit between Back Bay and SBW requires a walking transfer between DTX and SS, a three-seat ride with one stop on the Red, or having lucky timing with the CR. SLPhase3 would allow a much needed two-seat ride with a direct transfer from the Orange Line.
• North Station. Right now, transit between NS and SBW means needing to time the infrequent 4 or 7 bus, a three-seat ride with one stop on the Red, or a walking transfer between DTX and SS. SLPhase3 would allow a much needed two-seat ride with a direct transfer from the Orange Line.
• Southern end of the Orange Line (Mass Ave, Ruggles, Forest Hills, etc). Now, you need a walking transfer from DTX-SS or a three-seat ride. As with NS and BBY, having a two-seat ride, with a direct Orange<->Silver transfer would be a major boon.
• Western end of the Green Line (Copley, Hynes, Kenmore, and points west). A three-seat ride or long walking transfer (Park St to SS) would become a two-seat ride with a direct Green<->Silver transfer.
• Northern end of the Orange Line (Sullivan, Wellington, Malden, etc). A three-seat ride or a walking transfer (DTX to SS) would become a two-seat ride with a direct Orange<->Silver transfer.

Combined with the Silver Line Gateway, this would give you a two-seat ride from everywhere in the rapid transit system.

 

[falcon42]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

So does anyone think they will actually reopen the Northern Ave bridge as GE said?

 

[George_Apley]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

I see the "Gold Line" as a surface route with signal priority, not a tunnel.

The silly thing is they built that downramp for the Silver Line (see page 1-2 in a later EIS) and have given it plenty of lane-buffer for merging,[/URL] but have never used it.

As an amateur planner has pointed out, using that ramp would save serious time and traffic (and a light), but everyone seems to have forgotten that it was designed for the Silver Line but by 2007 it has come to be known as an emergency ramp controlled by massport police. How'd that happen? Can the Governor make it unhappen?

A surface bus route in the Seaport? Branded as "real transit"? How would that remotely be any more "BRT" than the SL5?? By my estimation it would be even worse. Congress Street barely functions at rush hour.

 

[George_Apley]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

It may be time to revive a modified Silver Line Phase 3. Connecting the SL1/SL2 to the Orange and Green Lines would substantially improve trips between the South Boston Waterfront and:

• Back Bay Station. Currently, transit between Back Bay and SBW requires a walking transfer between DTX and SS, a three-seat ride with one stop on the Red, or having lucky timing with the CR. SLPhase3 would allow a much needed two-seat ride with a direct transfer from the Orange Line.
• North Station. Right now, transit between NS and SBW means needing to time the infrequent 4 or 7 bus, a three-seat ride with one stop on the Red, or a walking transfer between DTX and SS. SLPhase3 would allow a much needed two-seat ride with a direct transfer from the Orange Line.
• Southern end of the Orange Line (Mass Ave, Ruggles, Forest Hills, etc). Now, you need a walking transfer from DTX-SS or a three-seat ride. As with NS and BBY, having a two-seat ride, with a direct Orange<->Silver transfer would be a major boon.
• Western end of the Green Line (Copley, Hynes, Kenmore, and points west). A three-seat ride or long walking transfer (Park St to SS) would become a two-seat ride with a direct Green<->Silver transfer.
• Northern end of the Orange Line (Sullivan, Wellington, Malden, etc). A three-seat ride or a walking transfer (DTX to SS) would become a two-seat ride with a direct Orange<->Silver transfer.

Combined with the Silver Line Gateway, this would give you a two-seat ride from everywhere in the rapid transit system.

Any project that manages to do all that should just be the Green Line to Seaport scheme we've debated on aB for three years...

 

[whighlander]

Re: General Electric HQ | TBD | Innovation District

So does anyone think they will actually reopen the Northern Ave bridge as GE said?

Falcon -- if GE choses the Skansa project at 121 Seaport Blvd -- I'll bet that a fix can be found to reopen the old Northern Ave Bridge -- possibly one way depending on time of day with the rest a pedestrian bridge