Harbor Garage Redevelopment Pontificating | Waterfront

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odurandina

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Temporary Harbor Garage discussion thread until project is officially launched

In this case, Chapter 91 is essentially pretending that the garage doesn't exist. But it does, and any improvement on the area should be encouraged. I think a fair fix would be to meet a developer halfway between what is required for a structure built on open space under Chapter 91, and the open space currently allotted by the existing development.


Don has no problem with building a single tower in full compliance with open space. But it'll need to have high sq ft (above the 900,000).... Which is why we should hold out hopes for something similar to South Station Heinz Ketchup tower w/ innovation space on the first 18-20 floors, somewhere between 1M and 1.1M sq ft.

150,000 more than the city is giving him just might get it done.

It's not just about the pre-existing Garage that should be considered for open space easement. But they simply need +1M sq ft to pay the way. And fewer spaces below grade doesn't seem to interest anyone, least of all, Don himself.

Which leads us directly to the BRA's primary theory about why Don wants to build so big – being; Don's threshold for moving forward is so high, because that damn Garage is paying its way so nicely, already. With all the new projects in the area, and the Congress St Garage getting a reduction, Don's Garage just keeps getting rosier and rosier.

Add one more reason the BRA has little sympathy for Don Chiofaro.

With regard to the fantastic-in-scale amount of office space being added to Boston.

1. The city would have been better off solving the Harbor Garage early in the current cycle, but Menino wasn't having any of it. With the long time scale of many projects, and this being no different, this one should have been far way along in the pipeline by now.

2. In a perfect world, We'd already have an anchor tenant at 1 Congress; The Feds, and be building the first of 3 future 750' skyscrapers the JFK site.

3. In a perfect world, the Suffolk Courthouse either comes down or gets converted to residences, and a new Courthouse tower gets built somewhere like at the JFK office park, or more appropriately, as the low section of a big skyscraper on the State Services site, maybe even with residences in the high floors...

86. In a perfect world we'd see a few more late 19th Century and early to mid 20th Century buildings being converted to luxury residential.


One of the things that facinates me is the timing that all these big projects will be finished with the market.
 
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Re: A thread for folks obsessed with the Habor Garage but have no new information to

Good idea odurandina!

I moved it here to differentiate it from useful threads.
 
Re: A thread for folks obsessed with the Habor Garage but have no new information to

Hahaha love this thread
 
Re: A thread for folks obsessed with the Habor Garage but have no new information to

but, but, the name was perfeccct given the opiod crisis and all.
 
Re: A thread for folks obsessed with the Habor Garage but have no new information to

It seems like the Aquarium Executives must have read my ideas from this board in the past.

My question is where were these executives from the beginning when Chiofaro/Pru needed their help?

Now the Aquarium wants to create the BLUEWAY----If I was Chiofaro/Pru unless their is a serious tax incentive or the Aquarium can raise the majority of funds

I would say NO-WAY--

Also Statler unlock the Aquarium Garage Development.
 
Re: What's Happening With Project X?

The Harbor Garage is one of the top news items in the Globe this morning,

The city is about to have the mother of all public meetings about what basically amounts to 'how do we redevelop HARBOR GARAGE' + a formal presentation of the low highrise at the J. Hook Lobster site.

The Globe has published no fewer than 5 articles about the HG project since Labor Day.

Why?

Because much of the politics was resolved behind the scenes over the summer. Martin and Brian met with Don and decided "Fuggit; let's do it." They brought the Aquarium people in and said "we need to solve xyz and then sell it to the public...." So, the Aquarium came up with this (face saving) plan that's (actually) been on the table since ___.

Study the succession of the articles. it's a general buildup to bring the public to a consensus that the opposing sides have softened - and the project is moving forward; again; exactly what's been posted here by your's truly the past 3-4 months.

A single tower, now greenlighted by the Walsh admn.

why is the thread closed?
 
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Re: A thread for folks obsessed with the Habor Garage but have no new information to

Also Statler unlock the Aquarium Garage Development.

Only if there are cash prizes for guessing correctly how many hours before it gets re-locked!
 
Re: What's Happening With Project X?

I agree ^. We actually have news and cannot discuss it now. Please reopen and leave reopen.
 
Re: What's Happening With Project X?

I also agree with odura, Palin, and rifle on this.
 
Re: What's Happening With Project X?

Don Chiofaro deserves our support today.

Please come if you can. Post in the Globe if you can't.
 
Re: What's Happening With Project X?

Don Chiofaro deserves our support today.

Please come if you can. Post in the Globe if you can't.

Serious question Odura, do you work for Chiofaro? Are you Chiofaro hiding behind an anonymous ArchBoston username?
 
Re: What's Happening With Project X?

No. But, if he's hiring let me know!

eerie how familiar things look with this Aquarium Blueway junk and my Skyscraper City site render ehh?

he is someone i would call a friend. :thumbup:

And i will speak today on behalf of his vision for the Greenway and Waterfront.
 
Re: A thread for folks obsessed with the Habor Garage but have no new information to

I don't like the Aquarium rebranding that area to be called the BLUEWAY.
It sounds stupid.

So basically Chiofaro/PRU can build because the Aquarium now is looking to upgrade the area.

I would say FUCK YOU.
 
Re: A thread for folks obsessed with the Habor Garage but have no new information to

I don't like the Aquarium rebranding that area to be called the BLUEWAY.
It sounds stupid.

So basically Chiofaro/PRU can build because the Aquarium now is looking to upgrade the area.

I would say FUCK YOU.
Yeah, do you ever have anything positive to add? This is one of the rare times that the NIMBYs have come to the table to a reasonable proposal.
 
Re: A thread for folks obsessed with the Habor Garage but have no new information to

Yeah, do you ever have anything positive to add? This is one of the rare times that the NIMBYs have come to the table to a reasonable proposal.

That's the difference between you vs me. You bring a knife to a gun fight.
 
Re: A thread for folks obsessed with the Habor Garage but have no new information to

That's the difference between you vs me. You bring a knife to a gun fight.

It wouldn't surprise me if you're walking around with a gun but upstairs you're packing a Nerf blaster.
 
Re: A thread for folks obsessed with the Habor Garage but have no new information to

This is exactly why the thread should not be reopened.
 
Re: What's Happening With Project X?

I'm out from the opium tent. Today's smokeup on the 5th floor was positive and visionary, but the meeting was hijacked and turned into a utopian love in between the HT residents and the Aquarium staffers. Far more of a distraction than any type of preparation for forward, decisive action.

At some point we're gonna have to shift the conversation to real numbers, and let the grownups play too. When the 900,000 officially comes down, it will set the project back another year or two as they go about the task of proving they either can't design a tower that will generate enough revenue, or get the financing.

i aired some of the obvious stuff, and some very smart men and women also let it be known all this visionary crap isn't really helping, progress is too slow, and the cycle is running its course.

The realization of a single tower site plan that keeps Long Wharf out of the shade, will result in the Aquarium staying all in. Hell, we already got them. There was not a single mention of fish dying, or mass extinctions.

In the end, they'll have to inflate it back up to reality. But before then, we'd probably be well closer to the final site plan. But, the Aquarium people will be well on board by such time. As they will see so much potential.

As the tower rises, they still won't get to buy the islands or the new building additions, but they'll see such a vision taking a huge leap forward.

More money will have to come from elsewhere, but an ironed out site plan could be a start.

i'm glad everything was friendly, but the HT residents are going to be a train wreck all the way to the end. Their fierce presence is very unsettling... They make the West Enders look tame.
 
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