USPS Complex | Fort Point

JeffDowntown said:
Remember, Regional Rail is about much different usage patterns than conventional Commuter Rail 9-5 in/out to the burbs. It is getting people to use rail for a host of other trips enabled by better, frequent connectivity.
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I guess I'm meaning that the Dukakis et al argument never focuses on regional rail. And, in my mind, a NSRL connection would be a nice to have in a Regional Rail system, but having a Regional Rail system isn't dependent on having a NSRL connection. Going back to the 10-20 billion project budget, I'd choose existing system electrification and crossing eliminations over NSRL if given that choice.
 
Wonk said:
I guess I'm meaning that the Dukakis et al argument never focuses on regional rail. And, in my mind, a NSRL connection would be a nice to have in a Regional Rail system, but having a Regional Rail system isn't dependent on having a NSRL connection. Going back to the 10-20 billion project budget, I'd choose existing system electrification and crossing eliminations over NSRL if given that choice.
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Electrification and crossing elimination are more urgent than NSRL -- but at some point Boston really should have thru-running train service as well. (Electrification is a necessary prerequisite for NSRL anyway.)

Thru-running Regional Rail is essential to unclogging the central transfer stations in the Subway in virtually every future use scenario. The system capacity gets choked by Park, DTC, GC and State.
 
www.bostonglobe.com

Could the postal center next to South Station move at last? The US postmaster may be open to it. - The Boston Globe

A sale of Postal Annex alongside South Station could lead to more train tracks and large-scale new development, but many hurdles remain.
www.bostonglobe.com www.bostonglobe.com
For most of this century, Massachusetts officials have been debating whether, and how, to move the sprawling US Postal Service annex next to South Station. Now the future of the massive complex is once again up for discussion among state and federal leaders.
Representative Stephen Lynch this week told The Globe that US Postmaster General David Steiner has expressed willingness to sell the 1.3 million-square-foot mail sorting facility and relocate its operations. Such a move would clear the way for even more large-scale development alongside the region’s busiest transportation hub, and perhaps an expansion of South Station itself. Steiner assumed the top position at the US Postal Service last year, following Louis DeJoy’s resignation, and his openness to a sale came as a surprise to the congressman. Lynch said he and Steiner have even visited a property in South Boston near the Reserved Channel that could hold the vast sorting center.
[...]
Still, there is a long, and expensive, road ahead before any of this becomes a reality. The South Station Tower took around half a century to develop, from discussions in the 1970s until the tower’s opening last year. And moving the sorting facility to South Boston would likely require the support of the Massachusetts Port Authority, which owns large stretches of land off Summer Street beyond the Menino Convention and Exhibition Center.
The land long considered to be an option for a relocated mail-sorting center is tucked between E and Summer streets near the Reserved Channel heading into South Boston. Massport acquired a four-acre parcel at 525 E St. in 2022 and owns a combined 22 acres along that stretch, according to Boston assessing records.
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The possibilities are endless.

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curcuas said:
AI generated nonsense, this view doesn't exist. Note the northern ave bridge in frame and the mislocated Customs House Tower viz International Place....
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Sure -- obviously AI (where's the South Station tower and the Fed???) -- but to @FPJ's point, "aspirational renderings" still have value.

A future where the entirety of Fort Point Channel is surrounded by Harborwalk with parks and restaurants spilling out onto it is entirely realistic and potentially achievable in the next decade or two. I see the Chicago Riverwalk as a template here. That's something we should visualize and work towards. Rendering this vision is good, and an AI view that's like 80% as good as what a professional firm could do for a "real" proposal is a net win when AI can do it practically instantaneously and practically for free* while "real" renderings cost thousands.

*If you say "AI isn't free, it requires servers and electricity and water and land and et cetera for processing power!" that's true for more traditional professional renderings too. They all use cloud computing.
 
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If you photoshopped the actual skyscrapers into the background it wouldn't put people off so much. It is "entirely realistic," and better than many of the initial proposals for other projects
 
That's crazy that the USPS would be willing to give that place up. The Postal Service workers got to get to work too; and the Reserved Channel would be quite annoying to get to compared to right at South Station.
 
jklo said:
That's crazy that the USPS would be willing to give that place up. The Postal Service workers got to get to work too; and the Reserved Channel would be quite annoying to get to compared to right at South Station.
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greater good, bub. takes me 40-60 minutes to get to/from work. the postal workers can cope.
 
jklo said:
That's crazy that the USPS would be willing to give that place up. The Postal Service workers got to get to work too; and the Reserved Channel would be quite annoying to get to compared to right at South Station.
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Believe me, they are not just “giving it up”. Lots of money and incentives will be changing hands.
 
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jklo said:
That's crazy that the USPS would be willing to give that place up. The Postal Service workers got to get to work too; and the Reserved Channel would be quite annoying to get to compared to right at South Station.
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It's 100% a win/win situation for both entities. A relocation would allow the USPS to transition from a decades-old vertical layout to a highly optimized, modern distribution model. The current facility relies on a multi-story layout that requires moving heavy mail pallets vertically using elevators. A modern, single-story facility eliminates these vertical bottlenecks, creating a continuous floor plan where mail moves seamlessly from inbound docks, through automated sortation, and straight to outbound trucks. Moving closer to major shipping channels and industrial freight corridors in SB takes heavy mail trucks out of the congested Financial District, reducing transit delays and allowing for more efficient truck-to-dock routing. Translation: USPS would move a higher volume more easily and with fewer headaches.

The logistical upgrades alone will make the employees' jobs easier. In addition, a modern facility will greatly improve the daily environment. Workers would enjoy climate-controlled work floors with advanced air conditioning, better ergonomic layouts, modern break rooms, updated lighting...—all of which significantly boost staff morale and operational safety.
 
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