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  1. J

    Bulfinch Triangle Infill & Small Projects

    Mortgage rates at 8% have housing sales stalled. Developers are afraid of that.
  2. J

    Downtown/Financial district infill and small developments

    I think the problem is the high interest rates (particularly 30-year mortgages). They not only make construction financing difficult, they make residential units hard/slow to sell.
  3. J

    Dick’s House of Sports | Prudential Center | Back Bay

    The nature of the retail at this site is a minor part of the urban disconnect. The real problem is a suburban style low-rise big-box retail building right on the Back Bay high spine. That is the design abomination.
  4. J

    General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

    I can attest that I have also experienced a lot of those 20+ minute waits on the Orange Line on Sundays recently. I know it is not statistically sound, but if those are happening, there must be some 3 minutes waits some other part of the day to get to 13 minutes on average. Maybe they run lots...
  5. J

    Winthrop Center | 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

    Anybody with any design sense knew the Connector would never be the Great Hall (which could never exist in that site anyway) (regardless the BS pronouncements of Millennium). 1/3 of the Connector is dedicated to vertical height change ramps.
  6. J

    One Post Office Square Makeover and Expansion | Financial District

    I am still rather amazed that you can do that kind of transformation to a tower. Much better.
  7. J

    General MBTA Topics (Multi Modal, Budget, MassDOT)

    I just want to thank the MBTA are their brilliant coordination of planned track work on the Blue Line and the Rockport/Newburyport Commuter line. Through their planned shutdowns this week they have ensured that there are no viable rail transit means to get into Boston from the near North Shore...
  8. J

    I-90 Interchange Improvement Project & West Station | Allston

    I get all that, but in a practical sense Bus Electronification is costing capital monies, and with a higher cost per bus and bus garage charging space, it means bigger fleets are even more expensive. So Bus Electrification has a direct impact on our ability to expand fleets, frequencies...
  9. J

    Reserved Channel Development | 300 West First Street | South Boston

    We already have the Boston Civic Design Commission that plays the design and aesthetics oversight role on many projects. We just don't like their decisions. The BCDC Review Criteria include: new or rehabilitated structures over 100,000 square feet; projects of special significance or projects...
  10. J

    I-90 Interchange Improvement Project & West Station | Allston

    It is more that EV garages are going to be more expensive than the old diesel garages (apparently). EV buses seem to mean more garage space needed per bus. More busses also means more garages. I am just pointing out that supporting bus infrastructure is pretty major. It is not free of...
  11. J

    Reserved Channel Development | 300 West First Street | South Boston

    God help us if the BPDA suddenly decided that Brutalism is all the rage again -- central planning worked so well in our mega-urban renewal era. And in the central planning model, who is the arbiter of taste? In Boston it has often been the mayor :rolleyes: ("The mayor says he likes the blue...
  12. J

    Reserved Channel Development | 300 West First Street | South Boston

    Honestly this is also a market failure. If people who rented or leased buildings actually cared about the urban design and building architecture, the developers would do better, to attract tenants. Apparently not very many Americans care. The only developers who care are ones who are...
  13. J

    I-90 Interchange Improvement Project & West Station | Allston

    While I fully support bus infrastructure expansion, let's not pretend it is cheap infrastructure. With the T committed to electrifying as much of the bus fleet as possible, the cost for new bus garages is now looking like $500 million per garage, nine to replace. That is $4.5 Billion in bus...
  14. J

    I-90 Interchange Improvement Project & West Station | Allston

    We have leadership with no inherent knowledge of transit systems. They are too used to hiring consultants to supervise consultants to supervise consultants on the topic.
  15. J

    Reserved Channel Development | 300 West First Street | South Boston

    Not quite directly under the approach, but still pretty restricted. Looks like 200 to 225 ft. max. across the site.
  16. J

    Winthrop Center | 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

    The Millennium Residences at Winthrop Center website seems to be engaging in some false advertising: "• The Connector brings together Boston’s best music, art, and culture"
  17. J

    Logan Airport Capital Projects

    No the LaGuardia project is a total rebuild. All new terminals built between/above the existing terminals while the existing terminals stayed in use. Pretty amazing engineering and construction coordination -- and wicked expensive. Also B, C, D terminals collapsed to two that are pretty...
  18. J

    Logan Airport Capital Projects

    You would be looking at a rebuild on the same order of magnitude as LaGuardia. LaGuardia's rebuild is costing $8 Billion. I don't think anyone is suggesting throwing that amount of money at Massport.
  19. J

    New Red and Orange Line Cars

    In all honesty only half of the predecessor operation to CRRC "hummed" smoothly. CNR, the predecessor that the T initially contracted with, had a solid reputation for transit vehicles. CSR the company that acquired CNR to form CRRC did not have the same "smooth operations" reputation...
  20. J

    West Cambridge / Alewife Area Infill & Small Developments

    All the building needs is a Jazz Hands sculpture, then we could call it the Razzle-Dazzle Building.

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