🔹 What's Happening With Project X?

tysmith95 said:
The garage dosn't block the waterfront. Have you ever been to the area?
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Yes. That Garage is possibly one of the worst barriers from connecting the Greenway to the Waterfront.

Everything these politicians and NIMBYS have done to stop this development is nothing more than suppressing the city from actually developing something that would make sense for the economy, the overall area would flourish if they buried this garage.

They all suck for letting this development sit for a decade.

The worst part is they were trying to force the developer to build on top garage. (Claiming he paid too much for the garage) That is possibly the worst idea for this area in Boston.
 
Does anybody know if they are still planning to build the pedestrian walkway over Leverett Circle?
 
Any guesses on which development will be fully completed first?

- Ink Block
- Assembly Row
- Boston Landing
- Fan Pier
- Other?
 
Ink Block is only 1 resi building away from completion, but it hasn’t been approved. Fan Pier has 2 left, 1 office w/ announced anchor tenant and 1 approved residential, so I’d say 50/50 between those two.
 
Chiofaro's building (if it is ever built) with block the view of the harbor from the Greenway as much as the current garage does.

This has been discussed before, but the Harborwalk (with an unobstructed view of the harbor) is to the east of the garage.
https://goo.gl/maps/YPmiXPdS1wv

At one point, Chiofaro wanted this strip of land for his project, and with that land, he proposed constructing a wide set of stairs from the edge of this added property descending into the harbor waters. I thought he could never do that because I mistakenly thought it would require a Federal dredge and fill permit, but this area is part of the so-called magenta zone (particular to only a small part of Boston harbor), where Federal dredge and restrictions fill do not apply.
 
stellarfun said:
Chiofaro's building (if it is ever built) with block the view of the harbor from the Greenway as much as the current garage does.

This has been discussed before, but the Harborwalk (with an unobstructed view of the harbor) is to the east of the garage.
https://goo.gl/maps/YPmiXPdS1wv
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You just have an agenda. Unless your harbor tower resident there is no reason why the developer should not get support to bury this garage in this specific area. The garage is a serious blockade from activating the waterfront and the greenway for the overall good of the public.
I could say that about every development being developed. It blocks the view to the harbor.

Just watching how this development evolved in a decade and now all the complaints concerning traffic and the lack of housing this would have only helped add more supply of inventory in the core of the city with rapid transit.
The entire development process in Boston is corrupt like everything else going on.

Please—- hopefully chiofaro/pru build 800ft tower in this location signaling this might be one of the last major towers to a rise.

What did you expect for the developer to donate the garage and knock it down to build a public park?
We have the 19billion dollar greenway for that and it’s time to make the area better not deal with laws that contradict themselves like chap91.
 
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The Greenway is the most incredible transformation since the Hawaiian Islands;

Now we finish the job: Get Congress St & Lobster highrises up, the Dock Squere/ Valenti Square Midrises & the Haymarket & Washington St frontage stuff done.

Now on to the (Gone) Garage; you're able to combine the Greenway frontage cul de sac of Central Wharf to the 1/2 open lot given up by the former Gone Garage site.....

Done to its maximum potential by reducing the footprint of Milk Street as a fire lane, and the rest as a descending ramp, you are able to create an ENORMOUS opening at Central Wharf. To put the final piece of a perfect continuous beautiful Greenway + open Waterfront requires the driver of the project: its vertical component go up to the shadow limit of 183m.

On the ground, visibility to the harbor is horizontal. If a tower gets built 14 stories or 54 stories, at street level, the view of the waterfront and harbor running back up Milk and India Street/s is the same to the pedestrian explorer.

The City can oversee a remarkable transformation of Central Wharf. It is the organic waterfront experience for the Greenway and Harborwalk that is 98.3% of what matters; Forget the frivolous CLF noise at this site. This project is a huge win for Boston.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=135470904&postcount=840
 
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What is the deal with the UDG building at the corner of Summer & Arch? Four windowless floors on a prime DTX location--is it actually a vent shaft, or telephone / electric substation or something?

When St Anthony's Shrine was proposing a site swap with 115 Winthop Sq, was this part of it?
 
Stellarfun your right—— the garage In this location is a better fit than the developer proposal.

I’m betting your a developer or a city planner.
I think allowing this site to sit for a decade was an amazing idea for the best interest of the public.

I just want to thank our exmayor, BRA, palmeri, shen, who was the other stiff that took over palmeri position. We have to pay these people’s pensions and healthcare?
Telling the public this garage was the best option for the public.

Owe by the way we need to create a new tax for the exsisting businesses in the area called the greenway tax because the city and state cannot afford to service the greenway.
 
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Rifleman,

Guess what's due in a few days.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/h...-Million-Financing-Arranged-HFF-Boston-Harbor

https://www.bostonglobe.com/busines...rbor-garage/OFARuE9mNPElRQnplCEKOP/story.html

Every five years like clockwork.

Interest rates have gone up.

Maybe Chiofaro ought to talk to the Kushners about balloon notes, and how to extricate your property from the consequences of such, and how grand visions get crushed by financial realities.

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/05/the-endgame-approaches-for-kushners-looming-tower
 
^^^^
Who gives a shit about Kushner or Chiofaro Interest rates?

This is an architecture website on transforming a above garage that just happens to be blocking 90% of the waterfront from the Greenway because some asshole disregarded Chap 91 back then. (I thought that Law could never be broken)

I want to see this garage developed and transform that entire area to something special. That fucking garage is a disgrace and for our city/state officials to be playing games and allowing this to get to this point then allow billions of tax dollars/incentives to be extracted to the corporations and the Seaport Infrastructure then come back say we need to tax existing private businesses to service the Greenway area.

Most likely you probably work for the Barr Foundation or CLF both owned by non-profit billionaire Amos Hostetter---Such a visionary for that area to allow something like this.

Please enlighten me how you believe this garage is a better option for the public than the developer proposal?
 
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https://youtu.be/wtbdfypVy38
TheRifleman said:
^^^^
Who gives a shit about Kushner or Chiofaro Interest rates?

This is an architecture website on transforming a above garage that just happens to be blocking 90% of the waterfront from the Greenway because some asshole disregarded Chap 91 back then. (I thought that Law could never be broken)

I want to see this garage developed and transform that entire area to something special. That fucking garage is a disgrace and for our city/state officials to be playing games and allowing this to get to this point then allow billions of tax dollars to be extracted to the Seaport Infrastructure then come back say we need to tax existing private businesses to service the Greenway.

Most likely you probably work for the Barr Foundation or CLF both owned by non-profit billionaire Amos Hostetter---Such a visionary for that area to allow something like this.

Please enlighten me how you believe this garage is a better option for the public than the developer proposal?
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https://youtu.be/wtbdfypVy38
 
stellar are you the guy who always has it out for Chiofaro? Just curious what your beef with him is. I don't know him personally, but some poster (maybe you, maybe not) kept insinuating that he paid too much for the garage even though its a money maker and that he was about to go bankrupt and lose his stake in International Place. Don't see how he's any different than any other developer in the city, except for being a little less well connected than a guy like Fish.
 
Rover said:
stellar are you the guy who always has it out for Chiofaro? Just curious what your beef with him is. I don't know him personally, but some poster (maybe you, maybe not) kept insinuating that he paid too much for the garage even though its a money maker and that he was about to go bankrupt and lose his stake in International Place. Don't see how he's any different than any other developer in the city, except for being a little less well connected than a guy like Fish.
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Rover, I don't have it in for Chiofaro. If he succeeds in this project, all the more power to him.

That said,
a.) He paid $153 million for 1.3 acres, and a large garage that generates significant revenue. (Coincidentally, that is the amount MP paid for Winthrop St.)

b.) He paid $153 million for a property in which HT residents hold an easement, with respect to their access and use of the garage. When he bought the garage property, that easement, IIRC, had about 12-13 years to run. The easement is for a period of years, not perpetuity. There is another HT easement with respect to the garage, for mechanicals and utilities, which runs to perpetuity. The parking space easement effectively frustrates any development of the garage property until that easement expires.

c.) He bought a property, apparently unaware of FAA height limits that exist with respect to that property. Whose responsibility is it to do due diligence?

d.) Ted Oatis (who died about four years ago) estimated, IIRC, the cost of burying the garage at $175 million. Its probably higher now.

The land area of the garage parcel is 57,340 sq ft. (1.3 acres). From a development standpoint, the cost of buying the property plus burying the garage comes to about $330 million, or $5,755 per square foot of land area --before one gets above grade with a building.

With basically $330 million in sunk costs for land and a garage, good luck in making the numbers work on a building whose volume is capped at 900,000 square feet.

(MP's Winthrop St garage redevelopment is 1.6 million gsf, to be built on land that cost MP $153 million.)
 
stellarfun said:
c.) He bought a property, apparently unaware of FAA height limits that exist with respect to that property. Whose responsibility is it to do due diligence?
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To be fair about this point, ignorance or at least wishful indifference to the FAA height limit seems to be endemic in Boston.

We saw multiple proposal rounds concerning Winthrop Square well over the FAA limit, including one by Mayor Menino at 1,000 ft. Even the Millennium proposal, that was accepted by the BPDA, clocked in 75 ft. over the limit, as though it were negotiable.
 
If the developer bought the garage as an long-term investment in the hopes the city/state would see his vision to bury the garage for the overall good of the public.
#1 Then why didn't the politicians work with him?
#2 How can Boston City planners justify this at this point?

comments from our ex-mayor "The chance of Don Chiofaro building it is about as likely as an 80-degree day in January,”
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Now the city wants Greenway taxes from the exsisting businesses in the area?
How could the ex-mayor and our city planners believe this is what is best for public.

Then give all these tax incentives to all these corporations to build on open priceless land in the Seaport with no transit infrastructure claiming its for job creation for Bostonians? As Chiofaro/Pru have worked out a deal to help the Aquarium better their entire area possibly 30+Million? What did all those other corporations give instead of building long-term wealth on the backs of the taxpayers?

Are the groups that can only build in the city of Boston are the ones that only politically connected to. Even if it is actually good for the overall public.

Menino is such a hypocrite --cried about giving Roth a tax break for Filenes project once Roth sold the Millenium Group its okay then to give them a tax break.

Thank God for Marty Walsh---There are a lot of things I don't agree with but I actually think he is a good person who tries to do the right thing.
 
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stellarfun said:
With basically $330 million in sunk costs for land and a garage, good luck in making the numbers work on a building whose volume is capped at 900,000 square feet.

(MP's Winthrop St garage redevelopment is 1.6 million gsf, to be built on land that cost MP $153 million.)
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Here is a huge part of the problem. Why was it capped at such a low number? This is where the city really shoots itself in the foot.

Also, Chapter 91 clearly needs to be amended to include provisions for replacing structures THAT ARE ALREADY THERE. I call for the "meet us halfway" provision. Instead of 50% coverage, the new building can cover an amount halfway between that 50% and the old building. Thus, if we are replacing a garage that blocks 90% of the waterfront, the new structure could cover up to 70% and be compliant. It's called COMMON SENSE, something that seems to be sorely lacking these days among our government officials.
 
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