11-21 Bromfield Street | DTX | Downtown
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tobyjug
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Re: One Bromfield (28-story DTX tower) | 1 Bromfield Street | Downtown
No question they've thinned out, which is too bad. You are right that the Sherman's/City Sports building is a blight. Where I disagree with folks on the other side of the matter is whether a tower is good for the street.
As for "fixes" for "DTX", this corner wouldn't even be on a list of fixes, which would include addressing the brutalist Woolworths, the ocean liner called Macy's, the declining Corner Mall, the "Barnes and Noble" vacancy, St Anthony's Shrine, the nasty little Utile/7-11 tree stump, homelessness, the stink of urine...and on and on.
I'll look forward to seeing the drawings nonetheless!
No question they've thinned out, which is too bad. You are right that the Sherman's/City Sports building is a blight. Where I disagree with folks on the other side of the matter is whether a tower is good for the street.
As for "fixes" for "DTX", this corner wouldn't even be on a list of fixes, which would include addressing the brutalist Woolworths, the ocean liner called Macy's, the declining Corner Mall, the "Barnes and Noble" vacancy, St Anthony's Shrine, the nasty little Utile/7-11 tree stump, homelessness, the stink of urine...and on and on.
I'll look forward to seeing the drawings nonetheless!
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Re: One Bromfield (28-story DTX tower) | 1 Bromfield Street | Downtown
Utile has moved btw to a beautiful new office in Chinatown, so they are no longer associated with that stump. =)
Utile has moved btw to a beautiful new office in Chinatown, so they are no longer associated with that stump. =)
stick n move
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Re: One Bromfield (28-story DTX tower) | 1 Bromfield Street | Downtown
Praying for a redesign on this one. This generic anywhere usa trend is getting old. This city is a gem in a country filled with mediocracy (excluding ny,chicago).
Praying for a redesign on this one. This generic anywhere usa trend is getting old. This city is a gem in a country filled with mediocracy (excluding ny,chicago).
commuter guy
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Re: One Bromfield (28-story DTX tower) | 1 Bromfield Street | Downtown
Small retail has had a rough time everywhere, including but not limited to Bromfield, however I think better times are ahead for Bromfield, no need to start clearing buildings just to start over. At the top of Bromfield the building with "Beantown Pub" on the ground floor is being rehabbed and a coffee shop is going in the ground floor. I go to Bromfield for Pedro's Tacos, the hole in the wall coffee shop and Silvertones, all are good destinations. The old some would say "shabby" buildings right in this neighborhood offer some of the best of downtown crossing e.g., Marliave, Sam Lagrassas, Barracuda Tavern, et al.
Small retail has had a rough time everywhere, including but not limited to Bromfield, however I think better times are ahead for Bromfield, no need to start clearing buildings just to start over. At the top of Bromfield the building with "Beantown Pub" on the ground floor is being rehabbed and a coffee shop is going in the ground floor. I go to Bromfield for Pedro's Tacos, the hole in the wall coffee shop and Silvertones, all are good destinations. The old some would say "shabby" buildings right in this neighborhood offer some of the best of downtown crossing e.g., Marliave, Sam Lagrassas, Barracuda Tavern, et al.
BosDevelop
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Re: One Bromfield (28-story DTX tower) | 1 Bromfield Street | Downtown
I don't get the love for Bromfield Street. There are numerous retail spaces that have been vacant on that street for at least a decade now. It could use some new life and could be so much better than it is.
I don't get the love for Bromfield Street. There are numerous retail spaces that have been vacant on that street for at least a decade now. It could use some new life and could be so much better than it is.
Re: One Bromfield (28-story DTX tower) | 1 Bromfield Street | Downtown
I was looking at this block yesterday. Any way they could save the Payless building, and demolish everything around it? Build the tower on that surrounding footprint and cantilevered over?
I'd be OK with a facadectomy of the Payless building too. Everything else on that corner is just awful, worthless, crap, junk, blahhhhh. But the Payless building should be saved.
I was looking at this block yesterday. Any way they could save the Payless building, and demolish everything around it? Build the tower on that surrounding footprint and cantilevered over?
I'd be OK with a facadectomy of the Payless building too. Everything else on that corner is just awful, worthless, crap, junk, blahhhhh. But the Payless building should be saved.
statler
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Re: One Bromfield (28-story DTX tower) | 1 Bromfield Street | Downtown
I think we just have different concepts of what we consider to be good urbanisim.
I think we just have different concepts of what we consider to be good urbanisim.
JohnAKeith
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Re: One Bromfield (28-story DTX tower) | 1 Bromfield Street | Downtown
The mention of the Bromfield project reminds me of something else. Last August at BISNOW's "Future of Downtown Boston" event, Ron Druker made a stink about how he wanted new zoning in DTX so he could build a high-rise.
Is this for real? When's he actually going to, you know, build something? He had approvals for Shreve, Crump & Low, or close to it, plus he has approvals for his mid-rise office tower at Washington & East Berkeley.
Get off your duff, dude.
The mention of the Bromfield project reminds me of something else. Last August at BISNOW's "Future of Downtown Boston" event, Ron Druker made a stink about how he wanted new zoning in DTX so he could build a high-rise.
Is this for real? When's he actually going to, you know, build something? He had approvals for Shreve, Crump & Low, or close to it, plus he has approvals for his mid-rise office tower at Washington & East Berkeley.
Get off your duff, dude.
BosDevelop
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Re: One Bromfield (28-story DTX tower) | 1 Bromfield Street | Downtown
That's cool that you like vacant retail store fronts than have been sitting empty for more than a decade. You must also love the "urbanisim" of the old, vacant Barns & Noble space on Washington St. Clearly Bromfield Street is not working in its current incarnation, at least from a retail perspective, with so many long term vacancies. I lived 2 blocks away for 7 years, went to Suffolk Law School (which of course abuts Bromfield) for 3 years, and have worked in the area for 13 years now so I am on the street all the time and have been since 1998. Pedro's Tacos was a nice new addition a few years ago and ditto for Boston Brewin Coffee and of course the venerable Silvertone all at the top of the street. Other than that, there is not much reason to visit the street unless you are simply using it is a cut through.
That's cool that you like vacant retail store fronts than have been sitting empty for more than a decade. You must also love the "urbanisim" of the old, vacant Barns & Noble space on Washington St. Clearly Bromfield Street is not working in its current incarnation, at least from a retail perspective, with so many long term vacancies. I lived 2 blocks away for 7 years, went to Suffolk Law School (which of course abuts Bromfield) for 3 years, and have worked in the area for 13 years now so I am on the street all the time and have been since 1998. Pedro's Tacos was a nice new addition a few years ago and ditto for Boston Brewin Coffee and of course the venerable Silvertone all at the top of the street. Other than that, there is not much reason to visit the street unless you are simply using it is a cut through.
statler
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Re: One Bromfield (28-story DTX tower) | 1 Bromfield Street | Downtown
Empty store fronts and downmarket tenants are temporary conditions. Demolition is permanent.
Both the West End and the North End were complete and utter shitholes when the West End was razed. Do people regret not razing the North End?
Empty store fronts and downmarket tenants are temporary conditions. Demolition is permanent.
Both the West End and the North End were complete and utter shitholes when the West End was razed. Do people regret not razing the North End?
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Re: One Bromfield (28-story DTX tower) | 1 Bromfield Street | Downtown
AFAIK, One Bromfield doesn't actually eat up the street or anything, unlike what happened with the West End. You can't confuse One Bromfield with Urban Renewal. If Bromfield was proposed to be eliminated or cut-off as part of this project, then yes, it would be outrageous and fall under the category of bad Urban Renewal, ala the West End. All they are doing is getting rid of some less-than-dense buildings on a parcel and building a new, dense building.
AFAIK, One Bromfield doesn't actually eat up the street or anything, unlike what happened with the West End. You can't confuse One Bromfield with Urban Renewal. If Bromfield was proposed to be eliminated or cut-off as part of this project, then yes, it would be outrageous and fall under the category of bad Urban Renewal, ala the West End. All they are doing is getting rid of some less-than-dense buildings on a parcel and building a new, dense building.
statler
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Re: One Bromfield (28-story DTX tower) | 1 Bromfield Street | Downtown
You are correct, it's not a one-for one analogy. I was more getting to the old-school urbanism vs new and shiny urbanism and how I much prefer the former but I should have made my point clearer.
You are correct, it's not a one-for one analogy. I was more getting to the old-school urbanism vs new and shiny urbanism and how I much prefer the former but I should have made my point clearer.
tobyjug
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Re: One Bromfield (28-story DTX tower) | 1 Bromfield Street | Downtown
Subtle argument shifting at work. What Statler is addressing is the line of argument that goes: "There are lots of retail vacancies, hence the street must be redeveloped".
I agree with him that this is an anti-urbanism argument. Case in point, ex-Barnes and Noble. The landlord could have rented it but was greedy. He prefers to leave it vacant rather than charge a market rent. Druker plays the same game. Then the argument shifts to "oh my, look at the blight, we better knock it all down."
They can play the long game because they've owned the properties so long they've long since paid for themselves.
Subtle argument shifting at work. What Statler is addressing is the line of argument that goes: "There are lots of retail vacancies, hence the street must be redeveloped".
I agree with him that this is an anti-urbanism argument. Case in point, ex-Barnes and Noble. The landlord could have rented it but was greedy. He prefers to leave it vacant rather than charge a market rent. Druker plays the same game. Then the argument shifts to "oh my, look at the blight, we better knock it all down."
They can play the long game because they've owned the properties so long they've long since paid for themselves.
commuter guy
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Re: One Bromfield (28-story DTX tower) | 1 Bromfield Street | Downtown
Druker owns many of the buildings on Bromfield that are vacant. He's land banking them, he'd likely prefer to level the whole block with it's inconvenient and inefficient floor plates and put up some monolithic horrible dreck.
A few years ago when pitching the demolition of various buildings along Boylston St. in the Back Bay, referred to as the Shreve Crump and Low buildings, he often said he was putting in a luxury building that would lure investment bankers yadda yadda yadda... Interestingly, I note his Shreve building ground floor retail space suffers from long term vacancies as well. The rest of Back Bay is always fully occupied. Yet his building sitting at the very choice location of Arlington and Boylston sits largely empty.... He is no friend of Boston urbanism.
Druker owns many of the buildings on Bromfield that are vacant. He's land banking them, he'd likely prefer to level the whole block with it's inconvenient and inefficient floor plates and put up some monolithic horrible dreck.
A few years ago when pitching the demolition of various buildings along Boylston St. in the Back Bay, referred to as the Shreve Crump and Low buildings, he often said he was putting in a luxury building that would lure investment bankers yadda yadda yadda... Interestingly, I note his Shreve building ground floor retail space suffers from long term vacancies as well. The rest of Back Bay is always fully occupied. Yet his building sitting at the very choice location of Arlington and Boylston sits largely empty.... He is no friend of Boston urbanism.
Brad Plaid
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Re: One Bromfield (28-story DTX tower) | 1 Bromfield Street | Downtown
Darwinism works on cities too. Buildings are born or die, for better or for worse, based on an inescapable market evolution whether up or down. Bromfield right now has lots of escalating economic pressure on it and soon enough something will have to give.
Darwinism works on cities too. Buildings are born or die, for better or for worse, based on an inescapable market evolution whether up or down. Bromfield right now has lots of escalating economic pressure on it and soon enough something will have to give.
Re: One Bromfield (28-story DTX tower) | 1 Bromfield Street | Downtown
Well, a lot of Bromfield St. has changed hands recently--basically everything upslope from Sam LaGrassa on the odd-numbered side. So in that sense, the "smart money" already arrived and has been exploiting this now for some time.
As for the even-numbered side, as has been remarked, it's essentially all Druker Co.-owned.
With the exception of the enormously long Suffolk University Law School frontage.
An institution which, incidentally, is facing an ongoing financial/enrollment crisis--even more severe than the crisis its parent institution is simultaneously facing.
Well, a lot of Bromfield St. has changed hands recently--basically everything upslope from Sam LaGrassa on the odd-numbered side. So in that sense, the "smart money" already arrived and has been exploiting this now for some time.
As for the even-numbered side, as has been remarked, it's essentially all Druker Co.-owned.
With the exception of the enormously long Suffolk University Law School frontage.
An institution which, incidentally, is facing an ongoing financial/enrollment crisis--even more severe than the crisis its parent institution is simultaneously facing.
JeffDowntown
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Re: One Bromfield (28-story DTX tower) | 1 Bromfield Street | Downtown
The market evolution is not inescapable.
If Boston had allowed market evolution to dominate the city, Commonwealth Avenue would be lined by ugly 20 story 1960 International-style boxes.... Instead we crafted a compromise through that wonderful mechanism called ZONING. Row house in Back Bay (and elsewhere in the city) were protected -- because we could never replace them. Big boxes were allowed along the high-rise spine of the Turnpike/NEC rail lines.
With smart PLANNING market evolution can be directed for the betterment of the entire city, and not just the lining of one developer's pockets.
The market evolution is not inescapable.
If Boston had allowed market evolution to dominate the city, Commonwealth Avenue would be lined by ugly 20 story 1960 International-style boxes.... Instead we crafted a compromise through that wonderful mechanism called ZONING. Row house in Back Bay (and elsewhere in the city) were protected -- because we could never replace them. Big boxes were allowed along the high-rise spine of the Turnpike/NEC rail lines.
With smart PLANNING market evolution can be directed for the betterment of the entire city, and not just the lining of one developer's pockets.