11-21 Bromfield Street | DTX | Downtown

Shadows on the Common and Cemetary has always been the 800 pound elephant in the room.

Very little hope of ever reaching the ~710' they wanted.

$380,000 fine per unit to live in the neighborhood that was declared dead less than 5 years ago.

and the Globe readers endlessly badmouthing the Mayor, BRA, evil developers and would be tenants themselves.

Damn shame.

I guess it really depends on how slim the tower is. If we're talking Manhattan slim, then at most a slim shadow will be cast only in the early morning during the Fall/Winter months.
 
Like you all said, the nimby will invent a reason. On this one it's significant shadows on the Granary Burial Ground and the ruination of the background of George Washington when viewed from the entrance to the Public Garden.

1 positive; tacit that Golden's staff has been working with Midwood behind the scenes. Maybe there's a chance.
 
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Looking at google maps it doesn't look like this would cast worse shadows than Millennium. It could I guess because there are less buildings between it and the common, but Its right next to MT and farther north.

Sounds like sour grapes on the part of the "Friends". Pearls clutched and nobody has invited them to the party.

As for garage - there is alley way of Province Street that could serve this purpose, with no impact to Bromfield or Washington. Pedestrians will live another day at DTX.
 
How do they expect to have garage with 200+ spots when Washington Street and Bromfield are both pedestrian zones on that corner? They shouldn't be able to put a garage there. Pedestrians get screwed enough around here.

It's not; cars do go through there. The pedestrian zone ends right at that corner.
 
How do they expect to have garage with 200+ spots when Washington Street and Bromfield are both pedestrian zones on that corner? They shouldn't be able to put a garage there. Pedestrians get screwed enough around here.

If the garage entrance is off Province Street, then vehicle traffic won't impact the pedestrian zone you're thinking of. However, Bromfield will open for traffic once Millennium Tower completes and Franklin is reopened. Again, though, I imagine vehicle traffic would be directed to Province Street (just as Millennium's vehicle traffic is directed to Hawley).
 
Protecting the common, public garden and old granary from shadows is NOT wrong nor unreasonable. I don't want the green spaces in the heart of my city sitting in shade. That makes them unpleasant. Whether nimbys who actually oppose construction for other reasons are using shadows as a defensive argument is another issue... But let's not get all crazy about making the essence of the shadows argument into a madness that it certainly is not. There are certainly ways that the small size of our urban core and its being adjacent to the only downtown green spaces, airport and waterfront is unfortunate - as it will limit growth to a certain extent - but this is the way it is. Lets wait and see what the studies show before we start kicking and screaming, shall we?
 
I don't want the green spaces in the heart of my city sitting in shade. That makes them unpleasant.

When I walk through the Common and Gardens during the summer, typically the only benches that aren't occupied are the ones in the sun. It seems like most people there find the shade to be preferable.

Also, if the shadows from this tower are in the early morning or late evening, it's really only going to be blocking the blinding eye-level sun anyway. If you ask me, shade typically adds to the pleasantness.

Point, counter-point.
 
The Shadow Bill does not prohibit all new shadows. The following are excluded:
(a) Any structure which casts a new shadow upon the aforementioned commons only during the first hour after sunrise or before seven o'clock in the morning, whichever is later, or the last hour before sunset.

(b) Any structure in the city of Boston included in a development plan or a master plan within a planned development area, all as approved on or before May first, nineteen hundred and ninety, by the city of Boston Zoning Commission in accordance with chapter six hundred and sixty-five of the act of nineteen hundred and fifty-six, as such development plan ormaster plan may thereafter be amended; provided, however, that such amendment shall not permit construction of a structure which casts additional new shadow on any area of the Boston Common, subject to the one acre exclusion set forth inthe second sentence of subsection (c); or

(c) Any structure within the Midtown Cultural District established by Article 38 which casts no new shadow for more than two hours from eight o'clock in the morning through two-thirty in the afternoon on any day from March twenty-first to October twenty-first, inclusive, in any calendar year, on any area of the Boston Common. Notwithstanding the foregoing, authorization may be granted by a permit-granting authority for a structure which casts a new shadow on the Boston Common beyond the aforementioned two hour period if the area shaded at the end of such two hour period does not exceed one acre, such area to be calculated as the sum of the areas of new shadow cast at any time beyond the two-hour limit by all structures in the Midtown Cultural District approved by the city of Boston Board of Appeal after March twentieth, nineteen hundred and eighty-nine, whether or not exempt pursuant to subsection (b).

Any structure within the South Station Economic Development Area established by Article 40 east of Atlantic avenue and north of Beach street which casts a new shadow upon the Boston Common only during the first hour after sunrise or before eight o'clock in the morning, whichever is later, or during the last hour before sunset.

One Bromfield is located in the Midtown Cultural District referenced in clause (c) above.
 
Well find out once the shadow study is done and released if it will even have an impact. Until then we don't know and can only speculate on both sides.
 
Interesting that they didn't mention the height. Probably trying to not ruffle any nimby feathers. I'm guessing 700'+.
 
11.5% affordable units ON SITE. Is that a normal % of what might be required by the city? Seems potentially high, which is good, and on site makes it even better.
 
No renders?

According to the B&T article they exist and were presented. It's a matter of time before they end up on BBJ or the Globe.

Quick calculation says 660' for a 59-story residential tower. Of course, a spire or other artifice could take it 50' higher...
 
I'll hold off for the rendering and the slim hope for a facadectomy but I still am disappointed this didn't die on the vine.
 
11.5% affordable units ON SITE. Is that a normal % of what might be required by the city? Seems potentially high, which is good, and on site makes it even better.
That's actually lower than the mandated 15% IDP units.

The number of on-site affordable units shall not be less than fifteen percent (15%) of the total number of market-rate units.

http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/getattachment/8eebf160-301b-41ab-b4e1-9ce6674b1d28

Now from the 888 Boylston page, post 849:

That was from 2 days ago. Looks like the shoe is on the other foot today!
Priceless. Good one!
 
11.5% affordable units ON SITE. Is that a normal % of what might be required by the city? Seems potentially high, which is good, and on site makes it even better.

Yeah, that's a huge win.

Maybe someone better informed can correct me, but it seems like paying $380,000 for each affordable unit that was supposed to be constructed onsite won't result in anywhere near the same amount of units being constructed offsite, because construction costs per unit have got to be so much more than $380,000 (especially in a neighborhood like that).
 
Yeah, that's a huge win.

Maybe someone better informed can correct me, but it seems like paying $380,000 for each affordable unit that was supposed to be constructed onsite won't result in anywhere near the same amount of units being constructed offsite, because construction costs per unit have got to be so much more than $380,000 (especially in a neighborhood like that).

Just the opposite, as offsite units are usually constructed in lower cost neighborhoods.
 
The Shadow Bill does not prohibit all new shadows. The following are excluded:


One Bromfield is located in the Midtown Cultural District referenced in clause (c) above.

If that is the case for the area and new buildings can cast shadows for a limit of 2 hours between 8 and 2:30, then there will be no shadow issues. Based on a shadow calculator I found online, any new shadows will be off the common and cemetery by 10AM.
http://www.suncalc.org/#/42.3566,-71.0595,14/2016.03.21/10:00/200
 

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