115 Federal St. (Winthrop Square)

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castevens

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Just a reminder:

Menino?s 1,000-foot tower site out for bid at end of May
By Scott Van Voorhis
Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Mayor Thomas M. Menino may want to transform the Hub?s skyline with a stunning 1,000-foot-high tower, but it?s anyone?s bet whether the mayor will still be in office to see the fruits of his labor.
City Hall yesterday took the first steps toward making Menino?s towering vision a reality. The Boston Redevelopment Authority began advertising that it will put out a formal request for proposals on May 30.
Builders will show how they would transform a run-down city-owned parking garage off Winthrop Square into possibly Boston?s tallest building.
So far, dozens of firms have inquired, with one of Boston?s top tower builders already signaling to the Herald that he is prepared to make a deal.
John Hynes, a top executive with the New Jersey-based Gale Co. and developer of State Street?s new headquarters tower near South Station, said he envisions an office tower that could soar 50 to 75 stories into the city?s skyline.
Still, Menino?s proposal for a new centerpiece skyscraper, while grand, is also complicated enough so that it could take seven to 10 years before Bostonians would have a new jewel in its skyline - one that could tower over the Hancock building or Don Chiofaro?s International Place, one top industry executive said yesterday.
?Let?s put it this way: It?s not going to happen in this term,? said David Begelfer, head of the local chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties.
But city officials counter that seven to 10 years is far too long a period for a project that, given the mayor?s backing, is likely to get strong support from City Hall.
?With this asset, we will insist on bold vision and world-class architecture,? Menino said yesterday in a press statement. ?In short, a stunning statement of our belief in Boston?s bright future.?
Hynes also said he doesn?t think it would take 10 years to permit and build a tower on the site. He?s targeting a 2011 opening date for his office and residential tower, if he is chosen.
 
The real question is whether SVV will still be a reporter or if he will be replaced by a computerized random word generator with a limited vocabulary that contains 20 words including "soar".
 
Re: Winthrop Square, aka Menino's Phallic Going-Away Present

Mayor Thomas M. Menino may want to transform the Hub?s skyline with a stunning 1,000-foot-high tower
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Builders will show how they would transform a run-down city-owned parking garage off Winthrop Square into possibly Boston?s tallest building.
Click to expand...

it could take seven to 10 years before Bostonians would have a new jewel in its skyline - one that could tower over the Hancock building or Don Chiofaro?s International Place, one top industry executive said yesterday.
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Besides not having another word for "soaring" this is what really puzzles me about coverage of development in Boston, particularly new towers.

First he states it will be a 1,000 footer which will transform the skyline, then it could be "Possibly Boston's tallest building", then it's "Could tower over the Hancock building..."

Well...if it's going to be a 1,000'+ building...it's not possibly, it's GOING TO BE Boston's tallest. And under that same assumption that it's 1,000', then it WILL tower over the Hancock.

It's like this article was written in parts. I'm not into bashing Scott all the time because he does do a good job, but you can't start out stating it's going to be 1,000'+ feet and then question that statement throughout the article. It's too confusing for people not familiar or with decent understanding of the project.
 
I want to see what people come up with for this space. Should be some interesting proposals coming
 
castevens said:
I want to see what people come up with for this space. Should be some interesting proposals coming
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I agree. I'm suprised that it's actually going this fast, I take that to be a good sign. The submitted proposals, if there is as much interest as Mayor Menino says (and I think there is) there's going to be a wide range of different designs and ideas for this space.
 
Hi, new here.

Don't know if anybody has been following but there seems to be a pattern happening in a lot of major cities right now. San Francisco just anounced a 1000 footer today, as well. Baltimore and Nashville are also talking about a building that height.

I really hope Boston does this and does it well.
 
callahan said:
Hi, new here.

Don't know if anybody has been following but there seems to be a pattern happening in a lot of major cities right now. San Francisco just anounced a 1000 footer today, as well. Baltimore and Nashville are also talking about a building that height.

I really hope Boston does this and does it well.
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Welcome to ArchBoston.

I do follow other cities, especially Balitmore and Atlanta as I really like Baltimore and have friends/family in Atlanta. Anyways as far as the buildings go in cities you mentioned:

I know Nashville had proposed the building at something like 700-800' feet and there was talk about increasing it to around 1000'.

In Baltimore there's one proposed on the Inner Harbor that will be 700-800', I think it's like 720' and then another two that are proposed but might not happen and they are looking for those to be around 800' each, twin buildings or something. I've been reading up on that proposal on SSC but it doesn't look to even be proposed yet, just an idea or rumor because a developer bought the land--so we'll see. I think it'd be great for Baltimore to get these built.

I didn't hear about the San Francisco project, do you have a link to it?

I think that it's becoming fashionable to build bigger because it makes sense. In cities like Balitmore and Nashville I'm not sure there's a need for 1,000 footers, but if someone wants to build it and people will occupy it, I guess there is. I think in cities like San Fran and Boston where land, specifically downtown is so hard to find that developers and in a lot of cases the cities themselves, are realizing it makes sense to build up instead of horizontal.
 
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=354636


From 280(the tower in this rendering is about 1200 ft)
ba_towers26_ph01.jpg


From Treasure Island(the tower in this rendering is about 1200 ft)
ba_towers26_ph03.jpg


Transbay proposal includes possible tallest building on West Coast
San Francisco Business Times - 2:38 PM PDT Thursday
by Emily Fancher

San Francisco officials are proposing a 1,000-foot tower and two 800-foot towers in the area around the Transbay Terminal as part of a plan to redraw the city's skyline and raise additional funds to rebuild the terminal.

A revised vision for the area unveiled Thursday shows that officials envision the heart of downtown San Francisco shifting to the South of Market neighborhood over the coming decades -- with the new terminal, dubbed "the Grand Central Station of the West," at its center.
IBM West

The reworked plan is part of a broader rethinking of the phasing and funding of the proposal to rebuild the aging bus terminal at First and Mission streets and to create a high-density neighborhood on the 40 acres surrounding it.

The plan to integrate regional buses, BART and Muni at a new facility that also extends Caltrain from Fourth and King streets has been dogged with controversy and infighting for years. But previously warring officials have spent the past few months trying to find consensus and a path forward to build what will be one of the most expensive -- and some argue most important -- transit projects in Bay Area history.

Building up

If built, the approximately 1,000-foot tower would be the tallest building in San Francisco and possibly one of the 10 tallest in the United States. It would likely include housing, offices and a hotel.

"We think that in this generation of next big buildings, the city can be enhanced in its image and its skyline," Planning Director Dean Macris told the Business Times.

Macris said these buildings would be architecturally distinguished and give San Francisco what it needs: an internationally recognized skyline. "Cities are identified by their skylines," he said.

If approved in concept, the 1,000-foot tower would be built by a design and development team that would also build the terminal next to it. That team would be chosen through a glitzy international competition next year.

One of the proposed 800-foot towers would be on a state-owned parcel at Howard Street between First and Second streets, and Macris said his office is proposing the second one would be on the northwest corner of First and Mission streets where a private developer is already planning a massive mixed-use project. Macris declined to name the developer.

Macris introduced the revised plan to the Transbay Joint Powers Authority board, the agency in charge of the $4 billion rebuild project, as well as to the Planning Commission at meetings on Thursday.

Several TJPA board members praised the revised plan and talked about a new spirit of collaboration that would help move the project to completion.

However, Supervisor Chris Daly, who sits on the TJPA board, lashed out against his longtime rival, Mayor Gavin Newsom. In a heated moment, Daly railed against the mayor, accusing his administration of delaying the Transbay project. Still, Daly said he has no problem with higher towers around the transit hub.
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Here's another article:
Proposed SoMa tower could be tallest building on West Coast

John King, Chronicle Urban Design Writer
Thursday, May 25, 2006

If you've ever wanted to look down on the Transamerica Pyramid, stick around San Francisco for a few years and you might get your chance: City planners say it's time to make room for a new tower of at least 1,000 feet that could be the West Coast's tallest building.
The proposal was presented this morning to the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, a city agency that seeks to build a new transit terminal south of Market Street. Planners want to raise heights near the terminal site to allow two towers as tall as the 853-foot Transamerica Pyramid -- and a third that would rise at least another 150 feet.

The high-rises would also generate money for the transit terminal, with revenue from land sales and property taxes being steered to the transit terminal.

City planners say that with new residential towers being built between Mission Street and the Bay Bridge, there's a new spot for a few extra-tall towers to finish the picture and create a distinctive peak on the skyline.

"We're looking at a trio of towers around the Transbay center that would mark a new center of downtown," said David Alumbaugh, a senior urban planner at the San Francisco Planning Department.

Officials stressed that today's presentation is only a starting point for discussion. A formal planning study and a full environmental impact report would be needed before any zoning changes could occur.

"We want to start the discussion of changing the rules," city Planning Director Dean Macris told the Transbay board. "We want to stretch and raise the imagination of the public."

At present, the tallest building on the West Coast is the U.S. Bank Tower

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78101300_948f350bf6.jpg
 
like that whole Ichiro "SoDo Mojo" in Seattle. I thought it was weird languages or something, but turns out it only means "South of the Dome Mojo (magic)," South of the Dome referring to the new stadium (SAFECO field) being barely south of the old Kingdome
 
Yeah, I'm glad the term "Ladder District" never really caught on. Bostonians don't buy into that stuff too easily.
 
Thanks for the info. That building does look really nice, that's the type of buildings I want more of in Boston. It reminds me of a larger scale SST (my favorite project).

Boston's will have to be much better though because it's the Mayor's baby. If something like this was built on Winthrop Sq. ...no thanks. Nothing against this building, it's just based on Menino's visions of grandeur, nothing short of amazing will due.
 
Reminder of the rendering of this building, which, of course, has no real proposals yet. So this is more-or-less just for height comparison:

1140238521_1573.gif
 
Tomorrows NY Times has an ad calling for proposals for "115 Winthrop Square" due by Nov 16th 2006.
 
So, any guesses when this will actually be built?

Do you people believe it will really hit 1000 ft?
 
callahan said:
So, any guesses when this will actually be built?

Do you people believe it will really hit 1000 ft?
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When it will be built is really anyone's guess. I really think it depends on which architect/developer's proposal is chosen. If this happens and It looks promising, I'd guess the building would be finished sometime in 2011, probably later. You have to think it's 2006, by the time the proposals are submitted and one is chosen it's probably going to be close to early to mid-2007. Construction takes forever to start (look at SST) once a project is approved. So maybe they start mid-2008 and finish 2011? I don't know, that's my best guess. It takes a long time to build a building of this magnitude so it could be even longer.

I do believe it will not only be 1000 ft. but will surpass it. I'm not saying it's going to be 1200 ft. , but if it's something like 1050', it wouldn't shock me.
 
John Hynes, the grandson (?) of the developer and former mayor of Boston (inches away from being killed in the construction collapse ealier this year), said that his company would submit a proposal and it would not only be bigger than 1000', but it would be completed in 2011!
 
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