45 Province St | Downtown Crossing

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Shit.

My wife heard on the 6 O'Clock news that Cafe Marliave has been shut down due to non payment of taxes. The restaurant and it's furnishings will be auctioned off if they don't come up with some $100,000.

I haven't been able to find anything online about it, but this old story seems to show it's a possibility.
 
The same thing happened to Buzzy's Famous Roast Beef.....

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Incidentially, I have not seen any change to the garage since I was last here months ago. When is demolition to begin?
 
Buzzy's was shut down for non-payment of taxes? I thought the owner just decided to sell out to MGH.
 
Buzzy's _Famous_ Roast Beef was shut down for taxes. It reappeared after a year or so as Buzzy's _Fabulous_ Roast Beef. I'm not sure if it was even the same owner. This second incarnation was razed for the new hotel/Yawkey center.
 
For all of you Littlest fans, the drop dead last day of operation will be next Saturday. They were previously granted a six month span of time to stay open, however, this has just run out.

Stop in and have a pint!
 
Littlest Bar to reopen ?just down the way?
By Donna Goodison
Friday, September 29, 2006


The last pint was poured at the Littlest Bar on Saturday, but Patrick Grace plans a return, hopefully by Christmas.

Grace, the owner of the diminutive subterranean Boston watering hole for the last 15 years, plans to open a somewhat larger Littlest a few blocks from the original Province Street location.

?We?re negotiating to open on Devonshire Street just down the way,? said Grace, who has a tentative agreement and foresees no obstacles to sealing the deal.

In business since 1945, the Littlest was permitted for just 38 drinkers. Originally scheduled to close in January, it got several reprieves from the wrecking ball because of delays faced by the Abbey Group, the Boston developer that?s building a high-rise condo tower in its place.

Grace is hoping for city approval for 48 to 50 customers at the new spot, another below-street-level space at 111 Devonshire St.

Salvaged mementos from the Littlest, including old photos and the New Hampshire pine bar top, may reappear at the new location.

?We?ll try to bring some of the nostalgia to the new place,? Grace said. ?We?re going to build on that same kind of atmosphere, because we had a lot of good friends there. But when you move, things change a bit. You?ll get some people back, but you?ll get new friends.?

Grace is considering a Gaelic addition to the new Littlest?s name: the Littlest Eile, or ?another? Littlest.



Link
 
in case you haven't been lately, the 45 Province St. web site has been expanded and now it actually has some information about the project.
 
Meh, these are the same guys responsible for the hideous travesty facing the greenway next to the Customs House.
 
But Abbey Group also did the Landmark Center (former Sears building) in the Fenway, and I think that turned out well.
 
the last time we had a ground breaking for something over 300' was three years ago.. Park Essex. finally the drought is over:



Condo groundbreaking bucks trend
By Scott Van Voorhis
Boston Herald Business Reporter
Friday, October 20, 2006 - Updated: 01:23 AM EST


Would-be condo developers have been getting cold feet, but not prominent downtown Boston builders Robert and David Epstein.

The brothers - who developed Fenway?s giant Landmark retail and office center and who own part of the Boston Celtics - yesterday started work on a new, 32-story luxury condo tower near Government Center.

Condo sales have been falling in recent months amid a market cooldown, and a number of proposed condo high-rise plans have stalled or been forced to revamp their marketing strategy.

But David Epstein, a partner at the Abbey Group, said yesterday the decision to move forward was based on a long-term vision of downtown Boston as an increasingly dynamic residential market.

The Epsteins? new 150-unit project, 45 Province, is slated to open in the spring of 2009. The new tower features a modern design, a spa and ?a celebrity chef restaurant.?

The project has been long in the making. The developers bought the site nearly 20 years ago.

?You can?t take a short-term view in real estate,? David Epstein said. ?You can?t take a moment in time and make a decision on that.?



Link
 
I stopped in at the sales office today... it seems like it could be a really nice full-service building. The finish level is impressive, and unlike the Millenium properties (Residences at the Ritz and One Charles), which are fairly conservative looking, they've taken some chances and gone with a very contemporary feel - glass and quartzite countertops, island kitchens, Italian cabinets, bamboo floors, etc.

There are about 125 floor plans for the 145 apartments, so not a lot of repetition. That's good for owners, since it makes each condo less of a commodity. Most of the units will be served by two passenger and one freight elevators. Pets can travel only on the freight elevator, which is sure to annoy dog owners. There are a number of floor-through units on the lower floors next to the parking garage, served by their own elevator.

The parking is valet-only (boo), but is NOT Central Parking (yay). They're aiming for an 8-minute car delivery time, which would be very impressive if achievable. There are no roadway improvements planned as part of the project.

There will be a two-level restaurant by Some Famous Restaurant Guy on the first floor, and a four-season half-indoor half-outdoor pool on the roof, as well as a roof deck. There's a library/lounge/the usual on the second floor.

The construction method will be poured concrete, not steel. It takes longer to build, but according to the sales agent will result in a quieter building. I was particularly interested in their noise abatement strategies, as I currently live in a unit which picks up elevator vibrations, but of course I'm not an engineer and neither was he, so he couldn't tell me much more than "extra insulation".

One interesting point: There is absolutely no opportunity for customization. (Well, not true - in some units with carpeting, you can choose between two shades of beige.) I've seen other buildings where pre-construction owners had the ability to make changes, but Abbey Group is strict on this point. That's a bit of a downer.

All in all, though it looks like worthy competition for the Ritz.
 
Upgrades

Dude, if you went in with a buyer's agent, I'm sure he'd be able to negotiate upgrades / customization for you!
 
Thanks, Joe. Always nice to see an ugly parking garage come down. And we're losing a parking lot too.

Keep us updated. 8)
 
Presenting Christo's latest oeuvre, "Death Shroud", now on exhibition at 45 Province St.

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The Globe said:
Death Shroud represents a radical departure from the artist's previous works. Gone are the gay colors (not that there's anything wrong with them) of Surrounded Islands and The Gates. Somber colors have replaced them, reflecting a new maturity in the artist, and a willingness to address some of life's most difficult questions. And perhaps no question is more difficult than the one Christo wrestles with in this bold work: where to park the car.

Strolling up Province Street the passer-by is suddenly confronted by a ghastly apparition. The Province Street garage stands gutted and silent. Scaffolding huddles against the ruin, encasing the hulk in a skeletal superstructure. Christo's trademark sheets, draped over the structure, complete the installation. Dark and translucent, the sheets resemble veils of mourning. Like the Ghost of Christmas Future looming -- some would say soaring -- over Scrooge, Death Shroud towers over the viewer. But unlike the Ghost it brings no possibility of redemption. Rather, it reminds us of the transient nature of parking and its inevitable loss. Our belief that lots and garages have always been there and will always be there become suspect as Christo makes us question our assumption that parking is eternal.
Click to expand...
All in all, a very powerful work. I recommend it to any forummer who happens to be in the area.
 
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