975 Boylston | Mass DOT Parcel 13 | Boylston & Mass Ave | Back Bay

HenryAlan said:
It's clearly more of a massing study than anything. We'll see what comes up if they even make it to the next phase. That said, this concept looks okay to me. Yes, it's not super imaginative, but it's still slightly more than a background building. And the key element to me, is that it covers the Pike and stiches the intersection of two major streets together. In a sense, the building itself doesn't matter so much as what it hides. If this were plopped down on the parcel right now, we'd all love the actual result. Given the cost of building here, maybe "something" rather than "perfection" is the best we can get.
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No no no. I'm sorry but if a massive amount of money is going to be spent to cover up that hole and cinch the neighborhood together, that building had better be top notch! Once it's built, we're stuck with it for probably the rest of our lifetimes, other than little updates. This is a MAJOR pedestrian walking area, and even more so now that parcel 12 is there. It's a huge slap in the face in such a prominent area to put such an ugly, outdated, confusing thing. Maybe it's a massing study, but even there it fails. Why aren't there setbacks and more height like in the previous versions? They can do sooooo much more with the shape and size here while keeping the street level vibrant and exciting for shops and restaurants, as that area is designed for! I get that everyone has different ideas of what "perfection" here would be, but this is no one's, and to just accept "something" to fill the hole can not be the bar we are holding.
Shit, I'd rather they just covered up that hole (and the one across from it while they're at it) and leave a blank concrete pad until they get it right. The city should do it and then put some temporary art, seating, dog walk area, whatever, until a buyer proves they have their heads in the right place.
 
And - lets face it - this is when they'd normally be putting their best foot forward. How many gorgeous renders, even from some of the best in the biz, that have we seen VE'd down to a shadow of their former selves. I'm not sure this is just massing model? If it is, they'd be better served showing a 50% opaque block and be done with it. If no, and this is the "best" they can show now, holy fuck we're in for a nightmare and a generational missed opportunity.
 
gac108 said:
...Maybe it's a massing study, but even there it fails...
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Well, it did succeed in teaching me that big, bad landscrapers can eat little landscrapers (thanks @Downburst). Munch, munch, munch...

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(...burp)
 
HenryAlan said:
It's clearly more of a massing study than anything. We'll see what comes up if they even make it to the next phase. That said, this concept looks okay to me. Yes, it's not super imaginative, but it's still slightly more than a background building. And the key element to me, is that it covers the Pike and stiches the intersection of two major streets together. In a sense, the building itself doesn't matter so much as what it hides. If this were plopped down on the parcel right now, we'd all love the actual result. Given the cost of building here, maybe "something" rather than "perfection" is the best we can get.
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I would have agreed before parcel 12, but now seeing how that is shaping up (and straddling a much large swath of the pike and filling a much bigger hole), it begs this parcel to be better to make something of the area. Almost anything is better than just the pike, sure, but I think the success of 12 turns this into a much bigger opportunity now.
 
So thanks to the conversation in the Parcel 12 thread, I went looking for any updates on Parcel 13, and lo and behold what I find on Peebles website: what I believe to be brand new renders from RAMSA. Designwise, I actually think this is pretty dang nice. Pivots completely away from commercial into "ultra-luxury residences, co-located with an affordable housing component," this iteration comes in at 600k sqft.

The base looks rather underactivated along Boylston, and that mech penthouse is a little woof, but all I have to say is: Build it.
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Edit to include link:

975 Boylston Street - The Peebles Corporation

peeblescorp.com peeblescorp.com
 
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I only care about two things on this parcel: (1) adding residential density, and (2) building as much ground-floor retail as possible. In light of #2, I sure do hate that loading dock, but since it's so complex to build anything here, I'm not going to be picky.
 
Justbuildit said:
Whoa, great find! Would be a tremendous addition to just fill that hole. Even if it's not inspiring it at least seems to fit in and solve the issue. Agree, Justbuildit!
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I just really appreciate that it doesn't have a flat roofline. What they did to vary the roof is so much better than the massive, straight line proposed upthread.
 
Awesome building, great density and massing. I like that its somewhat contextual and echos the mandarin oriental nearby. Nice street wall too.
 
Hm, I guess their ask for $500K per affordable unit from the Infrastructure Bill didn't go through... Did Peebles originally win this based on including 100% affordable housing? I can't seem to find the original proposals.

The design looks nice - It's intriguing there's no sign of the Pike below, when that has clearly been influential in previous designs. Perhaps luxury prices can absorb that engineering.

There's something interesting about RAMSA anchoring both ends of Boylston St in the Back Bay.. that is, if Peebles ever builds this... What iteration is this for Peebles? I much prefer this version over the Druker development, but they're talking to each other in dare I say quite a nice "emerging" medium-to-large-scale Back Bay language.
 
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Stlin said:
So thanks to the conversation in the Parcel 12 thread, I went looking for any updates on Parcel 13, and lo and behold what I should find on Peebles website: what I believe to be brand new renders from RAMSA. Designwise, I actually think this is pretty dang nice. Pivots completely away from commercial into "ultra-luxury residences, co-located with an affordable housing component," this iteration comes in at 600k sqft.

The base looks rather underactivated along Boylston, and that mech penthouse is a little woof, but all I have to say is: Build it.
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Looks awesome. Can you put a link to where it came from?
 
What? Just no, looks like they just pulled up on SketchUp model of the Mandarin down the street and mixed in some MI5/6 HQ from London - this would be quality infill in Bulfinch Triangle or Fenway but not here, can professional designers today really not get the difference between a site that should be oriented vertically vs. horizontally? Good thing is this developer will never get anything done so we can look forward to a different iteration in about 10 yrs. wtf sigh...

EDIT: to add that Lyrik across the street is a horrible mish-mash throw-up of angles, poor perspective and proportions all wrong and only benefit is well, guess marginally better than an open highway trench, but not by much - such potential the Mass Ave./Boylston intersection had, alas...
 
Don Peebles’s entire career has been winning RFPs for sites like this, dicking around for ten years, and never building anything. The state needs to try again, maybe with an actual developer.
 
Might be worth noting that Don Peebles’s lengthy Wikipedia page was written by one account that signed up 15 years ago, promptly wrote 1000 words about Don Peebles, and then never edited a different page again.
 
Looks like a slightly more varied version of the Midtown Hotel redevelopment. Seems a little silly not to go much taller here, esp given the zoning for the bank across the street and what will likely come up at Parcel 15, but nice looking building.
 
Even if only one 1970’s-style, single family ranch house was proposed here, it would be an enormous win. Erasing ASAP more of the 8-lane wide crater occupying what should be one of the city’s marquee squares has to be priority #1. Everything else is gravy.

Since this one also happens to get more right than it does wrong above the elevation of the freeway cap, extra no brainer, build it yesterday.
 
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I think it looks good: much better than the heavy brick blob they'd proposed before. It fits in with its surroundings, the color is light and airy, and I dont mind the height, either. I think this would be a great addition to this space. And for the critics, don't forget that this is gonna be built on top of a highway and the Green Line interacts with it as well. This is not a simple construction piece, but even so, I like it.

Has that old exit from Hynes that lets you out on Boylston ever been reopened? I used Hynes constantly as a teenager but haven't for years and years, and I recall that special exit (where this building is proposed) being closed off at some point.
 
Jeremi said:
Might be worth noting that Don Peebles’s lengthy Wikipedia page was written by one account that signed up 15 years ago, promptly wrote 1000 words about Don Peebles, and then never edited a different page again.
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That Wikipedia page is soo terrible, it’s comical. It’s so bad, you weirdly want to keep reading. Even so, the focus of it is on several high profile sites he has bid on to generate media attention but never built. How did such an unserious company become associated with the parcel? —

“Affirmation Tower has received extensive media coverage and overwhelming local and national support from citizens, community, and political leaders.”

“His daughter, Chloe, is a Division 1 athlete, university student and a national hunt seat equestrian competitor.”

He’s also apparently publicly considered running for mayor in almost every major city along the Eastern Seaboard.

“However, Peebles did not enter the [NYC mayor’s] race citing wanting to teach his then 22-year-old son, a recent graduate from Columbia University, the real estate business, and to spend time with his 14-year-old daughter during her last four years at home before college.”
 
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