Alexandra Hotel Renovation | 1769 Washington St | Roxbury

Re: Alexandra Hotel

czsz said:
I think Christian Science is crazy, but their center is hardly a blight on Boston.

I really don't mind insane religions spending money to improve Boston. If/when reason puts them out of business, we'll inherit their handiwork.
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I agree, their money is green, too. I would rather have a good restoration done by a bunch of religious nut-jobs than not have it done at all. I can enjoy the restored building from outside without ever going through the front door or engaging their religious beliefs.

Something needed to happen with this building. Overall it will be a great improvement to the neighborhood, regardless of who is inside.
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

Scientology is not Christian Science. Two different things. The Christian Science Center with the fountain in Boston is the head of the Christian Science Church not Scientology.

This restoration is being done by the Scientologists.
 
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Re: Alexandra Hotel

Considering most of architecture in human history has been the result of religion, I don't think we should inhibit them from spending their money. I think all religions are pretty nutty, so why should we give the Scientologists special treatment?
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

Good for the Scientology movement! It would be great if they established themselves here and decide to give back to the community in 50 years by erecting an 800' tower on Kneeland or Stuart Street called Hubbard Place. If anybody can do this in Boston, it's going to be the Scientologists. Their army of lawyers would crush the NIMBYs.
 
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Re: Alexandra Hotel

^ Not to mention their alien technology. ^
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

crash575 said:
Scientology is not Christian Science. Two different things. The Christian Science Center with the fountain in Boston is the head of the Christian Science Church not Scientology.

This restoration is being done by the Scientologists.
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I get that. My point was that they both have (IMO) ridiculous beliefs, but both have (and can) make architectural contributions that can still be celebrated.

Good for the Scientology movement! It would be great if they established themselves here and decide to give back to the community in 50 years by erecting an 800' tower on Kneeland or Stuart Street called Hubbard Place. If anybody can do this in Boston, it's going to be the Scientologists. Their army of lawyers would crush the NIMBYs.
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Best proposal 2010!
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

Has bostonbred weighed in on this yet?

If not, why not?
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

kennedy said:
Considering most of architecture in human history has been the result of religion, I don't think we should inhibit them from spending their money. I think all religions are pretty nutty, so why should we give the Scientologists special treatment?
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Exactly. I dont like the mormon religion, but I love that theyre building a temple in cambridge.

And I have no idea what christian science is, but their center is one of the things that makes Boston great.

I dont know about you, but when I travel, usually the highlights are the religious institutions, not bank headquarters.

If scientologists want to take a building that nobody has touched in decades, and bring it alve again, then I welcome them.
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

ablarc said:
Has bostonbred weighed in on this yet?

If not, why not?
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Iam NOTT knoing this tipe of Religoiousness. OLD uncles satying only antikness giving the LEGTMACY. But I ask him WHY NOT worshiping catdog gods and BAAL but he THROW nip bootle at me and say GO PAINT self BLU.

If FIX bilding ok by me.
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

Okay, obscure religious references, but you agree with the renovation. Cool.

I didn't know that Nickolodeon televisions shows were subtle references to various gods?
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

There's a difference here. The Christian Science Center is a beautiful showplace tourist attraction, as is the Mormon Temple of downtown Salt Lake City.

Scientology, on the other hand, has killed the commercial heart of its headquarters in Clearwater, Florida, and turned it into a creepy place that locals and tourists both avoid.
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

I'm not sure downtown clearwater was ever anything to begin with but your right. Although I think they may have beautified the area enough to where their influence is negligible.
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

Ron Newman said:
Scientology, on the other hand, has killed the commercial heart of its headquarters in Clearwater, Florida, and turned it into a creepy place that locals and tourists both avoid.
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What do they do? Are they muggers? Do they expose themselves to little girls?

Are they planning atrocities in Boston? Why don't the police do something?
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

I think we can safely assume that Scientologists' occupation of one building in the South End is not going to prompt a mass evacuation of the neighborhood.

If anything, the protests should make it way more lively!
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

czsz said:
I think we can safely assume that Scientologists' occupation of one building in the South End is not going to prompt a mass evacuation of the neighborhood.

If anything, the protests should make it way more lively!
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their current local hq on beacon street hasn't killed the back bay, and I would say that their office in Hollywood actually adds character to that stretch (albeit not of the type that we would necessarily seek here)

crackpot religion but I don't see a single negative to this
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

Greta Van Susteren is a Scientologist.
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

The Church of Scientology's Back Bay headquarters has been listed for sale at $12,500,000. They are marketing it as "ideal for a condo conversion".

Although it's listed for sale at $12.5 million they are accepting bids until March 26, 2010, meaning the final sale price may be more (or, in theory, less).

Tracy Campion is the listing broker.

The Hooper mansion was one of the largest mansions in Back Bay when built in the late 1800?s. This grand corner building is over 20,000SF (with additions over 27,000SF), this Richardsonian Romanesque style building features an imposing corner tower, generously scaled rooms, stunning unobstructed views of the Charles River & boasts over 70 windows. Approximately 14 parking spaces.

Unfortunately, the listing includes no interior photos except two fireplace shots.

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Re: Alexandra Hotel

From the Globe:

Boston Globe said:
By Cara Bayles, Town Correspondent

Demolition began last week on the old Ivory Bean House on Washington Street. After the building began shedding bricks in February, the city's Inspectional Services Department ordered the Bean's owner, the Church of Scientology, to demolish the structure.

As far as the church is concerned, it had gotten what it had wanted since it purchased the building in 2008.

"Nobody disagrees that the building is in terrible disrepair," said Marc LaCasse, the attorney for the Church of Scientology in Boston. "Its neglect dates back to 50 years before my client owned it."

The demolition was part of the church's plans for its new 45,000 square-foot New England headquarters, which will replace its 27,765 square-foot location on Beacon Street. The project also includes revamping the next-door 19th century Victorian Gothic hotel, formerly known as the Alexandra. The structures both fall under the purview of the city's Landmarks Commission, which had delayed the process by trying to salvage the Ivory Bean, a Greek Revival-style structure built in 1853.

"We were dealing with two conflicting city departments," LaCasse said.

"Landmarks was saying 'You can't demolish it,' and Inspection Services was saying, 'You have to demolish it.' "


Demolition on the building began Thursday, a month after bricks began falling from the building onto Washington Street.

"This notion there was any delay in commencing the demolition is not fair, really," LaCasse said. "Even after Inspectional Services issued the order to demolish the building, we still needed to apply for a demolition permit, and there were further requirements beyond that. ? Just because ISD says knock it down one day, doesn't mean that you can go in with a crane the next day."

The church has been struggling to get permission from the South End Landmarks Commission to demolish the Ivory Bean for the past year. Walter Maros, the commission's preservation planner, said the building was a connection to the neighborhood's history.

"Certainly, we're sorry to see the Ivory Bean House go," he said.

The church's first application to the Landmarks Commission, in April 2010, was only partially approved. The commission granted permission to demolish the rear of the building, but asked that the church maintain the front fa?ade.

In October, the church reapplied, citing structural concerns about the fa?ade that had arisen since that spring, and contending that maintaining it would be prohibitively expensive. The commission approved the project "in concept," on the condition that the church submitted new plans for the Ivory Bean, which included lowering the height of the building and salvaging bricks from the original structure and incorporating them into the new building in "a playful way."

LaCasse cited the provisional approval when asked why no demolition work had been done in the gap between the recent Landmarks letter in December, and bricks falling from the Ivory Bean in February.

"The Landmarks agreement was somewhat conditional. It said you can demolish it, but not until the redevelopment has been further reviewed by the commission," LaCasse said.

Maros said the commission had not received revised plans from the church since December, but that he knew the church was planning to incorporate bricks from the old structure in the new design.

The Landmarks Commission, in its decisions on the Ivory Bean, already indicated it was "favorably disposed" to the church's plans to rehabilitate the exterior of the Alexandra Hotel building.

"The Alexandra is considered and important anchor building for that corner and the neighborhood in the South End," said Maros. "I think everyone can agree that rehabilitating that is the right thing to do."

Even if that process goes smoothly, the plans will still face a lengthy Boston Redevelopment Authority approval process, LaCasse said.

E-mail Cara Bayles at carabayles@gmail.com.

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LINK
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

This is the Ivory Bean building being demolished:
ivory_bean_house_2010.jpg
 
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