[ARCHIVED] Harbor Garage Redevelopment | 70 East India Row | Waterfront | Downtown

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Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

The garage is not a scar on the Greenway.

As long as the garage keeps making money, Chiofaro has the upper hand.

How is Chiofaro going to make any money if he builds "hot and cold" pools?
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

Of note is that Chiofaro has formally withdrawn the towers with arch proposal. And it would seem that no new tower proposal will replace it. Any new building will be of modest height.

The two alternatives seem to be a major reclad of the existing garage (disguising it) with something built on top, and a new underground garage with public realm space over part of the garage, and a retail arcade (and/or boutique-scale hotel?) Most of the presentation was on the latter alternative.

There are a lot more renderings of what might be done than were prepared (publicly released) for the arch proposal.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

I wish they would bring old Atlantic Ave through the site to India Street, concurrently with closing Milk St across the greenway. Hopefully that would spread out the clusterfuck of cabs, tour buses, and lost tourists a bit, and also recreate a block to develop on. As an exchange they could allow that redundant park between Central and Milk to be developed.

What I would really love would be a new (much larger) aquarium built on the site of the garage, allowing Central Wharf to be redeveloped into something incredible. The aquarium opening up onto the greenway would really activate that part of the park. Maybe they could even find a way to have the sea lions in the greenway...

/dreaming
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

I've actually had similar dreams but it involves that useless park besides the garage.

(The new one, not the pool one. Sad I had to clarify that.)
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

stellarfun said:
Of note is that Chiofaro has formally withdrawn the towers with arch proposal. And it would seem that no new tower proposal will replace it. Any new building will be of modest height.

The two alternatives seem to be a major reclad of the existing garage (disguising it) with something built on top, and a new underground garage with public realm space over part of the garage, and a retail arcade (and/or boutique-scale hotel?) Most of the presentation was on the latter alternative.

There are a lot more renderings of what might be done than were prepared (publicly released) for the arch proposal.
Click to expand...

I loved Chiofaro first proposal. If they keep the existing garage and re-clad it that will be a fucking joke. This development alone should be the final nail in the coffin for the BRA.

The BRA idea of good development. Lets force this developer to put a dress & lipstick on this concrete wall that is blocking the ocean.

Nothing over 200ft? The BRA is adding no value to the Greenway by dressing this pig up.
 
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Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

If a development of modest height is to be erected here, it is still going to block about as many existing views for Harbor Tower residents as a larger proposal. Just as long as they're pissed, I'm happy.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

type001 said:
If a development of modest height is to be erected here, it is still going to block about as many existing views for Harbor Tower residents as a larger proposal. Just as long as they're pissed, I'm happy.
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If any development is erected in the city it blocks somebody view. But they can also look the other way. This argument about blocking my view is like a bunch of spoiled brats saying you can't build anything around us after the taxpayers have redeveloped their entire community with over 20 Billion in tax dollars and counting.

The argument doesn't even make sense.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

BostonObserver said:
Best quote from this presentation -

Harbor Tower resident "I moved here for the serenity"
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Yuck. Anyone who moves to the downtown of a major city for "serenity" is reaching a level of pretension that I don't encounter very often.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

I wish I had a spare hour to watch the whole video.

One of the images is of public hot tubs. That sounds so gross.

Hot-and-cold-tubs-at-Harbor-Garage-Chiofaro-Company-ADD-Inc-600x322.jpg
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

I'm with you. Human STD stew.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

Seriously!
How many moons are there on the planet of that rendering--it is not earth.
It would be comical to see public hot tubs in an urban environment though, watching the cat and mouse game of homeless folks delighting in the opportunity for a free warm bath and various authority figures awkwardly trying to shoo them away . . .
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

Seriously!

I can be critical about Don C. about a lot of things, but low-end vision / projects are not one of them. These thermal spas (the term used in Switzerland, for example) are not for the hoi polloi.

From Suisse:
700_zumthor-vals-06.png


app_0279.jpg


The-Burgerbad-thermal-spa-001.jpg
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

Apparently, none of you have been to the public spas in Japan. There's an entrance fee, but it's fun to go to with friends.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

Renderings from ADD appearing in the Globe (beyond the paywall).

Sculpture%20plaza.jpg


Don't know what the hatched red lines represent, though they may be the footprint of the existing garage.

Sandy%20beach.jpg


Rink.jpg



pool2.jpg


“Our previous approach was obviously not successful at all,” said Chiofaro, referring to his twin-skyscraper plan. “That project is behind us, and to be candid we learned some lessons.”

Now Chiofaro and his architects are not talking about the height of any eventual buildings on the site. During a meeting with neighbors and planners last week, they focused exclusively on how to improve the site with public spaces, retail options, water features, and other amenities.

Many neighbors and city officials welcomed Chiofaro’s latest approach, but some say it is difficult to offer support without seeing a more complete proposal.
Click to expand...

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business...wdBGAoBEIioGUFpVN/story.html?p1=Well_BG_Links
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

And where again is the part of this "proposal" that is going to make it economically sound for Chiofaro to do any of this without asking for the height naysayers to cough up the cash?
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

Chiofaro should try to partner and incorporate a new Aquarium to redevelop the entire area.

**The BRA should be forcing Harbor Towers to provide front & back access towards the Greenway & Waterfront. Not have a personal pool that would have a greater benefit for better public access to both sides for the public.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

TheRifleman said:
Chiofaro should try to partner and incorporate a new Aquarium to redevelop the entire area.
Click to expand...

Is this something the Aquarium would be interested in? They just finished a big renovation of their central tank, I don't imagine they're too keen on helping finance a new facility and move.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

type001 said:
And where again is the part of this "proposal" that is going to make it economically sound for Chiofaro to do any of this without asking for the height naysayers to cough up the cash?
Click to expand...

I think the strategy here is to get everyone married to the public space and then hit them with the height it'll take to get it done.
 
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