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

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Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

Probably too late now, but I had played with this idea for a while: extending Old Atlantic Ave through the garage parcel to meet with the southern half of Atlantic Ave. It would create a few distinct parcels, and enable less of a towers in the park development. Old Atlantic Ave would become a shopping street between the greenway and aquarium/harbor.

I'm using the IMAX site for one of the towers (480'). The other tower along Atlantic Ave is 600'. I also think that redeveloping the pool area with a midrise (around the same height as Rowes Wharf) would greatly activate the greenway's streetwall, and get rid of that awful fence. The pool could be rebuilt on the roof. The existing harbor tower closest to the greenway would also get it's first two floors wrapped in glass, turning the existing useless colonnade into shops.

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Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

Not Bad Dave-Not Bad

Still would like to see the floor renderings.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

Great renderings. I was a bit fuzzy on where the buildings would sit.

What are the residents of the Harbor Towers complaining about? I get the whole NIMBY thing, but south (ocean and skyline), west (skyline) and east (ocean) views are unobstructed.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

Cuz it's not their personal playground anymore?

It's not so special when everyone starts playing in your sandbox anymore.

That and everyone who can afford to buy one of these units probably puts the HT residents to shame in the bank account dept......
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

SeamusMcFly said:
Cuz it's not their personal playground anymore?

It's not so special when everyone starts playing in your sandbox anymore.

That and everyone who can afford to buy one of these units probably puts the HT residents to shame in the bank account dept......
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It's not enough to succeed. Others must fail!
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

SeamusMcFly said:
That and everyone who can afford to buy one of these units probably puts the HT residents to shame in the bank account dept......
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Weird thing is, I'm not sure the HT residences are all that nice. I had a buddy leave Charlestown with his wife because they couldn't afford a 2-BR apartment. They ended up moving into a 2-BR on the 27th floor of HT with parking. I guess it must vary by unit?
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

AmericanFolkLegend said:
Weird thing is, I'm not sure the HT residences are all that nice. I had a buddy leave Charlestown with his wife because they couldn't afford a 2-BR apartment. They ended up moving into a 2-BR on the 27th floor of HT with parking. I guess it must vary by unit?
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I had a friend who rented a place on the 39th floor of one of the towers for a while. I guess the biggest issue is that the walls were thin, and the people next door complained a few times when he had guests.

His place had a lot of mirrors which made it appear bigger than it really was. It wasn't bad, but it was definitely a bit dated. I helped him move and really enjoyed dropping garbage down the 40 story trash chute in the hall! Definitely a Harbor Towers highlight.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

The renderings are ecdysiast teasing. There is no published site plan, so, for example, the entrance/exit to the 1400 car underground garage is not revealed. Nor is the location of the required 'open space' revealed; the renderings suggest that the 'open space' includes the area under the roof, which raises the question of whether it is truly open space. (Whatever he is including, Chiofaro already concedes he doesn't meet the 50 percent requirement.) The cantilevered trapezoids rising over a massive underground garage raise questions of construction cost.
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The Harbor Towers residents aren't exactly NIMBYs. They have a property interest in the existing garage and Chiofaro can't do zilch without their okay, or at least until their property interest is extinguished.
 
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Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

I know Harbor Towers were really cheap for a while when everything came out about the structural deficiencies. I think prices might be back up now that everything's fixed though.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

If I was the developer---the proposal I would put up to the city would be:

A) I'm going to build whatever I want and how high the FAA gives me or

B) I'm going to start selling 99 Year leases for the Garage spots. 250K-300K a spot. With a 1000 Monthly Garage Fee on top of that. (This would make the city officials sick at that point and would never let the Greenway get to its full potential)

I wish I owned that garage.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

underground said:
I know Harbor Towers were really cheap for a while when everything came out about the structural deficiencies. I think prices might be back up now that everything's fixed though.
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IIRC, the cost to fix the glazing and obsolete/deteriorated HVAC system for a condo owner was nearly as much as the purchase value of the individual unit. The perils of buying into an aging condominium. Caveat emptor.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

stellarfun said:
IIRC, the cost to fix the glazing and obsolete/deteriorated HVAC system for a condo owner was nearly as much as the purchase value of the individual unit. The perils of buying into an aging condominium. Caveat emptor.
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Yes. I remember that too. Mid-six-figures in one time assessments for some units. Makes me wonder WTF the condo board had been doing for the last 40 years.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

^Don't worry, the grown-ups are taking care of it.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

stellarfun said:
I hope there is a site plan (which covers how he intends to meet Chapter 91) presented, --else this a largely wasted discussion.
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Which reminds me, how has the Harbor Towers not been sued for violating Chapter 91. That area around the pool is particularly bad. It's not like they're grandfathered in since Ch 91 has been around forever.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

underground said:
The Harbor Tour Trusties are claiming the tower is "Historically Inappropriate":
http://northendwaterfront.com/2014/07/harbor-towers-trustees-say-chiofaros-proposal-is-too-big/
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Are they arguing the garage IS historically appropriate? If the only way to pay for the removal of the garage, which is particularly bad given its location on the greenway, is to bury it and build over it, then isn't that a better option than leaving the garage as is?
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

Their argument is "I got mine FUCK OFF!!!!1111!!1" /drools
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

The cognitive dissonance of the article is truly amazing.

Since modern urban planning began here in Boston in the early 1960s, it has been customary and an article of faith that we do not build huge skyscrapers and excessive density on our waterfront;
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it will set a precedent for other sites also right on the Harbor’s edge.
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They are the precedent for skyscrapers on the water! They have the fenced private pool and parking turnaround people have to walk around/through! Density on the water is bad? So having the North End along the water is bad?
 
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