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

[datadyne007]

Not sure if we're ready yet to reopen the main thread, but just FTR here is the original thread URL. Dumping it here because it's impossible to find; took me 15 minutes.

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

Chiofaro plans high-rise housing on Greenway Developer aims to use site of parking garage By Steve Bailey, Globe Staff | May 25, 2006 With Boston's office market recovering and developers beginning to jockey for position, International Place builder Donald Chiofaro is readying plans for a...

archboston.com

 

[Gunner02]

Walked by this morning - will be again shortly - and there is much of it closed off with two 30 foot dumpsters in the entry. Not sure if it’s related but I just thought it was interesting even before reading this thread.

 

[Massachoicetts]

cant wait to see the new renders!

 

[Equilibria]

Walked by this morning - will be again shortly - and there is much of it closed off with two 30 foot dumpsters in the entry. Not sure if it’s related but I just thought it was interesting even before reading this thread.

That's likely unrelated - an LOI is a very rough document. This is still 1-2 years away from construction, and that's for a normal project that won't get sued repeatedly.

 

[HenryAlan]

FTR here is the original thread URL. Dumping it here because it's impossible to find; took me 15 minutes.

How did you search? I just used keyword: "aquarium" and restricted the search to thread titles and it popped right up (along with this thread and the other follow-up thread).

 

[type001]

That's likely unrelated - an LOI is a very rough document. This is still 1-2 years away from construction, and that's for a normal project that won't get sued repeatedly.

Those are for necessary garage repairs that were planned in the last couple of years. As much as I want this project to move forward, the realist in me knows that nothing will happen for many years.

 

[Rover]

I think he's answered the naysayers though who kept asking him to do something. Until the area was rezoned it was kind of difficult to go down that road. Now that the rezoning is done he's kicking off the first step so good for him. Harbor Towers people should be laughed out of court or forced to abide by the same rules for harbor access (like getting rid of their gated off swimming pool). CLF suit should only be allowed to continue if they add the Imax theatre to their lawsuit and explain why they stood down instead of going to the mat on that one.

 

[stefal]

I'm a little confused how he's at the LOI stage if he doesn't know what use the building will have.

I think about a year ago he or someone on his team said they were actively redesigning the building/complex with the design team. Could just be a vague LOI..

 

[BKNA]

so there's 3 threads on this now? the original one, the 'pontificating' one, and now this temporary one?
An LOI makes this official. can we combine all 3 into 1?

and please, do not title the thread the 'Aquarium' garage. its Harbor Garage.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

the aquarium is just a neighbor, same as Harbor Towers and 255 State Street.

 

[stick n move]

“The letter kicks off the city’s formal design-review process.”

yup combine the other threads and open it back up!

 

[statler]

A while back I called the SST project aB's Moby Dick because we kept chasing it and chasing it getting our hopes only to see it slip out our grasp time and again.

But I was wrong

THIS project is aB's White Whale.

Why?

Because people have a completely, utterly unhealthy fixation and obsession with it.

 

[JeffDowntown]

Mods, is someone going to reopen the Aquarium Garage thread, since the LOI has been filed?

https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/...aro-proposes-1b-600-foot-downtown-boston.html

Sorry, Boston Business Journal, likely behind the paywall.

 

[statler]

^^There are a few. Some more than others.

 

[Czervik.Construction]

Not to be a negative Nancy, but how is this time any different than in the past? Getting past the militant neighbors seems like an insurmountable challenge.

How about we get a temporary Garage thread
combine ahead of the thread combine?

Don Chiofaro says his 600-foot waterfront tower is really happening - The Boston Globe

After seven years of planning and controversy, the developer has filed paperwork to move ahead with a project for the Boston Harbor Garage site.

www.bostonglobe.com

 

[Rover]

Not to be a negative Nancy, but how is this time any different than in the past? Getting past the militant neighbors seems like an insurmountable challenge.

Why would it be? Problem #1 was the zoning, which just got cleared up. Now it goes to court where HT residents and CLF extortion outfit will either win or lose. If they lose they're screwed. As has been explained often, stalling tactics don't work here because the garage is a profitable business and an ever scarcer resource (parking downtown). It can sit as long as it takes for the court fight to resolve itself.

 

[odurandina]

Did somebody open a new thread? Statler shitting on forum members for 7 yrs who are just as excited by the latter day/ (VE) /never be NYC layout, VE tower plateau & Greenway and consider the sum of all these phony parts.

1. Don (mini) Citicorp Tower
2. Congress St Garage on the Greenway
3. Dock Square
4. J. Hook Lobster hotel
5. Valenti Sq boutique hotel.
6. 55 India added to the 110 Broad St/Littlest Bar (mugging)
7. Haymarket hotel
8. North End flat-earther Piazza Greenway (coffee, Italian biscuits n scarves)
9. 51 High St (can you say wayyy taller than 500') Can ya??
10. 125 Lincoln St
11. 1 Merrimack St (someday)
12. Central Station NSRL

people have a completely, utterly unhealthy fixation and obsession with it.

Your imagination, is not only inspiring, but your personal investment in the implicit motivations of others is amassing untold good will. Boston was sucking in the 70's, floundering under Flynnino--then digging.........
but look at us now.

 

[George_Apley]

This thread has been unlocked and merged with the one created yesterday. Play nice, peeps. Stay on topic.

 

[stellarfun]

A while back I called the SST project aB's Moby Dick because we kept chasing it and chasing it getting our hopes only to see it slip out our grasp time and again.

But I was wrong

THIS project is aB's White Whale.

Why?

Because people have a completely, utterly unhealthy fixation and obsession with it.

And perhaps such a fixation is merited.

“These projects take a long time. There’s a lot of ups and downs,” he said. “One thing won’t change: I think this is probably the best [development] site in the country.”

* Though such phrasing may seem reminiscent, 'he' is not the Donald who affixes his name on what be builds.

 

[citydweller]

I was never enthused about what Chiofaro proposed for this site. Something of the scale (600') should be on the other side of the Greenway. In my opinion, buildings right on the waterfront should be small in scale. As an example, I am very impressed with the Boston Harbor Hotel. I think the archway is very inviting to pedestrians. I have, on several occasions, stopped in at the bar and when the weather was warm, sat outside at one of the tables, ordered food and enjoyed the harbor view. I'm not saying I'm a fan of the (ugly) garage, it just seems to me that razing the garage to build a tower of that size, even it it opens a walkway and offers limited sight lines of the harbor, isn't appropriate at that location.

 

[JeffDowntown]

I was never enthused about what Chiofaro proposed for this site. Something of the scale (600') should be on the other side of the Greenway. In my opinion, buildings right on the waterfront should be small in scale. As an example, I am very impressed with the Boston Harbor Hotel. I think the archway is very inviting to pedestrians. I have, on several occasions, stopped in at the bar and when the weather was warm, sat outside at one of the tables, ordered food and enjoyed the harbor view. I'm not saying I'm a fan of the (ugly) garage, it just seems to me that razing the garage to build a tower of that size, even it it opens a walkway and offers limited sight lines of the harbor, isn't appropriate at that location.

This is something of a case of avoiding the perfect to make sure you don't lose the good.

Perfect might be lower rise, more open space along the harbor. But the garage exists. It is going to cost $$$$ to replace. The only way to make it go away now it to provide an economic engine big enough to pay for the replacement. So a tall, harbor front tower is kind of the only solution, unless you want to live with the garage for several more generations.

Also, isn't the precedent pretty much set that this location has harbor front towers? (Like two of them already).