[ARCHIVED] Harbor Garage Redevelopment | 70 East India Row | Waterfront | Downtown
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Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.
Somebody pined for a Trump-like venture in Boston.
Well, ya got it!
Trump lite?
Well, not really, because you got some terra cotta stripes to offset Trump's typically all glass curtain walls. (Plus, at least they're vertical stripes this time! See Fenway Pike project for horizontal comparison.)
From the harbor view, looks like cheap Ikea furniture pushed front and center into the middle of one of their themed rooms.
Put a big nob about 2/3 the way up along the inner edge of glass on the fat cabinet on the right.
Then it can be popped open now and again to display the shelf-like grids of worker moles toiling away. New performance architecture for the lightly toasted while on their liquid lunches (harbor cruises).
(Just jealous, actually. I could go for an indulgent harbor slothfest right about now, with warmer weather, of course.)
Somebody pined for a Trump-like venture in Boston.
Well, ya got it!
Trump lite?
Well, not really, because you got some terra cotta stripes to offset Trump's typically all glass curtain walls. (Plus, at least they're vertical stripes this time! See Fenway Pike project for horizontal comparison.)
From the harbor view, looks like cheap Ikea furniture pushed front and center into the middle of one of their themed rooms.
Put a big nob about 2/3 the way up along the inner edge of glass on the fat cabinet on the right.
Then it can be popped open now and again to display the shelf-like grids of worker moles toiling away. New performance architecture for the lightly toasted while on their liquid lunches (harbor cruises).
(Just jealous, actually. I could go for an indulgent harbor slothfest right about now, with warmer weather, of course.)
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.
I think it is going to be very important that our views are represented at BRA meetings. I have a feeling people from north end, harbor towers, and west end are gonna come out with these crazy complaints like "Blocked views" and "destroy waterfront."
I think as of now this is a good development going in the right direction, and my fear is that the BRA will listen to the anti-development people.
I wonder what the mayor thinks, I don't think he will be happy.
I think it is going to be very important that our views are represented at BRA meetings. I have a feeling people from north end, harbor towers, and west end are gonna come out with these crazy complaints like "Blocked views" and "destroy waterfront."
I think as of now this is a good development going in the right direction, and my fear is that the BRA will listen to the anti-development people.
I wonder what the mayor thinks, I don't think he will be happy.
Boston02124
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Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.
from the boston globe
from the boston globe
stellarfun
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Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.
The solid terra cotta walls are like 45 Province. They'd run the elevators and utilities up against those walls.
Henry Cobb designed Harbor Towers. No one would weep if they were demolished. When the condo owners got the $75 million bill for HVAC repairs, somebody should have made an offer.
As it is -- and I think there is mention early in this thread -- the Harbor Towers residents have a permanent easement of sorts with regard to the garage, and Chiofaro can't do squat without accommodating them.
Raymond and Congress St garage project will be done before this gets sorted out. Belkin might get Tommy's Tower built before this.
The solid terra cotta walls are like 45 Province. They'd run the elevators and utilities up against those walls.
Henry Cobb designed Harbor Towers. No one would weep if they were demolished. When the condo owners got the $75 million bill for HVAC repairs, somebody should have made an offer.
As it is -- and I think there is mention early in this thread -- the Harbor Towers residents have a permanent easement of sorts with regard to the garage, and Chiofaro can't do squat without accommodating them.
Raymond and Congress St garage project will be done before this gets sorted out. Belkin might get Tommy's Tower built before this.
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.
(I'm no ideologue. Don't believe much in shalt nots.)
Nope.
(I'm no ideologue. Don't believe much in shalt nots.)
tmac9wr
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Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.
I was under the impression Chiofaro had made it clear (very recently) that the Harbor Tower residents would be fully accomodated during construction in regards to parking.
After seeing the big rendering in the Globe and here (thanks Boston02124), it looks pretty clear that the "big blank terra cotta wall" is not a big blank terra cotta wall.
I was under the impression Chiofaro had made it clear (very recently) that the Harbor Tower residents would be fully accomodated during construction in regards to parking.
After seeing the big rendering in the Globe and here (thanks Boston02124), it looks pretty clear that the "big blank terra cotta wall" is not a big blank terra cotta wall.
czsz
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Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.
Mmm, for such a "dynamic" project, it sure is boxy. I like the way the arch resonates with Rowes Wharf, but it would do better echoing it by toning itself down...I might side prematurely with the NIMBYs and declare this better off shorter.
...or bolder. I wouldn't mind something more like the Grande Arche de la Defense.
Mmm, for such a "dynamic" project, it sure is boxy. I like the way the arch resonates with Rowes Wharf, but it would do better echoing it by toning itself down...I might side prematurely with the NIMBYs and declare this better off shorter.
...or bolder. I wouldn't mind something more like the Grande Arche de la Defense.
stellarfun
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Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.
Can this right to a parking space be accommodated, yes? But in trying to do so, its best not to p*ss off the holders of that right.
As for Chiofaro, how did he get involved with Tishman Speyer on International Place in the first place? I have a very dim recollection that they may have been a white knight riding to his financial rescue when he was about to lose International Place some years ago. A white knight scenario that Prudential repeated two years ago when Tishman Speyer tried to end his stake in International Place.
How many think that, in today's market, Chiofaro and Prudential paid too much when they bought the garage for $153 million? How many think that the net income from parking fees and leases represents a 'cash cow' or a financial black hole for Chiofaro and Prudential? How many think that there is a covenant in the loan agreement that requires him to start development of the parcel post-haste?
Without going back to early posts in this thread, my recollection is that Harbor Towers has a perpetual right to 500? 600? parking spaces in the Aquarium garage. I suspect that these spaces, or the right to these spaces, conveys with the condo property; i.e., if you sell a condo, then the new owner acquires, as a matter of right, one or more parking spaces in the garage.
Can this right to a parking space be accommodated, yes? But in trying to do so, its best not to p*ss off the holders of that right.
As for Chiofaro, how did he get involved with Tishman Speyer on International Place in the first place? I have a very dim recollection that they may have been a white knight riding to his financial rescue when he was about to lose International Place some years ago. A white knight scenario that Prudential repeated two years ago when Tishman Speyer tried to end his stake in International Place.
How many think that, in today's market, Chiofaro and Prudential paid too much when they bought the garage for $153 million? How many think that the net income from parking fees and leases represents a 'cash cow' or a financial black hole for Chiofaro and Prudential? How many think that there is a covenant in the loan agreement that requires him to start development of the parcel post-haste?
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theculprit
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Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.
Are those tree's on the top? Are they going to be pine trees? If not what happens in the winter? Are they just going to leave gloomy bare tree's on the top of those buildings?
Are those tree's on the top? Are they going to be pine trees? If not what happens in the winter? Are they just going to leave gloomy bare tree's on the top of those buildings?
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Boston02124
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Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.
I have to agree this will never be built as proposed! Maybe he (Chiofaro) should try to build this here?
I have to agree this will never be built as proposed! Maybe he (Chiofaro) should try to build this here?
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.
I am quite sure that I will be in the minority on this one, but this project is rather underwhelming. I won?t criticize the architecture too much, since we only have one poor quality rendering to digest. Are posters fawning over this because it has a vaguely ?modern? look to it, or because it ?soars??
A symbolic arch makes some sense if one is signifying some sort of gateway; the grand arch at the Boston Harbor Hotel frames Broad Street, but this aquarium tower garage development creates a gateway to nothing. The small park directly adjacent to it already creates a link from the Greenway to the waterfront.
Yes, there is currently an ugly 9-story garage, and replacing it would be beneficial to create a better edge to the Greenway, but at the bare minimum the garage already has ground floor retail. Would this proposal further ?activate? the street?
I?m not sure if anyone who is posting here lives down to the waterfront, but the one single area of the waterfront that is ?teeming? with people is the aquarium plaza and Christopher Columbus Park. I have no sympathy for those from Harbor Towers. Blocking views is not a legally defensible position, but blocking of sun however, is. And yes, a 60 story tower would cast shadows on the Greenway in the morning, but more egregiously, it would block sun to the aquarium plaza and Columbus Park most of the afternoon.
I?m all for development, but really against ill conceived development. There are literally acres of development potential directly adjacent to north station that would make much more sense for a pair of 60 story towers than this (TOD anyone?). This is a poorly thought out ode to Chiofaro?s hubris and myopic views of urban development.
I am quite sure that I will be in the minority on this one, but this project is rather underwhelming. I won?t criticize the architecture too much, since we only have one poor quality rendering to digest. Are posters fawning over this because it has a vaguely ?modern? look to it, or because it ?soars??
A symbolic arch makes some sense if one is signifying some sort of gateway; the grand arch at the Boston Harbor Hotel frames Broad Street, but this aquarium tower garage development creates a gateway to nothing. The small park directly adjacent to it already creates a link from the Greenway to the waterfront.
Yes, there is currently an ugly 9-story garage, and replacing it would be beneficial to create a better edge to the Greenway, but at the bare minimum the garage already has ground floor retail. Would this proposal further ?activate? the street?
I?m not sure if anyone who is posting here lives down to the waterfront, but the one single area of the waterfront that is ?teeming? with people is the aquarium plaza and Christopher Columbus Park. I have no sympathy for those from Harbor Towers. Blocking views is not a legally defensible position, but blocking of sun however, is. And yes, a 60 story tower would cast shadows on the Greenway in the morning, but more egregiously, it would block sun to the aquarium plaza and Columbus Park most of the afternoon.
I?m all for development, but really against ill conceived development. There are literally acres of development potential directly adjacent to north station that would make much more sense for a pair of 60 story towers than this (TOD anyone?). This is a poorly thought out ode to Chiofaro?s hubris and myopic views of urban development.
J
johnpaul5
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Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.
Anything is better than what it is now - so let the debate proceed. Who cares if the building casts shadows on the so called greenway? Is the greenway teeming with people? No.
Anything is better than what it is now - so let the debate proceed. Who cares if the building casts shadows on the so called greenway? Is the greenway teeming with people? No.
JohnAKeith
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Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.
Maybe someone already made this point, but the best part of the proposal is that it would make it so we wouldn't have to look at the Harbor Towers, anymore!
Maybe someone already made this point, but the best part of the proposal is that it would make it so we wouldn't have to look at the Harbor Towers, anymore!
TheRifleman
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Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.
If this developer has the money they should let him build this ICON.
Love it or hate it International place is the symbol of Boston. When Boston is being advertised IP is shown more than any other building in this city. Just watch TV & the Movies Boston Legal, the Departed, the NEWS, and they show the back drop to IP. I actually believe that the Aquarium project would be priceless if they built it.
The Aquarium project: will bring the much needed life to the Greenway. It will add jobs and private investments to the Greenway which would probably be invested in the Boston Aquarium. That part of the Greenway right now is very COLD even in the summer.
The Harbor Tower Residents are completely clueless. This would add value to those dumps. Also blocking their view? Wouldn't other buildings block your view? This is the CITY. Go move to Somerville if you don't want your views blocked. It is time to move forward and let private investments shape the path to our GREENWAY.
Government has cost us way too much 20 Billion for the BIG DIG in the 80's which was contributied by political greed and corruption. That is a JOKE in itself. Now they are trying to tell us what to build and what not to build. People need to start waking up.
If this developer has the money they should let him build this ICON.
Love it or hate it International place is the symbol of Boston. When Boston is being advertised IP is shown more than any other building in this city. Just watch TV & the Movies Boston Legal, the Departed, the NEWS, and they show the back drop to IP. I actually believe that the Aquarium project would be priceless if they built it.
The Aquarium project: will bring the much needed life to the Greenway. It will add jobs and private investments to the Greenway which would probably be invested in the Boston Aquarium. That part of the Greenway right now is very COLD even in the summer.
The Harbor Tower Residents are completely clueless. This would add value to those dumps. Also blocking their view? Wouldn't other buildings block your view? This is the CITY. Go move to Somerville if you don't want your views blocked. It is time to move forward and let private investments shape the path to our GREENWAY.
Government has cost us way too much 20 Billion for the BIG DIG in the 80's which was contributied by political greed and corruption. That is a JOKE in itself. Now they are trying to tell us what to build and what not to build. People need to start waking up.
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