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

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Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.

I like it a lot more than I dislike it. It would be striking and I am sure that with the finer details of the street level appropriately worked out (big leap of faith there, I suppose) it would be a great addition to the city.
 
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.

This may or may not be a stupid question, but does anyone know if the unions in the city are a little ticked off? I am referring to the carpenters, laborers, iron workers, etc. It seems that some big project are either getting shot down or are losing financing. This of course is costing thousands of jobs.

In general, are these unions friends or foes of Menino?
 
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.

Kunstler really points out the energy crises and then says the skyscrapper is obsolete? Are we supposed to take this guy seriously?
 
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.

I don't know why anyone is surprised at all the hot air coming from City Hall. I fully expected the mayor to pan Chiofaro's proposal, just as I expected, as soon as Chiofaro bought the garage, to present a grand plan "prematurely." These are their personal styles at their best, and all part of the game in Boston. Both the mayor and Chiofaro are simply playing their parts in the unfolding drama, which they both are taking a hand in orchestrating (which they probably planned during dinner at Loch Ober's). The design will continue to go through multiple iterations, the mayor will continue to bluster to varying degrees, the banks will take forever to lend the money, and eventually something will be built to replace the garage. What else is new?
 
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.

James Howard Kunstler said:
Two skyscrapers joined by a wind acceleration unit...
Click to expand...

Jim's full of good ideas -- mount a dozen wind turbines in the void between the buildings.
 
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.

briv said:
That was quick! This proposal is Kunstler's Eyesore of the Month for February:

http://www.kunstler.com/eyesore.html
Click to expand...

Hmmmm...since I hate Kunstler, I have to enjoy his own contradiction. He throws out both "latent energy crises" and "the skyscraper is dead". Not to be captain obvious, but in an energy crises, densities that allow less dependence on energy would be a logical solution.

Edit....I see underground beat me to it.
 
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.

Kuntster spells Chiofaro's name wrong....and his own
 
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.

While I have to agree with Kunstler (and it hurts me to say that) that this building is aesthetically displeasing, I had to laugh at his statement that the skyscraper is obsolete. He said the suburb is obsolete too. He's made a career out of hyperbole. This whole recession/depression is like a much awaited end-of-days for all the new urbanists and it's really just sick. Not just because they're wrong obviously. Cultists. I'd rather listen to a scientologist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFBZ_uAbxS0
 
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.

I'm sort of surprised by all the Kunstler hate here. It's not as if this guy is a big fan of suburban-style development.
In fact, in reading his books you kind of get the sense he doesn't even like suburbia.
 
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.

I think we've all had enough of Mumbles. It's about time we get a pro-business and pro-development mayor who doesn't interfere with private investment that creates wealth and jobs for the city. You try to teach him how to fish but he is just plain stupid to realize he will be fed. The city is actually more on par with White Plains, NY.
 
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.

I think Kunstler is generally in favor of medium density buildings. His ideas are generally that a neighborhood should be self-sustainable. Skyscrapers take a lot of energy to keep running (HVAC, elevators, etc).
 
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.

Kunstler on the suburbs: "They represent the greatest misallocation of resources in the history of the world."

He's in favor of more smaller, shorter cities, a la Burlington, VT.
 
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.

It really doesn't matter this country is in the beginnings of a depression soon to get much worse. The private money has lost confidence as the government continues to bailout the morons who have caused this mess.

Obama might stand for hope but reality is looking Grim everyday as jobless claims continue to pile up. Good luck to any Govt official who stays in office over the next 5 years because History is going to show how our great country fell to its knees while greed and corruption lead the way of the Democratics and Republicans.

Times have changed.............The time to hold people accountable for their actions.
 
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.

Cassandra.
 
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.

what on earth is it with this city and shadows.....

government person 1: Hey, were in the middle of one of the worst recessions in our nations history!
government person 2: OMG I know, its worse than a shadow.
government person 1: say, did you hear about that tower that was proposed? supposed to creation like, 7000 jobs.
government person 2: gee, that would really help our economy. Wheres it located?
government person 1: on the greenway.
government person 2: NO! SHADOWS! NEVER GONNA GET BUILT
*government person 2 goes to pass a bill that bans shadows within a mile of the greenway*
[year 2085]
government person 2: gee, good ole boston....look at this new development! a massive 6 storys!
government person 1: Its so tall i heard that on the rooftop you can see the Freedom Tower III in new york
government person 2: don't have to worry about that. At 90034 stories, the Freedom Tower III is so tall it will cast a shadow on boston, breaking the laws against casting shadows on areas with people in boston. We can sue them and use the money to build a second sun so there will be less shadows.

[/rant]

i apologize for this awful script, sorry...
 
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.

BostonSkyGuy said:
The color of the Terracota might actually bother me more than the Arch to be honest. I can't stand brown anywhere near glass. It just kills the fresh, sleek look of the glass to me. If they changed the color of the Terracotta to black, the arch might even be more appealing to me.
Click to expand...

I think terracotta can go with glass quite well if done right. Take Renzo Piano's Aurora Place for example....

attachment.php


0110piano.jpg

cbd024d.jpg
 
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.

what exactly are the two white ovals supposed to represent? =/
 
Re: New tower at Aquarium parking garage.

Bubbybu said:
So Chiofaro hires a renowned international design firm to draft up a dummy proposal? Couldn?t he have just hired CBT for that?

And considering he built International Place which shares similar characteristics to this; I doubt this is anything but a legit proposal.
Click to expand...
How much do you think the Photoshop rendering and the mini-model on Chiofaro's desk cost to produce?

If you are seriously trying to sell/market a proposal, why would you not prepare renderings that show what 95 percent of the people looking at the building would see?

This is what Chiofaro's partner (PREI) wrote last month:
? The commercial real estate market has followed the larger economy into a downturn that is likely to last through 2009 and possibly into 2010. With unemployment rising, consumer spending falling and home prices dropping, the recession will impact all sectors of the real estate market
? It is not yet clear when commercial mortgage debt will be readily available. The CMBS market is out of the picture and traditional lending sources are trying to preserve capital. The lack of reasonably priced debt has made it difficult to complete transactions.
? Tarred with their association with financial firms and use of mortgage debt, shares of U.S. REITs fell amid unprecedented volatility in 2008. The sector should gain in 2009, but remains subject to the performance of the
economy and the debt capital markets.
? After falling to historical lows of roughly 5.4% in 2008, cap rates are likely to return to levels more in line with the 7.8% National Council of Real Estate Fiduciaries (NCREIF) historical average. Combined with declining net operating income, property values will drop sharply from their peaks.
Click to expand...
http://www.investmentmanagement.prudential.com/media/managed/documents/pim/Pru_USQ_Jan_09.pdf

As for the mayor, with all his limitations, one thing he can do is count votes. How many voters do you think live in Harbor Towers?
 
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