Atlantic Wharf (née Russia Wharf) | Atlantic Ave | Waterfront

Re: Atlantic Wharf (formerly Russia Wharf)

I'm not crazy about facadectomies, but they're not always automatically bad things. The facade/exterior of a building is its public interface, how it interacts with the pedestrian and plugs into its surroundings/the urban fabric. Honestly, how often do you expect to be inside this building? Now, how often do you expect to be around it?

Looking at the way most new major buildings in this city present themselves to the pedestrian and their surroundings, I consider the city very fortunate that these two building's facades (and another whole entire Peabody & Stearn's building, BTW) were preserved as part of this project.

Seriously, the animosity toward this project is truly baffling to me, especially with the typical alternative, One Marina Park Drive, right across the channel.
 
Re: Atlantic Wharf (formerly Russia Wharf)

^ Kennedy, I would be more approving of the base if the entire project was higher quality, but I seriously don't think a planning agency and civic design commission worth its salt would have seen this site as appropriate for a facadectomy. Read on...

^briv, you hit the nail on the head with the question "how often do you expect to be inside" and comparison with Marina Park Drive. The reason Atlantic Wharf, One Marina Park Drive and the other buildings abutting Atlantic Wharf are worthy of intense critique (in my view, criticism) is EXACTLY because of their location on tidelands at the water's edge. Not only are these locations among Boston's most premiere sites, the land on these sites has covenants that require a higher degree of pedestrian interaction inside and outside. Those public covenants originally allowed the filled tideland to be converted to private property, and conveyed valuable development rights to the new owner. And over the past decade, the Downtown Municipal Harbor Plan conveyed valuable additional rights to the new owner. So, not only should the architecture reach a high bar, Atlantic Wharf's 1st and 2nd floor and public realm spaces should have been expected to be stellar spaces serving as "facilities of public accomodation."

By the way, a "facility of public accomodation" does not imply the pedestrian experience was required to be completely public. The venue could be a private, commercial establishment. It just has to serve a public use -- not closed to the public.

Unlike world-class Waterfront cities that take these covenants seriously, the BRA has turned Waterfront planning on its head, as developers propose ideas like hotel/office lobbies that have a dual purpose as a museum (as they have at Atlantic Wharf). The history of the ground floor planning of Atlantic Wharf dates back more than 5 years, with Equity Office (former owner) driving the original discussion, as its public realm and public uses were whittled into a ridiculous form.

There's no reason people shouldn't be comparing the development of Boston's Waterfront to that of Sydney, Montreal, Chicago -- even Baltimore. Those and dozens of other Waterfront cities worldwide have moved far, far ahead over the past 10 years, and Boston-based architects and urban planners are flying around the world to participate in their renewal.
 
Re: Atlantic Wharf (formerly Russia Wharf)

It looks terrific in that first shot. Great picture!
 
Re: Atlantic Wharf (formerly Russia Wharf)

The beautiful day+ being able to see some of the objects/walls inside the building did wonders for that one waterfront side [the one thats just plain blue windows] that looks crappy in a lot of pictures. Nice to see considering that angle was the worst looking one for the tower. Perhaps when the tower is occupied and there are blinds and desks and other objects in the windows, it will look this way more often.
 
Re: Atlantic Wharf (formerly Russia Wharf)

S T A R B U C K S Coffee will be in the building numbered 270

They put the sign up yesterday. Now talk amongst yourselves : )
 
Re: Atlantic Wharf (formerly Russia Wharf)

Put me in the category of those who don't necessarily mind Starbucks. Especially if it is one that plans to be open well into the evening. Putting aside the negatives, it does bring some much needed activity to the area once the 9:00-5:00 crowd disperses for the day.
 
Re: Atlantic Wharf (formerly Russia Wharf)

Coffee shops in general need to be open later, I hate that McDonald's can stay open 24 hours, but Starbucks closes at 9:00 or earlier, sometimes.
 
Re: Atlantic Wharf (formerly Russia Wharf)

Starbucks will stay open late if they think there's a market for them to be open late. There's no hard and fast rule about when a Starbucks location must close for the night.

That said, I'd rather see a local coffee chain such as Boston Common (formerly Boston Beanstock) than yet another Starbucks.
 
Re: Atlantic Wharf (formerly Russia Wharf)

Or Red Barn Coffee That woulda been a perfect fit.

oh well. should be interesting the stuff that fills in the bottom "retail" areas.
 
Re: Atlantic Wharf (formerly Russia Wharf)

kennedy said:
Coffee shops in general need to be open later, I hate that McDonald's can stay open 24 hours, but Starbucks closes at 9:00 or earlier, sometimes.
Click to expand...

What Mcdonalds in Boston is open past 11pm, never mind 24 hours?

The starbucks at the base of warren tower at BU (open to the public) has these hours:
hours
Spring Semester 2010
Mon - Sun 7am - 9pm

I doubt a starbucks downtown would stay open later than that.
 
Re: Atlantic Wharf (formerly Russia Wharf)

I'm assuming we're talking about a Starbucks at Atlantic Wharf.

At the risk of offending anyone, and sounding like a broken record...

Atlantic Wharf is one of the most significant pieces of waterfront real estate in the entire United States of America, and it should be held to a higher standard for the ground floor "facility of public accomodation" than a Starbucks -- even if the owner has to pay the lease for years to suit something really, really special.

I don't need to be lectured about private property rights... the owner (at the time, Equity Office) visited City Hall and secured variances far and above what they purchased from the prior owner, which was just fine by me. But the BRA should have demanded much more from this project, and the property owner themselves might have benefitted in the long run from recognizing that they live in a world-class City.

Fire away!
 
Re: Atlantic Wharf (formerly Russia Wharf)

well I think there are other plans as well as the starbucks.
just no other signs have gone up.
tomorrow I will snap a pic. Due to the rain left the gear at home today.

Cheers ! !
 
Re: Atlantic Wharf (formerly Russia Wharf)

I'd love to have better quality coffee houses at Atlantic Wharf. Problem is, I don't think you could convince them to expand into a high-rent location like this.

I've begged the Atomic Cafe to open up shop somewhere in Boston, their current locations in Beverly and Marblehead are awesome.

Interesting question: does Boston really have as many independent/local coffee houses as one would think? Perhaps Dunkin' Donuts overshadows any of these local roasters.
 
Re: Atlantic Wharf (formerly Russia Wharf)

1369 in Inman and Central squares (Cambridge)
Sherman and Bloc 11 in Union Sq (Somerville)
Diesel in Davis Sq (Somerville)
True Grounds in Ball Sq (Somerville)
Allston Cafe (formerly Herrell's Renaissance) in Allston
Boston Common (formerly Boston Beanstock) in North End and downtown Boston (and others?)
Red Barn in Faneuil Hall

so yeah, plenty of them, I'm sure I've left out a bunch in other neighborhoods
 
Re: Atlantic Wharf (formerly Russia Wharf)

jass said:
What Mcdonalds in Boston is open past 11pm, never mind 24 hours?

The starbucks at the base of warren tower at BU (open to the public) has these hours:
hours
Spring Semester 2010
Mon - Sun 7am - 9pm

I doubt a starbucks downtown would stay open later than that.
Click to expand...

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/08/12/not_lovin_it/

interesting article about 24 hour mcd's in boston.

fyi I believe the McD's on mass ave in roxbury is 24 hours. and also the McDonalds next to North Quincy Station (yes not boston but very close) is 24hours.
i also live right next to boston bowling which is 24 hours as well incase your ever craving to practice your bowling @ 4 am....
 
Re: Atlantic Wharf (formerly Russia Wharf)

Ron Newman said:
1369 in Inman and Central squares (Cambridge)
Sherman and Bloc 11 in Union Sq (Somerville)
Diesel in Davis Sq (Somerville)
True Grounds in Ball Sq (Somerville)
Allston Cafe (formerly Herrell's Renaissance) in Allston
Boston Common (formerly Boston Beanstock) in North End and downtown Boston (and others?)
Red Barn in Faneuil Hall

so yeah, plenty of them, I'm sure I've left out a bunch in other neighborhoods
Click to expand...

Actually, I've always found Boston's independent coffee culture to be sorely lacking, at least in relatively close proximity to the core areas. I mean, those are nice, but as someone who lived in the North End for a number of years, all of those would require a transit trip (or a very lengthy walk). The saving grace was the Italian caff?s but those could be a bitch to use if you wanted a coffee past 8pm on most nights during the Summer. If I recall, there have been a few places that have opened up in recent years.

Anyway, the list above is some of the cr?me de la cr?me of independents in the city, I just wish that they were around in more of the city than just Somerville/Cambridge.
 
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