Avalon Exeter | 77 Exeter Street | Back Bay

The Prudential Center Food Court is a Boston treasure.
 
I always thought that 11 stories for the 888 site seemed awfully small, but I had assumed BP had hashed out a deal with the BBAC or some other similar group to keep shadows on the Back Bay to a minimum. Now I wonder if they (BBAC) will start chiming in any minute to raise holy hell over this, even though they have absolutely no jurisdiction over the matter..

Edit: and to answer a question I had - "what/who is the PruPAC?" - I found this, from the Biz Journal 8/29/97
Faced with strong community opposition to the Prudential Center's ambitious development plans, former Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn in 1986 created the Prudential Project Advisory Committee, comprising 22 neighborhood and civic groups. The group initiated weekly meetings that were held throughout the entire process. One estimate put the total number of meetings at 350.

"There were a lot of discussions, and we had a lot of sandwiches," recalled Bertman.

As a result of the meetings, the Pru's original development plan was changed dramatically.

"Under the new design, we looked at the Prudential Center as a collection of streets and blocks like any other city block, instead of a monolithic whole," Bertman said.
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http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/1997/09/01/story1.html
 
jass said:
bowesst said:
The Prudential Center Food Court is a Boston treasure.
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And a staple of marathon monday
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I don't know if you got my sarcasm or not but either way I wasn't aware the food court had any kind of connection to the Boston Marathon. I know the "courtyard" in front of it where the tower will be sees a lot of activity.



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1997

The BBAC or whomever may have had an agreement for a limit on the height of any proposed office building, but it's 2006 and things change, even in Boston.

Your first point is the most important one - they have no jurisdiction over the building, nor does any neighborhood association.

What we're seeing, unfortunately, is each neighborhood fighting against every other neighborhood - developers are going to build where there is the least amount of controversy. Every downtown neighborhood association is against ANY development (in my opinion) so the developers just go where there is the least amount of protest, or where they can wear out the opposition.
 
Any of you remember what the Pru looked like before 1986? I'd say the PruPAC process has been a great success.
 
I would be more inclined to give credit to Boston Properties than PruPac. What did PruPac actually do?
 
kinda surprising ... from the Globe:


Also yesterday, Boston Properties said it has chosen Avalon Bay to build a 30-story, 200-unit residential apartment tower on Exeter Street, which also had been previously planned. That building would be 340 feet high.
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Link
 
So realistically, we can expect a 12 story building?


or is it already approved?
 
Where exactly would this building be located? Anyone know?
 
The plaza in front of the food court where the statue of the naked man is...between the new M.O. and the Hynes CC.
 
888 Boylston will be in the food court plaza...this building must have a different location...
 
Mike said:
kinda surprising ... from the Globe:


Also yesterday, Boston Properties said it has chosen Avalon Bay to build a 30-story, 200-unit residential apartment tower on Exeter Street, which also had been previously planned. That building would be 340 feet high.
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Link
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hmm. is that the building that was said to be planned for the area behind L&T and in front of the east-most of the three apartment highrises? is there more on that one?
 
according to quadratdackel in an earlier post:

The building's to be on the Exeter Street side of the Prudential Center, near the garage entrance and the Shaw's supermarket. It would be 40 feet from the Gloucester apartment tower
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Only 40 feet away? Boy the people in that eastern-most tower will be pissed.

it will sit right up against the back of Lord & Taylor
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^^

If only someone would do something about it!

Oh..wait...
 
Seems to me this was part of the original Prudential development plan, right? I think the support infrastructure even exists (when you're in the parking level, the NW corner that now holds luxury cars was to be the garage-level lobby for the residence). Then something happened, money ran out, L&T got built, I can't remember. Or, maybe I'm just dreaming!
 
kz1000ps said:
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I still don't see where this tower is going to fit in, unless a portion of it is going to be built over Lord and Taylor. There just doesn't seem to be enough room at the garage entrance.

Has anyone seen a rendering?
 
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