Avalon Exeter | 77 Exeter Street | Back Bay

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

Trees aren't necessary here.
 
Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

Trees suck
 
Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

No new shadows.
 
Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

trees_are_such_assholes.jpg
 
Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

I walked by this site yesterday and still doesn't appear to be close to coming out of the ground. However, it did look like pile drivers and other heavy equipment were being pulled out to street level. Not sure what to make of this project. I know AvalonBay is well-funded and the rental market is hot, so I'd be shocked if this project was somehow being halted.
 
Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

Kudos to the Herald for this story, as I do find Avalon to be one of the more interesting developers in the city. My frustration with some of these development stories is the seeming unwillingness of reporters to press developers on construction start dates. The article says that 45 Stuart will start "soon." What does "soon" mean specifically? I get that these things are fluid and a lot of moving parts are involved. But if a company can say they are starting construction "soon," they should be be able to to tell a reporter if soon means "by the end of October, or by the middle of November." when I was a reporter, I would at least try to get a developer to give me some sort of 2 to 4 week timetable. If they couldn't or wouldn't, I would say so in the story.

One angle I would like to see the local press delve into more is the sudden, seeming boom of housing construction downtown and whether or not the city will be able to support all of these units once they come on line in the next 12 to 20 months. For example, I would be inclind to press Avalon on whether or not they would be cautious to press forward on 45 Stuart, knowning that the Kensington and 120 Kingston would be coming on line with their approx. 500 units within 6 to 10 months of my building's opening. And ultimately, I wonder how all of these new units will affect what is - in my mind - the most critical project downtown, the Filene's site.
 
Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

One angle I would like to see the local press delve into more is the sudden, seeming boom of housing construction downtown and whether or not the city will be able to support all of these units once they come on line in the next 12 to 20 months. For example, I would be inclind to press Avalon on whether or not they would be cautious to press forward on 45 Stuart, knowning that the Kensington and 120 Kingston would be coming on line with their approx. 500 units within 6 to 10 months of my building's opening. And ultimately, I wonder how all of these new units will affect what is - in my mind - the most critical project downtown, the Filene's site.

One problem, it seems, that downtown Boston has never had is a surplus of housing units! The more they build, the more the prices remain steady or increase and the more they fill up! I can only look on all this new apartment building as a good thing! If, indeed, a glut of apartments happens, well then, prices will stabilize or drop which is inself good news for renters! IMHO, I believe this a great thing, the more housing units in the city, the better! More units, more people on the street spending more money in local businesses!! What's not to like?
 
Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

Oh, I agree completely, don't get me wrong. I just hope developers and the banks who finance their developments feel the same way.
 
Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

The current crop of developers are playing the long game and not looking to sell the buildings within a 10 year time frame as part of a pancake strategy. This is quite different than the build it and flip it mentality which dominated real estate development for so long.
 
Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

What in god's name is taking so long with this?
 
Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

^^ Hahaha
 
Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

Went by this site again a few moments ago. Workers were on site and there appeared to be two excavators in the hole.

From what I could gather by peering into the site from the Pru parking garage entrance, the excavators appeared to be digging around and exposing footings that are already in the site. At first, I assumed that these footings had been installed in recent weeks, but it occurred to me that the concrete and rebar looked old. It dawned on me that these were likely the footings for the demolished portion of the parking garage and Lord & Taylor, where this new building is supposed to be constructed.

Is it conceivable that they would use the old footings to support the new building? If not - and we are just at the stage of digging around these footings - how close could we be to actual structural work starting?
 
Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

^ perfectly timed questions considering I passed by the site today and asked a worker where things stand. He told me they're almost done digging up all the old footings--wood under the garage and concrete under L&T--and the holes for the new caissons are almost done being dug. Pouring for the caissons will start soon and he said we should start seeing something sprouting above ground around "the first of the year," after which "it'll go fast." It will be a hybrid structure, that is a concrete core and steel framing.

Pics from a couple hours ago:

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Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

about time!
 
Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

I wonder what they found down there. This was landfill, right? There must have been a lot of junk plus wood pilings and remnants of the train / rail yards?
 

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