AvalonBay Tower (Jacob Wirth's) | 45 Stuart Street | Downtown

Re: Jacob Wirth's

yesterday
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getting started?
 
Re: Jacob Wirth's

BTW, at the BRA meeting where this project was approved, abutters were for this project. Uncle Frank Chin spoke in favor of it, as did two land owners at 226 & 228 Tremont Street (although they were grumpy with fears that allowing a tower on Stuart would preclude approval of anything built on their two parcels - to which I reply, what's been holding you up for 50 years?).

Many members of the Chinatown community seem un-phased by high density development in their neighborhood.
 
Re: Jacob Wirth's

John, why did you speak out in favor of this project?
 
Re: Jacob Wirth's

BTW, at the BRA meeting where this project was approved, abutters were for this project. Uncle Frank Chin spoke in favor of it, as did two land owners at 226 & 228 Tremont Street (although they were grumpy with fears that allowing a tower on Stuart would preclude approval of anything built on their two parcels - to which I reply, what's been holding you up for 50 years?).

Many members of the Chinatown community seem un-phased by high density development in their neighborhood.

John, many members of Boston's Chinatown have family connections with Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, or cities in mainland China -- in all of them Boston's Chinatown is considered low density.
 
Re: Jacob Wirth's

I'm in Shanghai as we speak, and have lived here for quite a while. Chinatown in Boston is not low density by any means and the high rise proposed is considered normal, they just want or are used to the higher end (looking) buildings popping up left and right that surround Shanghai, Suzhou, Shenzhen, Xi'an, Guangdong etc...
 
Re: Jacob Wirth's

I'd like to see more detailed renderings, but I actually like this project. Obviously the ground-level leaves much to be desired but I think overall the building looks pretty cool. More importantly, we need to inject more people into the area and this project will certainly help.
 
Re: Jacob Wirth's

briv - any specific reason you ask? I spoke because pro's spoke first at the meeting and I was afraid there'd be con's and wanted to speak up to make sure both opinions were voiced.

But why in favor? It's a gap in the streetscape, it brings badly needed housing to the city, it invigorates the Ladle District with apartments to join dormitories, hotels, and condos in the neighborhood. It brings in property tax revenue. It does no harm to the neighborhood or city.
 
Re: Jacob Wirth's

The reason I asked was because I thought, I guess mistakenly, the 'Aye Curumba' you posted earlier meant you didn't like what you saw of this.
 
Re: Jacob Wirth's

I can't find the Aye Curumba quote but probably was an Ambien(R) induced reaction.

I didn't see your earlier criticism at first. I agree about the front of the Wirth's lot - the design is quite bizarre and to a big extent, unnecessary. Certainly it could have been something unique and appealing without looking like the entrance to an airline hangar or something. I've only see one or two renderings, though. We can hope it will turn out better.

I haven't see the front of Kensington. Hayward Place looks bland. I think Archstone is nasty looking, so boring and uninviting and useless. They could've had the entryway(s) be wider and the windows / ledges done all differently. The top of that whole building is so ugly, I hope and pray that the other two projects will at least hide it from view depending on where you are standing.

I think the streetscape is destroyed by putting these four buildings up as currently proposed but the good coming from their being built outweighs the bad, at least for me.

They have a long way to go before shovels hit dirt. Can't the designs be improved before construction begins?

The fronts of buildings may be getting less attention than it should for many buildings. Is that a common complaint about commercial construction projects? You'd think it would be considered most important since that's the part just about everyone is going to see who visit the area - they can only see parts of the buildings from further away, since they are blocked by other buildings.

The Suffolk Law School building has been criticized by some for its front facade, with its silly columns that have been built it seems so as to keep you from actually being able to go in without getting lost.

The Avenir Archstone at North Station doesn't have much to its exterior so it's easy to get in and out of the building.

The W Hotel & Residences is pretty straight forward. It's overly confusing though since hotel, condo, and restaurant / bar guests are all entering through doors right next to each other and I think there's even another door for the shop on Floor 1 and maybe even another as an entrance to the beauty shop. But at least the sidewalk is wide enough and doesn't force passersby into the street. I think there's even a lane for drop-offs and pick-ups?
 
Re: Jacob Wirth's

Article in today's Herald business section stating that Avalon Bay will begin construction of a 29 story building next to Jacob Wirth's with construction to begin this fall.
 
Re: Jacob Wirth's

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Is this going to include an Apple Store or something?
 
Re: Jacob Wirth's

1147af_072712stuart.jpg


Is this going to include an Apple Store or something?

That ground floor looks much better than the first renderings.

Edit: is the thing on the right a garage entrance? If so, I take back what I said.
 
Re: Jacob Wirth's

That ground floor looks much better than the first renderings.

Edit: is the thing on the right a garage entrance? If so, I take back what I said.

Yes, the portal on the right is the garage entrance. The IAG tried to get the access all moved to the rear (La Grange Street), but the traffic flow could not be worked out. They are trying to hide the portal with clever lighting.
 
Re: Jacob Wirth's

I've been walking around the area the past two weeks or so, and it looks like there is a vigorous re-pointing project going on in back of some of the buildings that abut this parking lot. Could that be a sign that construction is imminent?
 
Re: Jacob Wirth's

Don't mean to respond to my earlier post...However, I drove past Jacob Wirth's a few moments ago, and it looks like some sort of wooden structure is going up in front of the restaurant. A 2 x 4 frame structure is now running across the front of the building. Perhaps some sort of protective structure for people going in and out of the restaurant during construction? I may be grasping at straws, but I am eager to see this project get underway.
 
Re: Jacob Wirth's

Here's my bold proposal:

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Buy these buildings at the corner of Tremont and Stuart streets, tear them down, and put up a mixed-use complex - street level retail, restaurants, and bars (with room for the Intermission Lounge and the Tam), with a hotel tower and a residential tower.

Or, if you really want to make money, turn it into a non-college specific dormitory, a la Grandmarc. You would not believe the number of undergrads who walk into my office at 151 Tremont Street looking for apartments - at any price. Archstone takes undergrads, but the condo buildings on Tremont, and the Ritz, are almost universally off-limits.
 
Re: Jacob Wirth's

It's not that bold. Indoubetely those buildings will be gone sooner rather than later. This part of the city is booming with activity all day and most of the night besides Sunday and Monday. Fill in Jacob Wirths because its really the only last piece of open land down there and then these small two and three story shantys will fall start to fall between the theatre district and China town. There are a couple more down on Washington before the kensington but before the HH Richardson building.
 
Re: Jacob Wirth's

Sigh...I will miss that row when it's gone. The city is slowly running out of small parcel development...
 

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