Back Bay Garage Tower | Dartmouth and Stuart | Back Bay

[NJBostonFan]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

Hope Norman Foster designs it. Hell, perhaps we can have him redesign Back Bay Station as well.

 

[stellarfun]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

I truly believe Boston/Cam/Som could add 200000 in ten years if it built for it. Granted it would require that it's not all luxury, and also lower the rent of existing stock a touch. In Boston it seems that they could fill bigger buildings they just choose not to build larger.

That's dreaming. Where are the jobs coming from that would support this increase in population?

For the record, Boston's population in 2000 was 592,000; in 2011 Census estimates it was 625,000.

Student enrollment in Boston colleges and universities was 152,000 in 2010, according to the BRA. The increase in Boston population between 2000 and 2010 corresponds eerily to the growth in student enrollment in the same period. Correlation is not causation, and the data do not demonstrate that population growth in Boston is due mostly/entirely to increase in college/university enrollment.

http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/PDF/ResearchPublications/BBNCollegesUniversities.pdf

One is free to burrow in on this labor market analysis to identify where the tens of thousands of new jobs to support a 200,000 increase in population are coming from.
http://www.cityofboston.gov/Images_Documents/Boston Metro North slides 10.12_tcm3-34141.pdf

 

[BostonUrbEx]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

Please just remove the garage... and renovate the entire Bay Back Station... and open up that Trinity Pl alley and run it from Clarendon to Dartmouth.

Okay, sorry, but I'm about to go all fantasy land here...

1) Bulldoze Back Bay Station and the parking garage.

2) Construct Back Bay to provide proper ventilation, capacity, etc. Maybe even toss in [provisions for] a [fare controlled] tunnel from Back Bay to Copley, potentially allowing for basement-level retail connections.

3) In reconstructing Back Bay, extend the Southwest Corridor Park/Bikeway to Berkley St (leaving potential to extend to intersection of Arlington & Tremont, and then put bike lanes up Tremont and down Herald.

4) Extend Trinity Pl from Clarendon to Dartmouth.

5) Let them build over the SWC Park and Back Bay Station, combined with the former garage space.

6) Another, smaller parcel to build on surrounded by Trinity, Dartmouth, and Stuart.

 

[czsz]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

That's dreaming. Where are the jobs coming from that would support this increase in population?

For the record, Boston's population in 2000 was 592,000; in 2011 Census estimates it was 625,000.

Student enrollment in Boston colleges and universities was 152,000 in 2010, according to the BRA. The increase in Boston population between 2000 and 2010 corresponds eerily to the growth in student enrollment in the same period. Correlation is not causation, and the data do not demonstrate that population growth in Boston is due mostly/entirely to increase in college/university enrollment.

http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/PDF/ResearchPublications/BBNCollegesUniversities.pdf

One is free to burrow in on this labor market analysis to identify where the tens of thousands of new jobs to support a 200,000 increase in population are coming from.
http://www.cityofboston.gov/Images_Documents/Boston Metro North slides 10.12_tcm3-34141.pdf

You wouldn't have to add jobs to add substantially to Boston's population; just empty the suburbs.

 

[HenryAlan]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

so are they going to demolish the garage or somehow put this building on top that would be a terrible mistake this garage looks horrendous.

It sounded like they would be building on top of it, but obviously everything is pretty much in flux right now. Wonder, though, when they say 50 stories, is thAt 50 stories above the roof deck? That would be quite tall indeed (by Boston standards).

Personally, I'd rather see a building go up above Back Bay station, leaving the garage to stand as a testimony to the foolishness of the car era.

 

[JSic]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

Please demolish that garage, or at least disguise it somehow. It is one of the most hideous structures in the city.

 

[choo]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

If you add 200000 people to the city, 35k are probably just the public and private services to cater to them... Restaurants bars barbershops building management etc

 

[briv]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

That's dreaming. Where are the jobs coming from that would support this increase in population?

For the record, Boston's population in 2000 was 592,000; in 2011 Census estimates it was 625,000.

Student enrollment in Boston colleges and universities was 152,000 in 2010, according to the BRA. The increase in Boston population between 2000 and 2010 corresponds eerily to the growth in student enrollment in the same period. Correlation is not causation, and the data do not demonstrate that population growth in Boston is due mostly/entirely to increase in college/university enrollment.

http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/PDF/ResearchPublications/BBNCollegesUniversities.pdf

One is free to burrow in on this labor market analysis to identify where the tens of thousands of new jobs to support a 200,000 increase in population are coming from.
http://www.cityofboston.gov/Images_Documents/Boston Metro North slides 10.12_tcm3-34141.pdf

Boston could absorb another 200k residents, no problem. The city's population today is still over 20% below its historic high in the 50s. That's a huge percentage. As far as population is concerned, Boston remains a hallowed-out city in many areas.

A single job wouldn't have to created either (though many would be, naturally, with a population surge). Over 300k people commute into the city from the burbs every day. As CZ stated above, just start by transplanting those suburban commuters into the city.

 

[JohnAKeith]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

Only question I have for Mr Zuckerman is, can you turn the new highrise in such a way that the shadow falls directly onto 75 Clarendon Street across the street for 12-16 hours a day? Than you.

 

[stellarfun]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

For those living in a parallel universe, where the laws of economics and demographic facts are suspended, the average price per square foot for a condo in Boston is between $600-900*, depending on location. The average rental cost per square foot in better locations is between $3 and $4 a square foot.

The reason why so many choose to live outside the city and commute is because housing values -- particularly for a family -- are so much more affordable.

Boston's population was much higher in the past because family size was larger. Only 20 percent of Boston's households have a child under the age of 18 living in the household. Families with kids have fled the city, and wishing is not going to lure them back. Even the parochial school system, which some viewed as an alternate to the public schools, is in decline, with schools being shut.

* Let's add another $100-200 per square foot to the cost to satisfy those demanding high quality materials that will last lifetimes, and designs that bring resounding acclaim.

 

[Smartiro]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

Well, from one side there is that 20percent vacancy rate in the downtown, so this is obviously a very long shot. But BP does not have much in development pipeline in Boston (except for 888 boylston) to my knowledge, so they are probably just testing ground here...

 

[JohnAKeith]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

I thought I read back when BP bought JHT that the garage brought in $60 million - per year. That's pretty good.

I love the idea of redoing Back Bay Station. Tell you what; sell the air rights over it to BP and let them go to town, use the proceeds to renovate the station (and stop the millions of gallons of water that pours out of there every day ...).

 

[datadyne007]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

(and stop the millions of gallons of water that pours out of there every day ...).

Those tarps they have strung up are ridiculous. They should just actually install some public water art piece like a wall that makes a waterfall or something when it rains haha.

 

[dirtywater]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

Ha ha. That's the Fidelity spite playground. Donated by them to stick it to Winn so he couldn't have that bit of land to build Columbus Center on.

Just to set the record straight, this is the "Hancock spite playground" rather than the "Fidelity spite playground". Hancock owned this parcel as well as the site of The Clarendon and the former Hard Rock building.

 

[BostonUrbEx]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

Those tarps they have strung up are ridiculous. They should just actually install some public water art piece like a wall that makes a waterfall or something when it rains haha.

Wow, that actually be a really killer idea for some place to make an indoor waterfall dependent on outdoor conditions.

 

[datadyne007]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

Wow, that actually be a really killer idea for some place to make an indoor waterfall dependent on outdoor conditions.

Only place it would work is in a subway station because its one of the few public areas that doesn't require climate control (although sometimes we wish they were!).

 

[czsz]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

For those living in a parallel universe, where the laws of economics and demographic facts are suspended, the average price per square foot for a condo in Boston is between $600-900*, depending on location. The average rental cost per square foot in better locations is between $3 and $4 a square foot.

The reason why so many choose to live outside the city and commute is because housing values -- particularly for a family -- are so much more affordable.

Boston's population was much higher in the past because family size was larger. Only 20 percent of Boston's households have a child under the age of 18 living in the household. Families with kids have fled the city, and wishing is not going to lure them back. Even the parochial school system, which some viewed as an alternate to the public schools, is in decline, with schools being shut.

* Let's add another $100-200 per square foot to the cost to satisfy those demanding high quality materials that will last lifetimes, and designs that bring resounding acclaim.

Obviously adding substantial quantities of people to Boston proper could not be achieved without a substantial uptick in housing stock, both to house them physically and bring down prices. The idea that anyone is arguing that 200k people could be housed if they showed up with their suitcases tomorrow is a straw man.

 

[fattony]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

A single job wouldn't have to created either (though many would be, naturally, with a population surge). Over 300k people commute into the city from the burbs every day. As CZ stated above, just start by transplanting those suburban commuters into the city.

I agree that we don't actually need new job to support a higher population, but there is little need to transplant anyone either. Just stem the flow of people OUT of Boston. The old rules (leave the city upon turning thirty or having a baby, whichever comes first) are changing and more people are choosing to stay urban. Policies and investments in bringing down the cost of housing will have the biggest effect. Improving schools will have the second biggest impact.

 

[Brad Plaid]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

Just to set the record straight, this is the "Hancock spite playground" rather than the "Fidelity spite playground". Hancock owned this parcel as well as the site of The Clarendon and the former Hard Rock building.

Zounds! Thanks for correcting. Classic eff off move on the part of Hancock.

 

[NJBostonFan]

Re: Back Bay Garage Tower (Dartmouth and Stuart)

Please just remove the garage... and renovate the entire Bay Back Station... and open up that Trinity Pl alley and run it from Clarendon to Dartmouth.

Okay, sorry, but I'm about to go all fantasy land here...

1) Bulldoze Back Bay Station and the parking garage.

2) Construct Back Bay to provide proper ventilation, capacity, etc. Maybe even toss in [provisions for] a [fare controlled] tunnel from Back Bay to Copley, potentially allowing for basement-level retail connections.

3) In reconstructing Back Bay, extend the Southwest Corridor Park/Bikeway to Berkley St (leaving potential to extend to intersection of Arlington & Tremont, and then put bike lanes up Tremont and down Herald.

4) Extend Trinity Pl from Clarendon to Dartmouth.

5) Let them build over the SWC Park and Back Bay Station, combined with the former garage space.

6) Another, smaller parcel to build on surrounded by Trinity, Dartmouth, and Stuart.

Got a map?