Back Bay Garage Tower | Dartmouth and Stuart | Back Bay

 
[Bump] Mod note: the two posts above have been spliced in here from a duplicated thread (and the rest of that duplicate thread deleted)
 
RandomWalk said:
What is the construction sequence for this one?
Click to expand...

I'm hopeful, but also highly skeptical until there is an announcement or more major permits are pulled (given the high visibility of this air-rights project, and Boston Properties' role, I would really expect some more smoke before the fire, but Beeline's freakishly amazing ability to visually spot the current utilities work is impressive, much appreciated, and deeply tantalizing).

The most recent info I could find on the topic is this Herald piece from Nov. of 2019:

"Construction could start by early 2021 on the stalled Back Bay air-rights development — a 1.26-million-square-foot mixed-use project that includes offices, retail, two residential towers, with an expanded, renovated transit station — but developers said they hope to secure major tenants before their shovels go in the ground."

Link:
Massive air-rights project over Back Bay Station inches ahead – Boston Herald
 
Isn't that the one that's near the John Hancock Tower? Looks like the tpk entrance is closed.
 
I spoke with one of the folks onsite. They are building a new MBTA retainer wall for the southbound Orange Line track in preparation for the upcoming garage demolition.
IMG_20210917_103835082.jpg
IMG_20210917_103843410.jpg
IMG_20210917_103850166.jpg
IMG_20210917_103931034.jpg
 
Does this mean this project is finally starting? Can't wait to see this garage go.
 
beck4537 said:
Does this mean this project is finally starting? Can't wait to see this garage go.
Click to expand...
My guess is they have a lot of work (like a year or more) to do reinforcing the base of the building before anything like "new construction" would occur. Boston Properties was never going to sit on this one for a decade, and they can do a lot of "renovation" without having to file the complicated documents required for a new building. Just a guess though.
 
Excited about finally getting a new Back Bay station w/ new ventilation. Is this still the stacked blocks "design"?
 
Astoundingly awful, even in a vacuum it might end up taking the prize for worst highrise in all of Boston. Not in a vacuum, add in the unforgivable crime that it detracts from the Hancock and I can't believe this ever got approved. They really need to take it back to the drawing board.

It's like the Hancock's "short bus" cousins are all moving into the neighborhood. If Mayor Wu held this project (along with Shreve Crump and Lowe) as the primary examples of why our planning process is broken, I'd agree 100%. On the other hand I doubt our solutions would resemble each other. My solution here would be taller, thinner, NOT glass, and with the tower portion angled away from the Hancock. (ie the tower would rise from the corner that we see up above, and not the backside closer to the Hancock)
 
DZH22 said:
Astoundingly awful, even in a vacuum it might end up taking the prize for worst highrise in all of Boston. Not in a vacuum, add in the unforgivable crime that it detracts from the Hancock and I can't believe this ever got approved. They really need to take it back to the drawing board.

It's like the Hancock's "short bus" cousins are all moving into the neighborhood. If Mayor Wu held this project (along with Shreve Crump and Lowe) as the primary examples of why our planning process is broken, I'd agree 100%. On the other hand I doubt our solutions would resemble each other. My solution here would be taller, thinner, NOT glass, and with the tower portion angled away from the Hancock. (ie the tower would rise from the corner that we see up above, and not the backside closer to the Hancock)
Click to expand...
"Short bus cousins"... yikes. Anyways as a corporate neighbor, this is great. The existing parking garage use is really exhausting to live with especially with Raffles going in. I think this will be a nice cluster of buildings when it is all said and done, the City isn't a museum and doesn't need to operate on pedestalizing one building we like from 50 years ago. This area NEEDS more life to it and this square footage will help tremendously. Also will benefit the station tremendously.
 
CancelEuclid said:
"Short bus cousins"... yikes.
Click to expand...

That's my toned down reaction from what I would have written 10-15 years ago. There's very few synonyms to convey what I wished to convey.

Also yes it's good to get a cluster of buildings. This is just the wrong building. Should have been 50% taller, 30% thinner, angled away from the Hancock, and a solid material rather than just blue glass. The reason the Hancock was allowed in the first place was because it was something special at the time, and the glass would reflect the city around it. Adding crappier glass buildings all around it kind of defeats that purpose. Instead of one perfect glass tower reflecting the city, we're going to have a whole neighborhood of imperfect ones surrounding it and it really dumbs down the intended effect. The Back Bay skyline has always been seen as very "classy" and this just doesn't fit that mold.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top