BCEC expansion | Seaport

JohnAKeith said:
Sicilian, I'm sorry you're disappointed. That $1 million you want was loaned to the Boston Tea Party Museum because that has so much to do with the BCEC.
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IIRC, BCEC's loan to the museum was $18M.
 
stellarfun said:
I believe the city is about to fix the buckling sidewalks.

http://the103advantage.com/bra-plans-5m-sidewalk-overhaul/
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It would be nice if they could take some land next to the convention center and "deck" a nice green park over the Turnpike behind the sidewalk. It would provide some nice restpite next to that concrete jungle around there. Perhaps with some nice out-door food stalls (ice cream) an outdoor seating amphatheatre it could be really nice. Some back of sidewalk trees. It would also cut down on some of the truck and car traffic noise from the highway.
 
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Crummy image of the BCEC expansion.

ULL00Z8.jpg
 
^^^^
SUCKS..........SUCKS more that they are using OUR TAX DOLLARS to build this GARBAGE.
 
stellarfun said:
I believe the city is about to fix the buckling sidewalks.

http://the103advantage.com/bra-plans-5m-sidewalk-overhaul/
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As of tonight's BRA meeting, no funding source for those Summer St sidewalk improvements have been identified.

Same goes for the Summer Street bike tracks that were announced to great fanfare in 2013.

Or a bevy of "Crossroads Initiatlve" improvements that have been routinely announced since the first draft plan in 2007. Those included widened sidewalks for patio seating on Summer and Congress Sts and more — all publicized as if they were moving forward.

None were funded, not one.

Nor was a dedicated BRT lane on Summer (now #7 bus). Or signal prioritization for Silver Line. Or T under D.
 
So what was discussed at the Crossroads meeting? Any actionable, near term improvements planned?
 
BostonDrew said:
So what was discussed at the Crossroads meeting? Any actionable, near term improvements planned?
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I did not attend, I received a report.

No funding source has been identified. No new design elements since last meeting (Oct 2013). Draft plan is available on BRA site.

I'll mention that the BRA's Crossroads Plan as it was announced after the drafting of the "Plan" from 2007-2008 was estimated at $2 million, not $5 million as was announced in 2014. Certainly $1.1M spent on Lawn on D for its 18 month life could have gone a long way toward mending and widening Summer St sidewalks for the long-term benefit of conventioneers.
 
Those sidewalks are not ADA compliant. Somebody with standing ought to file a law suit against the city.
 
But. If you forget to drink your V8. You can walk completely upright on the south side side walk.
 
There will be a seminar on the expansion at the ArchitectureBoston Expo (ABX) at the end of October. Happened to notice it while looking through the list today.

A02: The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC) Expansion as Catalyst for a New Urban District

Schedule: Tuesday 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Room: Rm 107C
Track: Urban Scale
AIA Credit: LU
Description

Boston's industrial waterfront is rapidly shifting from low-density and maritime uses to a vibrant mixed-use urban district with the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC) as an anchor. Learn about the new urban design framework developed for the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority to address the D Street corridor adjacent to the BCEC, where underutilized properties provide a "tabula rasa" urban design and development opportunity. The framework organizes five complementary master plan elements: the "big idea" for D Street public realm schematic design for the six-block corridor street activation plan for event programming, technology, lighting and public art retail tenanting strategy and district identity strategy. This will provide a methodology to proactively communicate the vision for the area enable evaluation of specific development proposals related to BCEC expansion and guide future development opportunities. A phasing plan guides the big moves necessary to prepare the land for development and expand the transportation network. The plan also provides opportunities for innovative concepts to be tested with temporary measures before being integrated into permanent features.


Speakers

Kate Coburn Partner HR & A Advisors

Howard Davis Director of Capital Projects Massachusetts Convention Center Authority

Tim Love AIA, LEED AP Principal Utile, Inc. Architecture + Planning

Frederick Merrill AICP, CAPS Principal Sasaki Associates, Inc

- See more at: http://abexpo.com/conference/session-detail?session=A02#sthash.DKxAOULJ.dpuf
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Hi. Thanks for posting this. Are these open to the public?

This will be interesting but I'm curious if it will just be people saying how great the BCEC is - like, PR.
 
JohnAKeith said:
Hi. Thanks for posting this. Are these open to the public?

This will be interesting but I'm curious if it will just be people saying how great the BCEC is - like, PR.
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Individual seminars at ABX are $85. Workshops/seminars/tours at ABX are one of those things that your firm expenses for you, otherwise they're not worth it.

http://abexpo.com/register/pricing/
 
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Very interested to hear how this featureless cruise ship is the catalyst for a new urban district. It draws crowds, but physically it's enormously anti-urban.
 
BussesAin'tTrains said:
Very interested to hear how this featureless cruise ship is the catalyst for a new urban district. It draws crowds, but physically it's enormously anti-urban.
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It's not anti-urban if it sits on the edge and draws crowds to the neighborhood next door.
 
The architecture is anti-urban. Or is there something else to call the mile of blank frontage around the BCEC's periphery? I've said before, if they had ringed the center with the hotels, housing and retail, it would be integrated into the Seaport neighborhood much better, and blend the D-Street corridor into a real streetscape.
 
BussesAin'tTrains said:
The architecture is anti-urban. Or is there something else to call the mile of blank frontage around the BCEC's periphery? I've said before, if they had ringed the center with the hotels, housing and retail, it would be integrated into the Seaport neighborhood much better, and blend the D-Street corridor into a real streetscape.
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Of course it could be better, and your vision would make it better. That said, by your logic South Station is anti-urban because it has a similar blank frontage over a similar area. Actually, train stations in a lot of European cities are anti-urban if the metric is "very large building not ringed by retail."

"Anti-urban" isn't just an architectural term. Bringing in a lot of people with money to support the more urban retail, dining, and hotels nearby does contribute significantly to the urban environment as long as there's one to support. Attach the BCEC to a mall, and it loses that benefit.
 
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