BFIT Redevelopment | 41 Berkeley Street | South End

[curcuas]

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So Related Beal made it shorter, wider footprint, less detailed facade/window treatments, less sidewalk retail presence and less inviting to humans. Jackasses.

On the plus side, they didn't invade Ukraine.

Thank the neighbors not the developers! Thank our feckless city government and our nimby-deferential counselors.

 

[Equilibria]

Public meeting tonight on this. Earlier this month they showed an updated (shorter) version. Adds sidewalk level separated bike lanes on one side though!
2022-04-12_Presentation_41 Berkeley Street.pdf | Powered by Box

It stayed brick, so it's fine, and they only shortened it a little.

I actually like the flat side better - looks classier and more in keeping with the historic building. They did it to save money, though.

Also, if you look at the PNF design the top floors were in that black steel framing, not brick, subtly hinting that they weren't critical. They were always meant to come off.

 

[stick n move]

This was on the december board meeting yesterday. Some changes have happened, def was better before but still looks great.

https://www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/file/2022/04/41 Berkeley Street presentation.pdf

http://www.bostonplans.org/about-us/bpda-board/board-meetings

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[Blackbird]

I thing “great” might be a little too generous. It definitely looks extremely okay.

 

[BACsop]

Looks like the City is eager to speed up the relocation:

City planning $4 million, plus tax breaks, to jumpstart planned Franklin Cummings Tech campus in Roxbury - The Boston Globe

The $75 million project depends on the sale of the existing South End campus, which has been held up by permitting delays and rising interest rates.

www.bostonglobe.com

The city’s aid package consists of at least three elements. First, the BPDA would give Related Beal a tax break for 41 Berkeley — where Related has plans to build roughly 250,000 square feet of housing — that would keep taxes low on the property for 30 years; in return, the BPDA gets a new small minority stake in the parcel. The BPDA would also give $4 million via a “recoverable” grant to Franklin Cummings Tech, to help fund its Nubian Square project. And the agency would waive $745,000 that it would otherwise be owed under a previous agreement because of the change in use proposed for the 41 Berkeley property.

The total value of this package is unclear because neither Related nor the BPDA provided a projection for 41 Berkeley’s post-development tax assessment. The provision essentially sets property taxes for 41 Berkeley at $500,000 annually for 10 years and then would increase by the rate of inflation for 19 years after that. It would still be more than the city gets today, because Franklin Cummings Tech is a nonprofit and pays no property taxes there.

 

[mssrro]

Walked by this morning...no development is ongoing yet, but the site being used to sell Christmas trees.

 

[johnmcboston]

Yeah, Charlie has been selling trees on one of those corners for 20+ years now. Great deals too! But yeah, word on the site has been very quiet - which either means finance issues or back room deals...

 

[stick n move]

-Edit: was finally able to find the thread, moved.

Anyways 41 berkeley street is back

“The Notice of Project Change proposes three components: Tremont Component which includes approximately 234 residential units and approximately 6,130 sf of retail/restaurant space; Franklin Union Component which includes approximately 57 residential units and approximately 2,120 sf of retail/restaurant space; and the Appleton Component which includes approximately 21 residential units. Approximately 93 parking spaces will be located in a below grade garage. The Project also includes new open space on the site.”

https://www.bostonplans.org/projects/development-projects/41-berkeley-street

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[johnmcboston]

Doesn't really explain why they are destroying the old auditorium. Orignal reason was a driveway for the old folks. But no driveway in the new renderings...

 

[stick n move]

It acts as an entrance to the plaza plus gives access to the loading dock.

 

[johnmcboston]

Kinf of. Where the word PLAZA is is a section of BFIT they are destroying - and that is not in the path of the loading dock. Actually we see trees and tables and chairs right where a 'historic' auditorium once stood...

 

[CBCArch61]

Kinf of. Where the word PLAZA is is a section of BFIT they are destroying - and that is not in the path of the loading dock. Actually we see trees and tables and chairs right where a 'historic' auditorium once stood...

I'm not sure what the concern about demolition is here. Most of the old building is being adaptively reused as part of the new construction. There is some selective demolition and facadectomy work included, but I don't see the concern. Am I missing something

Current Google Map aerial

I honestly don't really see the value in the facadectomy of the 4 & 6 Appleton Street buildings. They don't appear to me to hold that much character. I would think the Planning review could have simply asked for a similar massing and material palette along Appleton and fully replace those buildings.

 

[johnmcboston]

AI says:

The auditorium at the former Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (BFIT)—located at 41 Berkeley Street in Boston's South End—is famously known as a one-third-size replica of Boston’s iconic Symphony Hall.

Because of this specific design, it is renowned for its exceptional acoustics and serves as a vital piece of Boston’s musical and technological history.

Musical & Acoustical Significance

• Miniature Symphony Hall: The auditorium was purposefully built to mirror the exact acoustic proportions of Symphony Hall, providing world-class sound clarity in a intimate setting.The Boston Philharmonic: Because of its phenomenal sound quality, the auditorium has long served as the primary rehearsal home for the Boston Philharmonic and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.
• Intimate Capacity: While the massive Symphony Hall seats over 2,600 people, this "little" replica holds a cozy seating capacity of 350 people.

 

[shmessy]

AI says:

The auditorium at the former Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (BFIT)—located at 41 Berkeley Street in Boston's South End—is famously known as a one-third-size replica of Boston’s iconic Symphony Hall.

Because of this specific design, it is renowned for its exceptional acoustics and serves as a vital piece of Boston’s musical and technological history.

Musical & Acoustical Significance

• Miniature Symphony Hall: The auditorium was purposefully built to mirror the exact acoustic proportions of Symphony Hall, providing world-class sound clarity in a intimate setting.The Boston Philharmonic: Because of its phenomenal sound quality, the auditorium has long served as the primary rehearsal home for the Boston Philharmonic and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.
• Intimate Capacity: While the massive Symphony Hall seats over 2,600 people, this "little" replica holds a cozy seating capacity of 350 people.

In case anyone wants to see what it actually looks like:

Auditorium at Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology - Event Space in in Boston, MA | The Vendry

A private space at Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology with capacity for 350 guests in Boston, MA

thevendry.com