Bulfinch Crossing | Congress Street Garage | West End

FK4 said:
I'm quoting myself. Sorry.
I came across this diagram of the plans for Congress Street: Notice that the original plans called for an elevated viaduct over Congress Street from 93 to New Chardon. Could have been worse. Still needs to be rectified and I repeat that this project should include dehighway-ification of Sudbury, New Chardon and Congress.

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Agreed on road diet needs.
That is a very LA looking intersection.
 
taking a sawzall to center plaza is a start.

tearing one of the slices down completely and putting up a 770' tower is even better.
 
FK4 said:
I'm quoting myself. Sorry.
I came across this diagram of the plans for Congress Street: Notice that the original plans called for an elevated viaduct over Congress Street from 93 to New Chardon. Could have been worse. Still needs to be rectified and I repeat that this project should include dehighway-ification of Sudbury, New Chardon and Congress.

PS - anyone else remember a few years ago when they changed New Sudbury back to Sudbury?

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Holy hell. Hard to believe it could have been even worse than what we got!

Instead of building Bulfinch Crossing, we'd be arguing about grounding the overpass.
 
datadyne007 said:
Holy hell. Hard to believe it could have been even worse than what we got!

Instead of building Bulfinch Crossing, we'd be arguing about grounding the overpass.
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Yup!

I just now noticed, though, that Center Plaza is divided into two - instead of the covered stair we wound up with.
 
FK4 said:
Yup!

I just now noticed, though, that Center Plaza is divided into two - instead of the covered stair we wound up with.
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Indeed. That's the only upside to this scheme - cutting Center Plaza in half frames the Courthouse beautifully.
 
datadyne007 said:
Instead of building Bulfinch Crossing, we'd be arguing about grounding the overpass.
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If this design was built back in the day, the overpass probably would have been grounded as part of the Big Dig. It also probably would have cost another billion dollars but that's the price of progress around here.
 
datadyne007 said:
Cutting Center Plaza in half frames the Courthouse beautifully.
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I agree-loving the Courthouse. It's one of the few actual art-deco "towers" we have here and needs to be restored. I can't believe some height-maniacs want it demolished.
 
Hubman said:
I agree-loving the Courthouse. It's one of the few actual art-deco "towers" we have here and needs to be restored. I can't believe some height-maniacs want it demolished.
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Not to go too far off topic, but I believe we've talked about restoring/renovating the Courthouse in another thread, and it seems like a serious money pit, IIRC. Need a big developer with some big return elsewhere. EDIT: Link. While we're talking about it, it'd be nice to open up Center Plaza almost completely; seems like you'd be able to get a really nice plaza out of it, and then it'll allow for us to fill in City Hall Plaza a bit.
 
stefalarchitect said:
Not to go too far off topic, but I believe we've talked about restoring/renovating the Courthouse in another thread, and it seems like a serious money pit, IIRC. Need a big developer with some big return elsewhere. EDIT: Link. While we're talking about it, it'd be nice to open up Center Plaza almost completely; seems like you'd be able to get a really nice plaza out of it, and then it'll allow for us to fill in City Hall Plaza a bit.
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Supposedly the site of the courthouse could allow for an 800' building (don't know how true this is). Even so I won't trade it off. Maybe part of Center Plaza could be demolished for one?
 
Hubman said:
I agree-loving the Courthouse. It's one of the few actual art-deco "towers" we have here and needs to be restored. I can't believe some height-maniacs want it demolished.
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I don't think there is a single "height maniac" who has spoken out against preserving the courthouse. If anything, most would be fighting to keep one of the 2 tallest art-deco towers in the whole city. I think you are blaming the wrong set of people.

There are plenty of other spots that could handle an 800'+ tower. North Station Tower residential is a good place to start pointing fingers. Anywhere in the (now defunct) West End. Volpe. Dalton Street Garage. I think this current site on the Congress Street Garage could get close, but it's tough to complain with what we are ending up with. (assuming the Pelli office tower gets built)
 
DZH22 said:
I don't think there is a single "height maniac" who has spoken out against preserving the courthouse.
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I have heard a few people arguing that it is decrepit and that it needs to be demolished to be replaced with something tall.

DZH22 said:
If anything, most would be fighting to keep one of the 2 tallest art-deco towers in the whole city. I think you are blaming the wrong set of people.
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I would hope this to be true. Perhaps I am wrong, but maybe it's a house divided.
 
Sad. Maybe this should be a poll. I'd be interested in hearing opinions.
 
FK4 said:
Guys there's already a thread for the courthouse:
http://www.archboston.org/community/showthread.php?t=4895

PS - it's second empire, a victorian style, not art deco.
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This is about the New Courthouse, at 3 Pemberton Square, not the John Adams (nee Old) Courthouse.

I'm in there several times per week for business at the Land Court. Other than relatively slow elevators and loud window ACs, it doesn't seem to be in particularly bad shape.
 
Are they taking this garage down piece by piece just in that one section where the tower is going?

This thing is taking forever.
 
617 said:
Are they taking this garage down piece by piece just in that one section where the tower is going?

This thing is taking forever.
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Data is going to give you a scolding if you're not careful and tell you about how towers just dont go up overnight... he's right of course...

I follow the contractor on twitter and they show pictures of them laying rebar below the lower decks so its my opinion that it might pop like the Congress st addition and its all the sudden something there when we thought it there was nothing because we cant see it.
 
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