Bulfinch Crossing | Congress Street Garage | West End

Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

For not hearing much out of Palmeiri since taking over as head of BRA, this isn't how I wanted him to project new leadership. Deflecting allegations. Don't want to piss off your potential new boss. How gracious of Raymond to accept responsibility...its really a win win. Raymond now has some political chips to cash in on this deal.
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

DarkFenX said:
The thing is, we would not mind the input of the community in including things they need like a park(to some extent) or a supermarket, or a school in this case. But if you are willing to just oppose the whole building itself and waste valuable plots of land and construct something like a 3 story crap there, then there's a problem.
Click to expand...

I agree. It's one thing if they're attempting to better the community, but that's totally not the case. Their metality is "I don't like the prospect of a tower being built there because: (A) It will cast a shadow on my house (B) It will cause more traffic which is an inconvenience to me (C) I don't think it's an appropriate scale and I don't want to look at it." Then they will often have the nerve to call the developers greedy. These citizens should feel lucky they're allowed to demand such things like parks/schools from developers. Many cities are so desperate for new development that they will allow anything to be built anywhere (e.g. Houston which has no zoning laws).

What exactly is their argument in regards to giving up these other parcels? Aren't most of them empty lots on the Greenway? Where is this police station located?
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

There really is a police station there, owned by the city, so the developer certainly doesn't have an automatic right to take it over and knock it down without replacing it in some form. The second city-owned parcel, that I don't know about.
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

The police station is located on the West side of this garage. It's not that big I think nor is it amazing. It's tucked right in right across the street from the JFK towers.
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

Couldn't they move back to the Traffic Tunnel Admin building in the North End? They had gone over there during renovations and everything seemed to work fine. The building seems more or less deserted now a days (although I'm rarely over there 9-5 during the work week).
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

I know this was the all the developer's idea *wink wink*, but the city has recent appraisals of these properties done in anticipation of conveyance. I am sure it is all a coincidence, of course.
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

The police station is in no way 'amazing' but it is a city asset that the developer can't just assume he has in his hands.
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

Mike said:
Councilor slams Government Center tower plan
Spotlight on Boston garage sale
By Thomas Grillo
Monday, January 19, 2009
Boston City Councilor Michael F. Flaherty has raised objections to turning over two city-owned buildings to a developer to make way for the $2.3 billion redevelopment of the seven-story garage.


?The Raymond team said the BRA was interested in having them consider those city-owned parcels,? said David Kubiak, a member of the North End/Waterfront Residents? Association who attended several meetings on the project. ?But Mr. Flaherty?s objections appear to be the reason for the BRA?s change in position. The councilor has shined a light on an issue that needs to be vetted.?

Meanwhile Flaherty took credit for the BRA?s stance. The at-large councilor said he raised the issue months ago. ?We need to stop letting developers decide what is best for the community,? he said


Link
Click to expand...

I doubt the city is going to "turn over' those buildings. The city will be selling them at a nice profit, even the newly renovated police station. "The councilor has shined a light" except that this was public knowledge.

Why should the city sell two buildings that produce zero tax dollars and replace them with a brand new police station and the tax revenue of a office tower. This is never done except kind of sort of on High St where the city go a new fire station and two tax revenue produceing office towers.
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

tmac9wr said:
What exactly is their argument in regards to giving up these other parcels? Aren't most of them empty lots on the Greenway? Where is this police station located?
Click to expand...

The police station and the other parcels are all directly west of the project:

33448105qx5.jpg


There's a motley assortment of buildings in this little pocket block (police station, Nstar substation, a bunch of social services contained in some attractive neo-federal/georgian lowrises) that I wouldn't lose much sleep over losing. The neo-federals do add a humanistic touch and scale to the area, but architecturally they're as run-of-the-mill as the style gets.

Here's a post of mine from the summer showing the area (it's the windowless red brick thing in the first shot): http://www.archboston.org/community/showpost.php?p=55856&postcount=170
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

Thanks KZ. I'm still wondering why this Flaherty guy is raising such a stink about this. As Paul mentioned, the developers are obviously not going to get these parcels for free and the tax revenue from the development would easily pay for any government offices that were lost.

Kent Brockman: "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Democracy just doesn't work"
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

How easy is it to replace or move an NStar substation?

Surely this development can be done in phases, so that they don't have to deal with the police station until the very end?
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

The NStar substation could be incorporated into the podium of the tower, much the same as what was done at 7 World Trade Center.

You're correct, Ron, that this will be a phased project, and in all likelihood (according to the developers) the work of more than one of the firms that have presented designs. Since the west end of the site offers the highest profit potential, I think the tallest tower will go up first. This will (potentially) necessitate the demolition of the small buildings atb the back of the garage site.

This could be a big win for the city. Flaherty's making an ass of himself.
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

Another Development on the Greenway with a TON of potential. I have a feeling Big Bird has a better chance of being the Mayor than Flaherty.
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

Beton Brut said:
Since the west end of the site offers the highest profit potential, I think the tallest tower will go up first.
Click to expand...

Actually, it's the other way around - they said they are going to work on the Greenway side first, above Haymarket.
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

Question: does anyone find those little buildings to be worth saving? Of course there's no redeeming value for the police or sub-station, so I'm asking about those neo-federals. I've already said I don't see anything special in them, but I also know nothing of their histories.

The one thing that does give me pause is how the hell they managed to survive the 'renewal' of 50 years ago when literally everything else within a block or two of them (short of the Verizon building on Bowdoin Square) met the wrecking ball. This anomaly factor, plus the human scale of the buildings are the only reasons I see worth keeping them around. After all, Goverment Center already has more than its fair share of megablocks thankyouverymuch.
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

kz1000ps said:
The one thing that does give me pause is how the hell they managed to survive the 'renewal' of 50 years ago when literally everything else within a block or two of them (short of the Verizon building on Bowdoin Square) met the wrecking ball.
Click to expand...

I know this is somewhat off topic (although you've brought up urban renewal), but does anyone know how the Last Tenement on Lomasney Way managed to survive?
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

Jane Jetson said:
Actually, it's the other way around - they said they are going to work on the Greenway side first, above Haymarket.
Click to expand...

I know what they said at the last meeting. I think the numbers may tell a different story...
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

I know this is somewhat off topic (although you've brought up urban renewal), but does anyone know how the Last Tenement on Lomasney Way managed to survive?
Click to expand...

I think the guy just refused to sell and used all the profits he derived from ads on his building to fight everyone off.
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

TheRifleman said:
I have a feeling Big Bird has a better chance of being the Mayor than Flaherty.
Click to expand...

I don't know. Against Menino this time, probably not. $250,000 vs. $1,500,000. Run to set yourself up for next time, maybe. Yoon and Ross seem lite.
 
Re: Gov't Center Garage Redevelopment

Noam Chomsky.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top