Bulfinch Crossing | Congress Street Garage | West End

Re: Congress St Garage is being sold.

Not a fan of this garage either, it does create a wall and walking under it sucks and makes everything seem dreary. But that's alot of parking spots, not really a fan of losing all of em.
 
Re: Congress St Garage is being sold.

This is directly on two T lines. 60 stories would be fine for this site. It's a landmark heart-of-the-city site. In my opinion, a far better site for a thousand footer than wedged onto crowded Federal Street.

I wish I could attend that community meeting but I'll be out of town. I hope the pro-development/progress voices are heard!
 
Re: Congress St Garage is being sold.

Is it possible for this to remain as parking, or maybe half-parking? This goes against all my morals, I mean, I think we should all live in the city, bike and walk everywhere we need to go, and use ZipCars if we must, but the city desperately needs parking. Is it possible to develop a space as a good parking garage? There's one on Newbury St. that is nice, across from Patagonia and Rugby...I think I'll start a thread on the Design a New Boston piece.

But I am for a redevelopment of the facade from the Greenway...it is an abomination to the area. And, I'm not for totally filling in the Greenway, it leaves open space to stand back and appreciate and architecture and development. It creates a stage for a bunch of new facades. And it leaves breathing room and light to flow into a part of the city that was previously covered in darkness due to the Central Artery.
 
Re: Congress St Garage is being sold.

LOL

The problem with this building isn't that it's a parking garage, but that it obstructs Congress Street. If you could remove the 'overpass' and the part of the building that is east of Congress Street, I wouldn't too much mind keeping the rest of it.
 
Re: Congress St Garage is being sold.

kennedy said:
Is it possible for this to remain as parking, or maybe half-parking? This goes against all my morals, I mean, I think we should all live in the city, bike and walk everywhere we need to go, and use ZipCars if we must, but the city desperately needs parking. Is it possible to develop a space as a good parking garage? There's one on Newbury St. that is nice, across from Patagonia and Rugby...I think I'll start a thread on the Design a New Boston piece.
Click to expand...

I'm sure any new buildings will have underground garages. What percent of parking they will make up for the loss of this garage is something no one can guess.

How many parking spots are in this thing anyway?
 
Re: Congress St Garage is being sold.

If we need to replicate this capacity, assume 40% in the new developments. For the rest, look no further than North Station, over the tracks. It'll work for Garden game parking, and could be engineered to allow for future air-rights development.
 
Re: Congress St Garage is being sold.

Don't like how it said they could happily wait 10 years with a new tennant.
 
Re: Congress St Garage is being sold.

Beton Brut said:
If we need to replicate this capacity, assume 40% in the new developments. For the rest, look no further than North Station, over the tracks. It'll work for Garden game parking, and could be engineered to allow for future air-rights development.
Click to expand...

I think that's a great idea
 
Re: Congress St Garage is being sold.

Not to sure how big the foot print is, but if it is mixed use, it would be nice to see a few towers go up here. The western part of the site is perfect for a 800 footer. I think 1,000 footer, just like at the Winthrop site, is to much. I would much rather see something engaging at ground level, with a tower that stands out, but not too bold. It would be cool if the started with a shorter tower closer to the greenway, then get taller as they move away.
 
Re: Congress St Garage is being sold.

Take a look at the garage footprint from satellite view - it is HUGE. It's got to be a few acres at least. This is where the Prudential Center 2.0 should go. There is immediate, on-site access to two T lines and a major bus hub. The tunnel entrances to the highway network is directly at its front door, with the airport and everything else just a tunnel ride away. Plus, North Station is just up Canal street two blocks, and the Blue line in Government Center is just across the brick plaza. Is there a more accessible location in Boston to all modes of transportation? Maybe the South Station project, but that'd be it.

I'd like to hear the activists argument against major, major development here. This can be the center of the city - the exclamation point to all of Downtown.

So all this rationalization for sustainable development, and all the logical urban planning techniques that we are preaching, and all the promise that this site holds comes down to one fundamental question: Has Raymond paid off the right politicians yet?
 
Re: Congress St Garage is being sold.

Beton Brut said:
If we need to replicate this capacity, assume 40% in the new developments. For the rest, look no further than North Station, over the tracks. It'll work for Garden game parking, and could be engineered to allow for future air-rights development.
Click to expand...


Actually this is too good of an idea. This needs to get out there.

As for site location, how about the new city hall goes here, right at the apex of the Bulfinch Triangle (which has been blunted many times over the years.) Talk about iconic.
 
Re: Congress St Garage is being sold.

How about a few 5-10 story buildings made with brick panel facades, blue glass, and an oversized overhang around the roof. Maybe some nice shrubs and grass around the perimeter.

Hopefully CBT can design something like that.
 
Re: Congress St Garage is being sold.

I know you are being sarcastic but that would be an improvement.
 
Re: Congress St Garage is being sold.

Better than a parking lo... garage.
 
Re: Congress St Garage is being sold.

One of the bigger issues is how they are going to get the eastern parcel to interact with the Haymarket bus terminal-area there, which could use a overhaul anyways.
 
Re: Congress St Garage is being sold.

There is room to displace at least 30-40 of these parking spaces in the "retail" segment of the building next door, over the Haymarket orange line station.....
 
Re: Congress St Garage is being sold.

pelhamhall said:
Take a look at the garage footprint from satellite view - it is HUGE. It's got to be a few acres at least. This is where the Prudential Center 2.0 should go. There is immediate, on-site access to two T lines and a major bus hub. The tunnel entrances to the highway network is directly at its front door, with the airport and everything else just a tunnel ride away. Plus, North Station is just up Canal street two blocks, and the Blue line in Government Center is just across the brick plaza. Is there a more accessible location in Boston to all modes of transportation? Maybe the South Station project, but that'd be it.

I'd like to hear the activists argument against major, major development here. This can be the center of the city - the exclamation point to all of Downtown.

So all this rationalization for sustainable development, and all the logical urban planning techniques that we are preaching, and all the promise that this site holds comes down to one fundamental question: Has Raymond paid off the right politicians yet?
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone on this forum would argue against your vision. But the purpose of getting rid of the garage is to open up the view towards the triangle and even to North Station. So this talk of building ANYTHING here (especially towers) sort of defeats the purpose, no?
 
Re: Congress St Garage is being sold.

type001 said:
I don't think anyone on this forum would argue against your vision. But the purpose of getting rid of the garage is to open up the view towards the triangle and even to North Station. So this talk of building ANYTHING here (especially towers) sort of defeats the purpose, no?
Click to expand...

The Raymond Company didn't pay 132 million for the garage to simply knock it down for the views it would create. The CEO of the company talked about reconnecting the Bulfinch area to the rest of Boston by the new buildings that would be built.
 
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