Bulfinch Crossing | Congress Street Garage | West End

Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

^^^^
That picture resembles the THE CLARENDON RESIDENCES in the Backbay.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

I always heard that the Feds prevented the city from building anything on City Hall Plaza (thus the reason that nothing was ever proposed) close to the JFK Federal building for security reasons and yet, here's a highrise on the other side of the building and it's apparently ok. What am I missing here?
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

atlantaden said:
I always heard that the Feds prevented the city from building anything on City Hall Plaza (thus the reason that nothing was ever proposed) close to the JFK Federal building for security reasons and yet, here's a highrise on the other side of the building and it's apparently ok. What am I missing here?
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Atlantaden -- there were only two security issues:

When the FBI was in the JFK and Teddy's Office

The FBI moved on to a location atop the Gov't Center Garage and Teddy is dead -- so there is no reason that a tower couldn't overlook OSHA or NRLB or some other bunch of faceless bureaucrats

And the low rise was constructed for efficient storage and handling of paper -- which now could be compacted to a single cabinet in one room of the high rise
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

Came across the following pdf describing the project in phases
http://www.hyminvestments.com/images/Redevelopment_of_the_Government_Center_Garage_Fact_Sheet.pdf
Excerpted from it is a nice summary with my highlighting:

Project Phasing
The redevelopment is phased on the two parcels and starts on the West Parcel and continues on to the East Parcel, and construction is slated to begin in Spring 2016.
Details for each parcel are further described below along with a table outlining key statistics:
  • West Parcel:
    • A residential building on New Sudbury Street on the southwest corner of the site will be the first structure built,
    • Followed by an office building on New Chardon Street on the northwest corner of the site.
    • Thereafter, the garage is demolished over Congress Street
    • A second residential building on is constructed on the West Parcel along Congress Street completing the enclosing of the remaining garage.
    East Parcel:
    After the garage is demolished, three buildings will be concurrently constructed and organized around a dynamic public plaza that will connect the Bulfinch Triangle, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway and Congress Street:
    • A hotel/condominium building fronting Congress Street,
    • A mid-rise office building facing the Greenway,
    • And a small boutique retail building
      [/list

    Summary Specs
    • Parcel...........Primary Use.......Units/Keys.....GSF...........Height (FT).....Stories
    • West–B1.......Residential.........486..............547,000......480...............45
    • West–B2.......Office.................................1,012,000......528...............43
    • West–B3.......Residential.........291..............342,500.......291..............29
    • East–B1a......Hotel/Condo.......196/57..........221,500......157...............14
    • East–B1b......Office....................................163,800.......152..............11
    • East–B1c......Retail......................................25,000.........60...............4
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  • So it sounds as though there will be visible construction beginning quite soon on the New Sudbury Street edge of the garage for the first apartment tower

    However, the soon to be iconic office tower is awaiting a tenant before its construction will begin

    PS: speaking of the office tower -- I found the ultimate description [well short of the actual construction plans] in the form of a final EIR pdf -- 900 pages of facts, figures, architectural speak from Peli, bureaucratic filing speak from HYM, and renders and more renders to allow someone to binge read for a whole weekend

    https://www.dropbox.com/sh/x4ka1dr1nl00csf/AABVvDHvWOAv4V95wds6bhPua/GCG_WP-B2_EPNF-111615.pdf?dl=0

    Emjoy
 
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Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

A real missing piece of this thing is not extending Bowker Street all the way though the block. Sudbury should become 2-way as well.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

atlantaden said:
I always heard that the Feds prevented the city from building anything on City Hall Plaza (thus the reason that nothing was ever proposed) close to the JFK Federal building for security reasons and yet, here's a highrise on the other side of the building and it's apparently ok. What am I missing here?
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I believe the issue isn't building on the plaza writ large, but building immediately next to the building. I guess the difference with this is that it's across the street and replacing an existing publicly used building, so there's not a real strong justification for blocking it from the Fed's perspective.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

whighlander said:
PS: speaking of the office tower -- I found the ultimate description [well short of the actual construction plans] in the form of a final EIR pdf -- 900 pages of facts, figures, architectural speak from Peli, bureaucratic filing speak from HYM, and renders and more renders to allow someone to binge read for a whole weekend

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/x4ka1dr1nl00csf/AABVvDHvWOAv4V95wds6bhPua/GCG_WP-B2_EPNF-111615.pdf?dl=0

Emjoy
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That's not an EIR, that's the EPNF filed the BRA two months ago.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

The good news is the office spire clearly looks like it will be lit at night per the renders.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

stick n move said:
Everyone if focused on the office tower rightfully so including myself, but the residential actually looks pretty good too. I read on Boston.com this will be the tallest rental tower in Boston. Im interested to see what goes in that notch on the back. A pool? Bar? Restaurant?

960580govtcenter011516.jpg
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Stick -- according to page 46 of the 594 page Residential Filing document there is a pool but its much lower than the notch which does have a deck and some meeting rooms

Pool at 9th level mention of some additional space atop the garage roof
Private deck at 31st level

The proposed residential building will also feature ground floor retail space as well as numerous resident amenities. These amenities will be located in two distinct locations within the building to create more spaces for community interactions and connections. One location, on the 9th floor, will include active amenity spaces with a swimming pool, fitness center, yoga studio and sun deck. The other location, on the 31st level, will offer leisure spaces for residents with a multi-purpose room, library, and roof deck.
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In the Residence all of the retail / food seems to be down at ground level see for example fir. 1.5 [Proposed Conditions Site Plan Public Realm Plan] page 30 of the 594 page Residential Filing document

Most of the retail on the west side of Congress is concentrated in /out of the Office Tower

There is a provision for a 30+ foot wide sidewalk cafe in the back corner [New Chardon & Bowker St] see fig 1.5 and more detail in fig 3.1a [Building Floorplan - Level 1] on page 54 of the 913 page Peli Office Tower filing document
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

It really bothers me that they refer to it as "New" Sudbury St. The only place that name comes up is the Boston Assessor's Database. Other than an occasional "aka", all the deeds, right of way documents, roadway signage, etc all say just "Sudbury St". It's sad that they don't even know what streets they front.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

citylover94 said:
+1

I agree. I think the developer would like to see something more but I don't think they will get much interest from the stores I mentioned before. At least not yet maybe after a few years of the development being completed.
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Ha: like what is absent at Northpoint!
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

sm89 said:
It really bothers me that they refer to it as "New" Sudbury St. The only place that name comes up is the Boston Assessor's Database. Other than an occasional "aka", all the deeds, right of way documents, roadway signage, etc all say just "Sudbury St". It's sad that they don't even know what streets they front.
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Wonder if they were just confused with New Chardon St and thought the same went for Sudbury?
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

I'm pretty sure somewhere, perhaps on cambridge st, there used to be a sign for new sudbury st... Maybe it was taken down. But I'm pretty sure that existed.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

FK4 said:
I'm pretty sure somewhere, perhaps on cambridge st, there used to be a sign for new sudbury st... Maybe it was taken down. But I'm pretty sure that existed.
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FK4 -- absolutely -- in the original Government Center redesign of the streets there were New in front of both Chardon and Sudbury

However, just as the replacement for the original Boston Garden was officially known as the "New Boston Garden" and then it became officially a bunch of names of defunct banks Garden -- and now its officially the TD Garden -- Well -- its become the Boston Garden again

So most people today don't remember any of the streets around Sculley Sq and hence the New .... doesn't mean much to many
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

whighlander said:
FK4 -- absolutely -- in the original Government Center redesign of the streets there were New in front of both Chardon and Sudbury

However, just as the replacement for the original Boston Garden was officially known as the "New Boston Garden" and then it became officially a bunch of names of defunct banks Garden -- and now its officially the TD Garden -- Well -- its become the Boston Garden again

So most people today don't remember any of the streets around Sculley Sq and hence the New .... doesn't mean much to many
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Right but I think even as recently as less than ten years ago there was a new sudbury sign at cambridge st... When I get home I'll have to check the old google streetviews... Thie should also change the name back to chardon... "New" anything just sounds crappy when you're talking about a street.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

I truly believe that the office tower will be the most beautiful building in Boston, maybe next to the Hancock.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

Dont forget about the Custom House Tower, that thing is perfection. I agree though this is going to be right up there and will wow visitors on the greenway for years to come.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

bayvillagebrahmin said:
I truly believe that the office tower will be the most beautiful building in Boston, maybe next to the Hancock.
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You might be right ---but I don't believe the Hancock is that beautiful. It just stands alone in the backbay.
The ground floor is awful. But I have not been near the building in the last 5 years so I'm not sure if they upgraded it.

Also I could see this project getting delay under current market conditions.
 
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