Bulfinch Crossing | Congress Street Garage | West End

Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

Equilibria said:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/05/26/buildgarage/fM4VaW1Bx1nWfxwOywDXeN/story.html
I'm still skeptical how many anchor tenants there really are to make all these towers move.
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I'm a healthy skeptic too, but I don't think we have much (positive or negative) to go by in terms of predictive models - it's not just about how the market is doing, it's also about trends such as companies moving back to urban centers. We've seen many suburban-based firms migrate back to cities recently (GE being the most recent), and we've also seen many tech firms located one or two rungs out, like autodesk, move to establish a serious presence inside the city. Young professionals are increasingly seeking an urban start to their adult lives, and employers are responding. If this office tower does take off, I wouldn't be surprised if the "anchor" tenant has a relatively small share of the SF but is joined by a conglomeration of small/mid-sized tenants. Boston still has a number of tech firms based out by the interstates that may want an urban presence.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

stick n move said:
Maybe the bank of america thing is finally on and somehow theyve kept 100% radio silence. Very unlikely, but possible.
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I don't think that was ever going to be "on." It was one columnists' speculation based on the fact that the CEO lives here.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

Equilibria said:
I don't think that was ever going to be "on." It was one columnists' speculation based on the fact that the CEO lives here.
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Equilib -- if its ever going to be on -- it would be now -- what with the matter of the indeterminate gender restrooms in Carolina
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

Boston still has high occupancy rates, high rents for commercial as well as residential. Big anchor tenants help, but many buildings in Midtown are full of rando's, each having a floor or two. Most buildings in NYC with a corporate logo on top or out front aren't even close to 100% full of that company's people.

With the wave of companies coming into or at a minimum, not leaving the city, I think there is plenty of room to grow. Perhaps that will bring office rents down a bit and encourage companies to enter, expand or stay in the city vs. making a break for the suburbs.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

stick n move said:
Via: HYM

20140508_Office_Tower_Office+Levels.jpg


20140508_Office_Tower+View+2-day.jpg


WPB1+Rendering+%284%29+-+Looking+at+Charles+River+%28Upper+Amenity+Level%29.jpg


2015_11_I05_Streetview_03.jpg
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Moved from Government Center Redesign. Sometimes I forget how fat the office tower is, but this view just makes it seem comical.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

citylover94 said:
Moved from Government Center Redesign. Sometimes I forget how fat the office tower is, but this view just makes it seem comical.
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It is, but the good news is that it won't be seen from anywhere, really. That side will be blocked by the towers at North Station on one side and its own residential tower on the other.

Also, what the heck city is that in the balcony render? It's like someone sketched the Charles River Basin with a ruler and then used a default "city" fill inside the lines.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

Czervik.Construction said:
Perhaps that will bring office rents down a bit and encourage companies to enter, expand or stay in the city vs. making a break for the suburbs.
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I think many who speak of an office downturn are neglecting this effect that you raise. Boston is at/near a peak in innovation/start-up activity, whose nuclei are in very high rent districts. When companies enter mid-stage and are faced with choosing where to go, a floor plate within a tower like this might actually be a relative discount compared to their reference point (e.g., Kendall). Sure, not as cheap as the 'burbs, but not apples-to-apples either. I know not having an anchor tenant probably makes these developers queasy, but at the right price I am confident they could fill this tower with mid-stagers or mature medium size firms. The question is not whether there are tenants, but whether that right price exceeds the developer's go/no-go.

Does anyone have a sense whether this site will have easier/more challenging foundation work compared to places like 1 Dalton or Copley where the cost-to-build is astronomical? I know they need to bear the expense of taking down the garage, but they've got high-end residential stuff that will help cover that. Just curious what the build complexity/cost of this office tower is on a relative scale.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

bigpicture7 said:
I think many who speak of an office downturn are neglecting this effect that you raise. Boston is at/near a peak in innovation/start-up activity, whose nuclei are in very high rent districts. When companies enter mid-stage and are faced with choosing where to go, a floor plate within a tower like this might actually be a relative discount compared to their reference point (e.g., Kendall). Sure, not as cheap as the 'burbs, but not apples-to-apples either. I know not having an anchor tenant probably makes these developers queasy, but at the right price I am confident they could fill this tower with mid-stagers or mature medium size firms. The question is not whether there are tenants, but whether that right price exceeds the developer's go/no-go.

Does anyone have a sense whether this site will have easier/more challenging foundation work compared to places like 1 Dalton or Copley where the cost-to-build is astronomical? I know they need to bear the expense of taking down the garage, but they've got high-end residential stuff that will help cover that. Just curious what the build complexity/cost of this office tower is on a relative scale.
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Bigpicture -- a couple of points:
  • the interest factor for the high priced and high up office space with that "Amazing View" has Traditionally been led in Boston by the "Big name" Financial and Law firms and some high end consultants -- however recently most are both moving down in size and to lower floors when they re-up on their leases. Hence the now trendy title of the BBJ [paid content] article "Boston's Dirty Little Secret"
    Many professional services firms are leaving the more traditional high-rise for gleaming new offices — most often on lower floors — in Boston's......
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    about the difficulty renting the high spaces in the 200 Clarendon Tower
  • Traditionally, most of the Boston Area's the locally-based tech companies are not particularly interested in things such as naming rights to a trophy building -- since most of our tech companies are involved in commercial / industrial or health care / government agency focused sectors -- unlike many west Coast firms at a similar stage of development who are in more consumer-focused sectors -- our new techs have been happy taking somewhat non-descript "old brick and beam buildings" or older "modern office buildings"and personalizing them. Paradigm examples:
    • Bullhorn. Inc.
      Industry Leading Recruiting Software for Recruiters
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      -- that was housed in a traditional Brick and Beam structure on Farnsworth St.
      streetview

      -- now to be the temporary home for GE.
      Meanwhile Bullhorn in an expansion mode moved from 47k sq ft into 77k sq ft in an older International Style tower [100 Summer St.]
      523713-Large-fullheightview-view-from-the-south-across-high-street.jpg

      innovation-crossing-bullhorn-hq.png

      Which they have redubbed Innovation Crossing
      The Birth of Innovation Crossing: Bullhorn Moves to a New Global Headquarters
      By Art Papas on April 11, 2016

      Today, Bullhorn officially moved its global headquarters from Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood to a stunning new space at 100 Summer Street. I’m very excited about this move and what it means for our company and customers. We’ve embraced the idea of “open concept” and extended it to a whole new level in where we work, how we collaborate, and the value we bring to our customers.

      The move to our new location was driven by our explosive growth over the last three years – we multiplied both our employees and customers by 3 over that period. In that same time, Fort Point – once just a lonely haven of decent seafood – blossomed into the Innovation District, with some of the most exciting companies in Boston calling it their home. Bullhorn spent more than a decade in the Innovation District, and I personally helped recruit many tech businesses to the area back when Jimmy’s Harborsidewas still in business. We weren’t just early in making the Innovation District “happen” – we were the pioneers.....
      ....When we first realized we had outgrown our space on Farnsworth Street, we considered moving to another building in the area, but it was an old brick-and-beam construction like our existing office. We would’ve been spread across six floors, and that kind of setup is toxic for innovation and collaboration. Most buildings in the Innovation District, unfortunately, would have been similarly limiting.....
      Bullhorn had outgrown not just the size of the space, but its aesthetic as well. With that disparity in mind, I knew I had to find a modern-looking glass and steel building to represent us visually....

      ...So I branched out of the Innovation District in my search for Bullhorn’s new space. It was then that we found what people are calling “Innovation Crossing.” The name stems from the expansion of the Innovation District across Fort Point Channel to the area near South Station and Downtown Crossing. A few tech companies, like Rapid7 and Bolt, have already ventured into the area, but it’s still very early in the neighborhood’s renaissance from tired financial center to burgeoning tech hub. In fact, the Innovation Crossing area of Boston reminds me of Fort Point a decade ago – it’s already famous for a very specific legacy, but legacy tenants are moving out and opening up a tremendous opportunity for rebirth...

      The location of Innovation Crossing is amazing, from its public transportation access to its food trucks, restaurants, and water views. I truly believe that this neighborhood will soon be an even bigger tech hot spot than the Innovation District. So we jumped on the opportunity to move our global headquarters, and we are leading the charge in spreading the word about Innovation Crossing. The City of Boston is excited about our move too – it’s even branding 100 Summer Street with our name and logo in an awesomely unique way. We partnered with the owner of the building and the city to build a sculpture in the courtyard on the corner of Summer Street and High Street with our branding on it. This is really very cool. Boston is a very historical city – this kind of development isn’t taken lightly here. Boston’s support indicates its clear desire for more tech businesses in the area. A tech company influx into Innovation Crossing would be great for Bullhorn, great for Boston, and great for tech in general. Innovation Crossing is going to be amazing – mark my words. As Bullhorn grows, so do the areas around it. It’s a virtuous circle of growth all around....
      .....Bullhorn’s new headquarters at 100 Summer Street boasts 77,000 total square feet, an increase of 33,000 square feet over our previous space on Farnsworth Street. The space has two floors (connected by an open stairwell) and an open floor plan, which is designed to foster innovation, collaboration, and easy communication. GE will be taking over our former space at Farnsworth, and its CEO, Jeff Immelt, will be sitting in my old office, which is great. We’re passing the torch to an amazing organization. Hopefully, GE experiences the same explosive growth that we did while we were there.
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    • Logmein expanded in the Fort Point area by taking space across Summer Street in another Century old building that was renovated for them

      https://www.boston.com/jobs/jobs-news/2016/05/27/peek-logmein-fort-point-offices
      A peek inside the colorful, tactile Fort Point offices of LogMeIn
      The Internet company opened a second office across the street from its 320 Summer Street headquarters earlier this year.

      LogMeIn has more than 1000 employees in 9 offices around the world. –Ryan Breslin/Boston.com Staff
      By Justine Hofherr May 27, 2016

      When Boston-based Internet company LogMeIn expanded into a second office across the street from its 320 Summer Street headquarters earlier this year, leadership wanted to make sure the new building — a former textile mill — had a look and feel that represented the company’s dynamic culture.

      LogMeIn works with a lot of “intangible” products. It provides clients with software and cloud-based remote connectivity services for collaboration, IT management, and customer engagement.

      The way Paul Schauder, the company’s vice president of brand strategy, thinks about it, this means LogMeIn’s tangible office space had to be energetic, tactile, and vibrant to inspire the best work from its employees.

      “When you’re staring at a computer screen all day, you need respite,” Schauder said. To provide this, the new LogMeIn office features a half basketball court, fitness center, and a cafe staffed with two baristas.

      The office’s five floors, along with the mezzanine that overlooks the bottom floor, are also designed for collaboration. There are about 58 spaces where employees can break out into their own meetings. Some of these spaces are themed; a hunting lodge, a ’70s-style lounge, and a meditative area encompass one floor.

      Bright and colorful, the open floor plan also showcases large murals depicting LogMeIn’s global office locations, including San Francisco, London and Budapest, where the company was founded.

      As Dena Upton, the company’s vice president of people and talent, said, “The hope was that the building creates FOMO, or fear of missing out, so that people want to come.”
      EC2A4025-850x478$large.jpg
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So does all this mean that no one is interested in an Amazing view from 200 m above Boston??? -- stay tuned
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

bigpicture7 said:
Does anyone have a sense whether this site will have easier/more challenging foundation work compared to places like 1 Dalton or Copley where the cost-to-build is astronomical? I know they need to bear the expense of taking down the garage, but they've got high-end residential stuff that will help cover that. Just curious what the build complexity/cost of this office tower is on a relative scale.
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i was told by someone at the BRA that the abutter/s foundation/s (re; JFK Fed and possibly the MBTA) played into the final decision to scale back height on the resident tower. The office tower was scaled back after concerned neighborhood groups wanted a considerably smaller design. A compromise was reached to better suit the nimby (an illegitimate public interest).
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

The way you say nimby weirds me out
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

I have to wonder how much tax revenue, how many residences, how much office space the city has lost/continues to lose, when projects are scaled back, especially in areas where neighborhood groups, who sometimes seem to just protest projects to flex their political muscle, have no real legitimate gripe. Also, when land is so expensive and residential projects cut back, it just adds to the increased price of the condo or rental unit. It's almost a no win situation.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

No discernable progress from the outside (didn't have time to swing through the inside to take pics), but the sunset was particularly kind to everything concrete and ugly this evening:




I really can't imagine this looking any different...I'm all too happy to see demo begin.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

datadyne007 said:
Rebranded as Bulfinch Crossing. (I just threw up a little)
Unfortunately, we should update the thread title.
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I mean, it's not like the address of the residential tower was going to be One Congress. It's called the "Government Center Garage Project" colloquially - I'm not sure what they could have gone with for marketing that wouldn't have sounded silly.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

datadyne007 said:
Rebranded as Bulfinch Crossing. (I just threw up a little)
Unfortunately, we should update the thread title.
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As long as they don't change the design of the office tower they can call this whatever they want. I'd rather have that beautiful Pelli building at Poopy Square than a great name and a VE'ed tower.
 
Re: Congress Street Garage Development | West End

datadyne007 said:
Rebranded as Bulfinch Crossing. (I just threw up a little)
Unfortunately, we should update the thread title.
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I'm often the first to rail against silly marketing-contrived place and street names, but this one, to my ear, is fine. "Bulfinch" defines the location, and "Crossing" is fairly appropriate for what it will eventually become.

I'd rather say I live at Bulfinch Crossing than Government Center Garage Redevelopment Project Phase One.
 
'1 Congress' has always sounded best.

i'd keep '1 Congress' at the front of the thread name. :)
 
Why does the article state that the 486 unit building will be the tallest residential tower in the city?
 
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