Cambridge Crossing (NorthPoint) | East Cambridge/Charlestown | Cambridge/Boston

Re: NorthPoint Cambridge (The one that was train yards, the big plan.)

how much effort went into the design of the layout..... the buildings, planning?

it all seems generic, pedestrian, banal and random.

You could put the whole smash in Anaheim and i'd never know.
 
Re: NorthPoint Cambridge (The one that was train yards, the big plan.)

Equilibria said:
Are the drawings in those PDFs the same vague ones you remember? Also, I don't see anything on there for E and F... what have you seen?
Click to expand...

Hi, Equilibria,

At our last discussion with DivcoWest, A/B/C/D/E/F/G/H and U were to be something of a "Phase II" in terms of timing. I think that has eroded a bit, and they will opportunistically build if they have an interested tenant (although J-K is to suit). Also noteworthy: on current documents, E & F look like they will be combined to "E-F", like the current J-K. The last diagram I had of E and F were two buildings - the latter boxy and ~150' and the other a typewriter's footprint and about 170'. Both were ... unappealing. Given the look of G&H (below), W, J-K, and Q1, I suspect the old E/F designs are comically out of date.

Those studies in massing, materials contrast, and shadow for G & H are *much* newer than what I saw prior to these documents. Although still in pre-approval, those *appear* to be geared more toward a single tenant (moreso than J-K's mix, at least as of our last session).

Nice.
 
Re: NorthPoint Cambridge (The one that was train yards, the big plan.)

Apologies for the delay in posting images of the Great Disappearing Drumlin:

Wy1YgUPl.jpg

Going... (25 Sep)

EwZXFVPl.jpg

Going... (28 Sep)

M22ClGOl.jpg

Going... (29 Sep)

ZwlWkWel.jpg

Gone... (4 Oct)
 
Re: NorthPoint Cambridge (The one that was train yards, the big plan.)

Update from DivcoWest: paving of North First Street (nee East First Street) to begin next week!

I assume it will be near the interface with Route 28, between future Lots Q1 and R (see image) since the area between Lots I and W is still pretty rough...

RBCKaYll.jpg
 
Re: NorthPoint Cambridge (The one that was train yards, the big plan.)

ivyhedge said:
Update from DivcoWest: paving of North First Street (nee East First Street) to begin next week!

I assume it will be near the interface with Route 28, between future Lots Q1 and R (see image) since the area between Lots I and W is still pretty rough...

RBCKaYll.jpg
Click to expand...

Traffic flow there is going to be a mess until they get Lechmere Station relocated, since First Street needs to cut directly through the current station.
 
Re: NorthPoint Cambridge (The one that was train yards, the big plan.)

JeffDowntown said:
Traffic flow there is going to be a mess until they get Lechmere Station relocated, since First Street needs to cut directly through the current station.
Click to expand...

I believe that the First Street connection is not going to happen until the Lechmere Station relocates. Until then the new extension of First Street that is now being paved (site of the closed Lechmere parking lot) will probably just connect with Monsignor O'Brien. The connection to the rest of First Street will happen years later.
 
Re: NorthPoint Cambridge (The one that was train yards, the big plan.)

Tango said:
I believe that the First Street connection is not going to happen until the Lechmere Station relocates. Until then the new extension of First Street that is now being paved (site of the closed Lechmere parking lot) will probably just connect with Monsignor O'Brien. The connection to the rest of First Street will happen years later.
Click to expand...

Exactly. If the mbta drags its feet for ten years First Street and East/North First Street won't link for ten years.

I don't believe even the connection to O'Brien is needed anytime soon since everything large entering the site either happens at East Street (future Northpoint BLVD extension) or Child ST (future North ST). They're paving it 1) as a cap for their utility infrastructure work and 2) so that they have storage and access on plowable surfaces in winter when Lot JK's construction takes off (along with continued preparations for work at Q1 and W).
 
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Re: NorthPoint Cambridge (The one that was train yards, the big plan.)

Equilibria said:
Name change (timed conveniently to coincide with the Amazon bids)!
Click to expand...
Wouldn't they have to get it upzoned to fit Amazon? Right now, it is still too sparse and short hold all of Amazon.
 
Re: NorthPoint Cambridge (The one that was train yards, the big plan.)

Equilibria said:
"Cambridge Crossing | East Cambridge/Charlestown | Cambridge/Boston"
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What, no "Cambridge Landing"? Could've hit the Meaningless 2000s Boston Place Names Bingo.
 
Re: NorthPoint Cambridge (The one that was train yards, the big plan.)

Arlington said:
Wouldn't they have to get it upzoned to fit Amazon? Right now, it is still too sparse and short hold all of Amazon.
Click to expand...

Not all of it, but I suspect Curtatone's "Orange Line Campus" vision includes this site.
 
Re: NorthPoint Cambridge (The one that was train yards, the big plan.)

Current state of Cambridge Crossing following quite a bit refinement to the utilities beneath the Northpoint BLVD and North/East First Street extensions:

Ucug6rUh.jpg


DivCo West told me that the *site's* official groundbreaking is tonight. There are two tents for the proceedings: one for presentation and one for reception. As I type I'm being serenaded by an electric violin playing Top 40... (Note how they beautified part of First Street and the parking, in rear, on what remains of the MBTA lot.)

k9pd5Llh.jpg
 
Re: NorthPoint Cambridge (The one that was train yards, the big plan.)

From WCVB:

cambridge-crossing-rendering-1508422724.jpg
 
Re: NorthPoint Cambridge (The one that was train yards, the big plan.)

Equilibria said:
From WCVB:

cambridge-crossing-rendering-1508422724.jpg
Click to expand...

Thanks, Equilibria.

For perspective, that is looking roughly NNW.

Let's follow from the left to right, in a horseshoe pattern:

- The building on the far left frame is Lot T (Tango), then Lot S (Sierra)
- Next is Lot R, which is where the gala in my image (preceding Equilibria's posting) was held tonight.
- Behind that is the tiny Q1, followed by the long Q2 leading to Zinc.
- "Next" to Zinc, furthest out, is Lot A, then Lot B (both slated to be residential).
- The taller building just off center is Lot I, previously unseen until this afternoon (it was also in Equilibria's render, looking south, upthread).
- Just in front of Lot I are Lot W and sections of the park (south to that little bridge) that are being (re)built now.
- The monstrosity dominating the right side of the image is Lot JK, currently under construction (daily morning concrete pours).
 
Re: NorthPoint Cambridge (The one that was train yards, the big plan.)

JK is indeed a monstrosity if that is the final design. No excuse for such an overwhelming mechanical screen other than a lazy architect and a developer going really cheap and a design review board letting them get away with it.

North Point was a real opportunity for urban greatness but it will end up as squat superblocks in a park. Too much open space and far less dense than it should be.
 
Those renders look really good. This is yet another area being added to the city being built from scratch. So we lose nothing and gain everything, these are huge positives for the city. All of this lab space is a welcomed addition to the city, plus even more innovation space for more companies to relocate. Win win.
 
They get all the props for planting trees in the interior of the park, not just on the outer edges.

The idea that people might want to choose between sun and shade is too much for many landscape architects. This team gets it.
 
I think they could defs stuff Amazon in there. I think that HQ2 or whatever will be Boston or NYC, that's it.
 
Yea this would be a way better area for them than suffolk downs. Right on transit lines, and like a 5 minute ride to downtown. Also right next to downtown Cambridge as well, this is where they would want to be. All of this is going to be new build also and If they chose this site they could have a say in how it is built. I think this would be perfect for them, a new hq built from scratch right on the outskirts of the downtown of a major city. Not many cities of this magnitude have this type of space available either, where its available to build from scratch millions of sq ft. This isn't the seaport either, just because its another neighborhood being built from scratch, this area actually has transit and a vision. Its pretty cool that we are getting two brand new neighborhoods on both sides of downtown Boston. That doesn't happen everyday.

https://flic.kr/p/RKMcd1 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/139261813@N06/

HYM_NorthPoint_Aerial_FINAL+(Clean).jpg
 
Everything that's built in this metro area is short squat boxes.... its ridiculous
 
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