Canopy by Hilton (née Haymarket Hotel) | Blackstone St | Parcel 9 | Greenway

Re: Parcel 9 - The Greenway

^ Дорогой длинною
 
Re: Parcel 9 - The Greenway

That's all Greek to me. I'll just let it be.
 
Re: Parcel 9 - The Greenway

Different Mary. ^
 
Re: Parcel 9 - The Greenway

Ah. But who was the wound producer and on what did he travel?
 
Re: Parcel 9 - The Greenway

So, just two years after the LAST time they tried this ..

You just HAVE to love this part:

Some Haymarket vendors, though, expressed concern ... [including] Joseph L. Matara, a 60-year-old who has been working in the market for 50 years, first with his late father, a co-founder and first president of the pushcart association.

?You know, we fought to be where we are for the past 50 years, and people have been arrested for not moving,? Matara said. ?And I can?t see moving once, because if you move us once, then you can move us all over the board, anywhere you want to put us.?
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Why, yes, how could we possibly make any changes.

If we listened to people like him, there'd still be blacksmiths in Blackstone Street.

MassDOT moves forward with plans for Greenway parcels
By Jeremy C. Fox, Town Correspondent, Boston.com

A state official says the fates of two long-debated parcels of land along the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway could soon be decided, with one occupied by state offices and another offered up to developers by the end of the summer.

At a May 25 community forum, Peter O?Connor, director of real estate and asset development for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, said the department is considering moving its offices into the upper floors of the building at the corner of Hanover and Blackstone streets, above the Haymarket MBTA station.

Sections of the upper floors contain a parking garage and a ventilation system for the Central Artery tunnel, but much of the building has been vacant since its construction during the Big Dig.

MassDOT has designated the first floor as the future site of a public market, though the agency is a month overdue in releasing the results of a consultant group?s study on the site.

O?Connor said moving its offices into the building would be a further step in MassDOT?s consolidation of the state agencies it replaced, including the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, MassHighways, the Registry of Motor Vehicles and other departments.

?We?ve been streamlining, we?ve been consolidating, and we?ve been shedding some of the space that we use,? O?Connor said, ?and the DOT has its eyes now on the upper floors of Parcel 7 for its own uses as office space.? O?Connor said the advisory committee overseeing planning for the sites had responded positively to the suggestion, as it had long been the assumption that those floors would be used as office space.

By early fall, the agency may be ready to request proposals on an adjacent site, known as Parcel 9, currently a vacant lot between the Kennedy Greenway and Blackstone Street. On each Friday and Saturday throughout the year, the Haymarket pushcart vendors sell produce, flowers, seafood and other goods on that site.

At Wednesday?s advisory committee meeting, members of the Haymarket Pushcart Association generally expressed support for an early concept design, first unveiled in February, calling for a building on the wedge-shaped site with a one-story ?bull nose? at the northern tip and a multi-story portion on the lower end, across Blackstone Street from the Millennium Boston Hotel.

For a fee that is yet to be determined, Haymarket vendors would be able to use stalls within the glassed-in tip of the building and possibly along the Blackstone Street side as well, allowing more comfortable year-round sales as well as the potential to sell for more than two days each week.

Additionally, the planners hope to install on Blackstone Street a permanent frame for retractable awnings to cover the vendors? tables, making it unnecessary for the vendors to provide and set up their own shelter each week.

Corky Powers, who said he had worked Blackstone Street for many years, was enthusiastic about the plan, despite early misgivings.

?I?m pretty excited about the possibilities, and I?ve got people pretty happy about what you?ve done already, just the infrastructure and the procedural stuff,? Powers said. ?All the things you?re talking about only are going to make this better. I think this could be a pretty exciting future for that area.?

Some Haymarket vendors, though, expressed concern about elements of the plan, including one concept sketch that showed the vendors adjacent the Blackstone Block relocated to make room for a fire lane. One was Joseph L. Matara, a 60-year-old who has been working in the market for 50 years, first with his late father, a co-founder and first president of the pushcart association.

?You know, we fought to be where we are for the past 50 years, and people have been arrested for not moving,? Matara said. ?And I can?t see moving once, because if you move us once, then you can move us all over the board, anywhere you want to put us.?

Ottavio Gallotto, current president of the pushcart association and a member of the advisory committee, assured Matara that MassDOT and the committee were working hand in hand with the vendors and that any relocation of vendor stalls would only improve their situation.

?We were not looking at this as hurting anybody. We?re looking to make things better for the pushcarts,? Gallotto said. ?Better, not worse.?

Gallotto said he had questions about some details of the plan that were yet to be worked out, but overall he saw it as adding amenities that would improve working conditions.

?From the pushcart vendors? perspective, this allows us to work in a way that hopefully brings us into a new era,? he said. ?We have electricity, we have restrooms, and we have the ability to work in a different manner.?

While there was consensus on its overall shape, the possible use for the upper floors of the Parcel 9 building is still up in the air, and will remain unknown until a developer presents an idea agreeable to MassDOT, the Boston Redevelopment Authority and other city agencies, and local residents.

Arthur Jemison, a consultant from GLC Development Resources, said a study found that using the upper floors for office space was unlikely to be financially feasible, though a residential use or a specialty retail use, such as a health club, could be profitable in the space. But pushcart vendors cautioned against introducing residential units to the site due to the noise and crowds generated by Haymarket.

Jemison said the planning team would work to ensure that the design and use of the building were compatible with Haymarket and other existing activity in the neighborhood. He also said any plan for the site would be subject to public review and might also require zoning board approval.

Committee member Daniel Nuzzo cautioned against setting guidelines for developing the parcel that were so strict no developer would be able to comply, saying he hoped to encourage creativity in dealing with the site?s complex set of challenges. And developer Walter ?Budge? Upton said it was important to have realistic expectations about what could be financed.

?As the proposals come in, I want people to be flexible about possibly accepting some new ideas, possibly accepting some ideas that may be disproportionately slightly different from what you?re seeing here,? Upton said. ?Because at the end of the day, it has to be financeable, and that means a certain return on equity. Not gangbuster profits necessarily, but a certain return on equity for the people who are going to invest here.?

O?Connor said there was enough consensus to move forward with drafting guidelines for potential developers, which will be posted in June on the agency?s website at http://www.mass.gov/dot/ for a 30-day comment period. After that, it should take only a short time to issue a request for proposals, which would likely remain open for 60 days.
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Email Jeremy C. Fox at jeremycfox@gmail.com
 
Re: Parcel 9 - The Greenway

I'd love to see the sell off the lot where all the police vehicles park -- its prime real estate on the boundary of the North End and right on the Greenway -- its also a large-enough lot to allow a fairly large building with the Cops parking in the basement
 
Re: Parcel 9 - The Greenway

Ta-da! Let's try this again. I love how Jeremy Fox writes this - even as a reporter he can't help implying how ridiculously difficult it will be to find a developer.

MassDOT seeks developer for parcel between Haymarket, Greenway

After a long public process and the abandonment of an earlier set of proposals, the state is once again seeking a developer for the parcel of land between Haymarket and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has issued a request for proposals for the long-term lease and development of the .67-acre lot, known as Parcel 9, and will accept proposals until March 9. The RFP states that the lease on the site could last up to 99 years.

In addition to MassDOT, proposals will be reviewed by the conservancy that oversees the greenway, the citizens advisory group established for this site and the adjacent Parcel 7, and relevant city, state, and federal authorities, including the Federal Highway Administration, the Massachusetts Historical Commission, and the Boston Redevelopment Authority, which will conduct a public review under Article 80 of the Zoning Code.

The wedge-shaped parcel is one of around 30 created by the Big Dig and is the former site of the southbound North Street off-ramp. For the process of examining potential uses, it was combined with Parcel 7, which already contains a building that includes a parking lot, entry point for the Haymarket MBTA station, and several floors of empty space that have remained undeveloped for years. A MassDOT official announced last May that the agency intended to move its offices into the upper floors.

The first floor of the Parcel 7 structure was designated as the site of a future public market, for which MassDOT is also seeking proposals, including plans that would offer a comprehensive scheme for both parcels or the entire Market District surrounding them. A BRA feasibility study described that district as extending from the southern end of the Bulfinch Triangle down to North Street, stretching west as far as City Hall Plaza and east to the North End commercial district.

While Parcel 7 already contains a building, Parcel 9 is an empty lot, and it will be a challenge to build any structure there. The first obstacle is the site itself: it has traffic tunnels running underneath that range from approximately 3 - 18 feet below the surface, according to the document released this week.

Additionally, officials have set development guidelines that include respecting the workings of Haymarket, which has operated at the site for about 180 years. That will mean building a new structure in a way that doesn’t disturb the operations of the market but also, when the building is complete, accepting a certain level of noise, trash, and commotion at the site each Friday and Saturday.

The state requires that the building’s first floor be used as retail space that will reinforce and complement — not compete with — the Haymarket vendors and expects it to help generate foot traffic to the Market District. The new building must provide public restrooms, trash and recycling space for Haymarket vendors, and at least 2,000 square feet of vendor storage within the first floor, and depending on its design, may need to include some retail space for vendors as well.

The state also requires that any new structure on the site “have a character appropriate to the surrounding urban areas, including building heights” and exterior walls that match up with those of nearby historic buildings but that the side facing the greenway not attract attention to itself but instead frame the park land attractively.

Under the city’s zoning code, the maximum building height at the site is 55 feet, though the RFP states that a developer could obtain community support for a greater height at the southern edge of the parcel by reducing the massing on the ground floor.

Any building on the site will also be required to meet the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, standards for certification. If the upper floors are used as residential space, it would also fall under Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s Inclusionary Development Policy requiring a number of affordable units equal to 15 percent of the market-rate units.

Potential developers must put up a $50,000 deposit to be considered, and the winner must deposit $100,000 upon selection.
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To view a PDF of the request for proposals, visit http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/InformationCenter/RealEstateAssetDevelopment.aspx.

Email Jeremy C. Fox at jeremycfox@gmail.com.
Follow Jeremy C. Fox on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow Downtown on Twitter: @DowntownUpdate.
 
Re: Parcel 9 - The Greenway

JohnAKeith said:
Ta-da! Let's try this again. I love how Jeremy Fox writes this - even as a reporter he can't help implying how ridiculously difficult it will be to find a developer.


To view a PDF of the request for proposals, visit http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/InformationCenter/RealEstateAssetDevelopment.aspx.
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John -- it does sound like a challenge -- but it could be an opportunity for someone who has a long-term perspective -- benefiting from the project as the Greenway fringes get redeveloped over the next decade

Particularly with a coherent proposal integrating the Parcel 7 structure with Parcel 9 and the existing Haymarket

The proper plan could enable an integrated market complex which Boston has been lacking:
1) permanent indoor year round market focused on locally produced processed foods -- e.g. cheese, beer, wine, meats, fresh fish, baked goods
2) an outdoor seasonal annex for farmers/processors -- tomatoes, apples, corn, cider, pumpkins, pies, cranberries
3) the traditional seasonal 2 day a week Haymarket for volume commercial produce -- pineapples, bananas, grapes, guavas, etc.
 
Re: Parcel 9 - The Greenway

Today (3/23/12) is the deadline for proposals for Parcel 9. The RFP can be downloaded from this page.

Other bidders who have been absent at MassDOT meetings on the Parcel may yet materialize, but these three bids are expected:

Upton + Partners: Nothing on their website.

DeNormandie Companies: Their website mentions Parcel 9, but the link to details is broken.

Boston Museum: Extensive information on http://bostonmuseum.org/ .

View01large_3.jpg
 
Re: Parcel 9 - The Greenway

underground said:
I think by "unfinished" he's talking about the general state of the parcel (which is unfinished), not the ramps themselves (which are completely finished).
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Parcel 9 getting active

While Googling for more on Juno at the MFA -- I came across a website devoted to museum publicity (who knew?))

Anyway -- there was another repeat of the stuff on Juno and then I saw this

BOSTON MUSEUM BIDS ON GREENWAY SITE
March 23, 2012 – 4:51 pmNo Comment
Museum Proposed for Big Dig “Parcel 9”

Boston, MA – The Boston Museum submitted a proposal today to build a striking new museum at the corner of Blackstone and North Streets, adjacent to the Rose Kennedy Greenway and along the Freedom Trail in downtown Boston. The Museum is planned to be a centerpiece among Boston’s attractions that will educate visitors and residents about Boston’s unique history and its impact on the region, the country, and the world......

The Museum proposal, submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, owner of the Big Dig “Parcel 9” site, also contains detailed plans for a ground floor public market which will provide modern, indoor space for many of the historic Haymarket pushcarts on their traditional market days.

“Our proposed Museum and market building, linking the city’s oldest block to its newest park, will enliven the Rose Kennedy Greenway and will generate substantial economic activity, civic pride, and increased awareness of Massachusetts’ rich historical assets.” says Frank Keefe, CEO of the Boston Museum. He adds, “Boston competes with Philadelphia, Washington, and many other American cities in the market for tourists who are interested in history. Almost every one of these cities has recently embarked upon a significant effort to build, renovate, or expand a history museum.”

...The Museum will celebrate the uniqueness of Boston and its environs through five interactive galleries on innovation, sports, politics, people, and growth. Visitors will travel via glass elevators up to the fifth-level Boston Gallery, where they will watch an introductory video, enjoy the panoramic view, and gather information for exploration of the city. As visitors descend to the lower floors, they can spend time in one or all of the Museum’s galleries before continuing on their visit to the Freedom Trail and other attractions. In addition to the five permanent galleries, a travelling exhibit gallery will provide an ever-changing array of informative and educational exhibits....

The Museum’s ground floor will be designed to feel like part of Boston’s Haymarket, with 20-foot ceilings and large garage-type doors that can be opened in mild weather to create a seamless flow of indoor/outdoor activity along Blackstone Street. Storage and waste disposal facilities for all Haymarket pushcart vendors will be provided, and awnings over the Blackstone Street sidewalk will provide shelter for many of the vendors who remain outside. On the days when Haymarket does not operate, the ground floor will host the Boston Community Marketplace, with vendors from Boston’s diverse ethnic communities selling grocery staples and other packaged foods, fresh foods, and traditional ready-to-eat items.

The 100,000 square-foot building will have a “green” roof and will be designed to achieve LEED certification for energy and environmental design. Designed by Cambridge Seven Associates, the building’s curved glass façade faces the Greenway, while its brick Blackstone Street side will fit in with its neighbors on the historic Blackstone Block. The building will step down in height from the North Street end to a one-story market pavilion near Hanover Street—permitting unobstructed views of the Blackstone Block historic buildings from the North End.

“The Boston Museum as a major part of the Rose Kennedy Greenway perfectly captures the spirit of how this new space is meant to serve Boston, as envisioned in the planning for the Greenway,” says Richard A. Dimino, President and CEO of A Better City. “In the near future, we will see the Greenway further knit the city together as it provides a place for everyone to enjoy a wonderful mixture of culture, civic uses, and open spaces.”

For more information and images about the Boston Museum and the Parcel 9 proposal, please visit www.bostonmuseum.org
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Here's the render
proposed-Boston-Museum.jpg


URL with more renders from various perspectives
http://www.bostonmuseum.org/handouts/boston_museum_images_web.pdf
 
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Re: Parcel 9 - The Greenway

Heh, top-down museums are becoming so common now. Thanks, FLW.


Also, urghhhhh... SketchUp cut section!! Eww. The building is great, but a lot of the representation really falls through.
 
Re: Parcel 9 - The Greenway

datadyne007 said:
Heh, top-down museums are becoming so common now. Thanks, FLW.


Also, urghhhhh... SketchUp cut section!! Eww. The building is great, but a lot of the representation really falls through.
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Data -- this is Cambridge7 --- "Planning for the aquarium began in 1962, with the principal designer being Peter Chermayeff of Cambridge Seven Associates "[from wiki -- Cambridge7 has been building top-down since at least 1962 -- that's 50 years

By now - I' presume that they knew how to do it the right way -- just think Giant Ocean Tank without the water and sharks
 
Re: Parcel 9 - The Greenway

whighlander said:
Data -- this is Cambridge7 --- "Planning for the aquarium began in 1962, with the principal designer being Peter Chermayeff of Cambridge Seven Associates "[from wiki -- Cambridge7 has been building top-down since at least 1962 -- that's 50 years

By now - I' presume that they knew how to do it the right way -- just think Giant Ocean Tank without the water and sharks
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The Guggenheim opened in 1959. That's what I was getting at.
 
Re: Parcel 9 - The Greenway

datadyne007 said:
The Guggenheim opened in 1959. That's what I was getting at.
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Data -- in any way -- 50 years to perfect the concept

But from reading their plan -- I think in this case it really is relevant --they take you to the top and show you a movie about Boston then raise the curtain and show you the city -- then as you descend you get the perspectives starting with the Glaciers and filling the Back Bay, etc which has led to the Boston of Today

Finally, you drop below the last Museum floor (2) and enter the functioning city itself through the Hay Market or the other days markets

I like both this one and the DeNormandie proposal for the glass canopy over Blackstone St.

In fact -- I think it would be great if the two proposals could hybridize as DeNormandie owns the property on the other other side of Blackstone St.
 
Re: Parcel 9 - The Greenway

I hope DeNormandie wins. The museum proposal is intriguing, but this area needs fewer landmarks seeking attention, not more. It also needs to be as much for Bostonians as it is for tourists. Market all the way.
 
Re: Parcel 9 - The Greenway

Don't dig the museum. Translucent childrens' blocks. A little too reticent as well... I'd rather pretend that the Chicago River turned green, and start from that premise.
 
Re: Parcel 9 - The Greenway

Does anyone have any images or links to substantial info re: the DeNormandie proposal? I can't seem to find any links that work.
 
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