City Hall Plaza Revamp | Government Center

[statler]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

The Globe seems to be burying the lede here.

Boston Winter is canceled amid plans to renovate City Hall Plaza

Mayor Martin J. Walsh is moving forward with a $60 million plan to overhaul City Hall Plaza, but, city officials said, it will be at the expense of one of the headline events on the brick expanse — the Boston Winter festival.

The planned changes involve a complete redesign of the plaza, including plans for a seasonal fountain and tree-covered gathering spots — as well as the renovation of the North Side entrance of City Hall, which has been closed to the public for 17 years. The improvements also include infrastructure upgrades that could allow for event organizers to better tap into water, electricity, and data lines, allowing for the possibility of expanded activities.

[...]

The new design plans call for a more accessible plaza as well, and possibly a visitors center and gathering spots for groups.

[...]

Testing of the plaza’s infrastructure will begin in the fall and last through the winter and mostly be confined to the plaza’s north side.

But it will affect large scale events planned for that area, including, the city confirmed, Boston Winter, “as the city commences extensive destructive testing and prepares for construction in 2019.”

[...]

After putting out a request for a bid in December, the city has named the construction firm Skanska as the project manager, and is in final contract negotiations with Sasaki Architects for the final design and construction of the project.

Much of their suburban readership could care less about the plaza renovation .

Perhaps, but a $60 million complete gut renovation of City Hall Plaza is still big news.

Unfortunately The ship has sailed on any kind of meaningful fix for the plaza for the next three or more decades.

Granted, this will just be more lipstick on a pig, so while it's not the serious cosmic surgery it needs it does seems like a pretty extensive make over.

 

[stevebikes]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

Is there any potential future use for that tunnel? If not, why not fill it in if it's causing problems?

 

[statler]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

Well at least the UHUB story had a grainy picture of the renovation.

 

[stellarfun]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

The Globe now also has the photo of the verdant oasis.

A slightly less grainy image, not from the Globe.

 

[BronsonShore]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

For chrissakes, the fix for City Hall Plaza is both blindingly obvious and easy: human-scaled buildings on Cambridge street with ground floor retail that spills onto the plaza. Seriously, that's all it would take. There are ready-made examples of this all over the world, and leasing the land would even generate income for the city. Isn't there anyone in the BRA/Mayor's Office who can see this?

 

[tangent]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

The Globe now also has the photo of the verdant oasis.

A slightly less grainy image, not from the Globe.

Better... But what the trees in the image cover up (which is a good thing to cover up, but would be better to fix) is the giant brick wall where city hall interfaces the plaza... At this point maybe just plant some Boston ivy or something as a cheap fix (and some homage to Boston's "ivy league" status as well as proving summer green and fall foliage) or a more expensive cover-up would be a water wall in front of the brick, but would be better if the ground level of city hall lost its brick fortress walls altogether move those departments to more appropriate spaces in City Hall or around the city and create more open public/civic spaces on the ground floors

 

[statler]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

For chrissakes, the fix for City Hall Plaza is both blindingly obvious and easy: human-scaled buildings on Cambridge street with ground floor retail that spills onto the plaza. Seriously, that's all it would take. There are ready-made examples of this all over the world, and leasing the land would even generate income for the city. Isn't there anyone in the BRA/Mayor's Office who can see this?

I agree that this is what needs to be done, but I don't think it is all that easy.

First you have to sell/lease public open land to a private developer. You and I don't have a problem with that, but you can bet that there are many, many people who would.

Even if you were able to cross that hurdle you would still be building right on top of the Blue Line tunnel, which isn't a deal breaker but does add quite a bit of complexity and cost.

Like I said, we are probably 3+ decades away from any kind of real fix for City Hall Plaza.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

Is it just me or does $60M sound excessive for the work that this visual appears to implicate? I see lots of new trees, landscaping and street furniture enhancements, but no large structural changes to the plaza itself... Granted anything would be better than the status quo, but I would have thought that with $60M more could be accomplished.

 

[statler]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

Is it just me or does $60M sound excessive for the work that this visual appears to implicate? I see lots of new trees, landscaping and street furniture enhancements, but no large structural changes to the plaza itself... Granted anything would be better than the status quo, but I would have thought that with $60M more could be accomplished.

I am guessing that a big chunk on the money will go into this:

improvements also include infrastructure upgrades that could allow for event organizers to better tap into water, electricity, and data lines, allowing for the possibility of expanded activities

So that's a lot of plumbing, conduit work, etc...

 

[Reznor]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

Is it just me or does $60M sound excessive for the work that this visual appears to implicate? I see lots of new trees, landscaping and street furniture enhancements, but no large structural changes to the plaza itself... .

Many of those trees along Cambridge Street are already planted. And GC head house is opened... $60M sounds like a lot for this.

 

[datadyne007]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

I am guessing that a big chunk on the money will go into this:



So that's a lot of plumbing, conduit work, etc...

100% correct. Bringing utility hookups to the places they want is going to be a nightmare. The entire plaza is essentially a deck over the Green Line. Lots of coordination and unknowns to discover.

 

[Beton Brut]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

Is it just me or does $60M sound excessive for the work that this visual appears to implicate?

Possibly, but I think a lot of the work that gets done will be "invisible" - plumbing, electrical, and data connections, allowing the City to use (and monetize) the space better.

I agree with those who have suggested vines (and additional vegetation beyond trees). I'd also like to see the Plaza's improvements brought into the building's courtyard, utilizing this unique sculptural space for an array of smaller gatherings and events. Just make it green and welcoming, a brutalist riff on related spaces at the BPL and Gardner.

 

[Lrfox]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

The Northwest side of the plaza - toward the Federal Building and Cambridge St. should see some major improvement. I can't tell you how many times I see people thinking they can walk from the Washington Mall/Wax Museum area in a straight line toward the corner of Cambridge/New Sudbury only to be confronted by an L-shaped wall on what seems like an old foundation in the shape of a baseball infield (whit is that, by the way?).

So if nothing else, this should improve pedestrian flow through the plaza.

 

[statler]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

L-shaped wall on what seems like an old foundation in the shape of a baseball infield (whit is that, by the way?). .

An old fountain. I'll see if I can dig up pics

The water leaked into the T tunnels, so they shut it down and covered it up. Then during a concert or some event, they discovered that the deck they built over it was failing, so they filled the whole thing in.

 

[datadyne007]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

An old fountain. I'll see if I can dig up pics

 

[fattony]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

How about some shipping container retail along Cambridge Street? It is quick to go in, probably not too heavy for underground support structure, and can be cleared out quickly enough if there was ever a real development plan. The best feature would be that only small-scale, non-format retailers could use it.

 

[statler]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

^^ I'm onboard!

 

[tangent]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

I agree with those who have suggested vines (and additional vegetation beyond trees). I'd also like to see the Plaza's improvements brought into the building's courtyard, utilizing this unique sculptural space for an array of smaller gatherings and events. Just make it green and welcoming, a brutalist riff on related spaces at the BPL and Gardner.

Agree on improvements brought into the courtyard of the building. I think that is really the biggest disconnect between the Plaza and the building. There is a big brick walled ramp because of the elevation change from the Plaza to the level above the windowless ground floor offices. You have this central city hall civic building and all the ground floor offices are in a brick bunker.

Ultimately I think if you knock out all or most of those offices and relocate the offices then you get a more flexible first floor civic space which could be at ground level or at least deal with the elevation changes between exterior ground level and a better connected and more inviting civic space.

 

[atlantaden]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

But what about the official police and government cars that are randomly parked all around the plaza next to city hall? Will they be banished to proper parking spots? Will they be allowed to remain where they presently park, now in a shady spot? Hmmmmmm

 

[Beton Brut]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

^ Calls to mind one of my favorite BDP lyrics:

"The police department, is like a crew
It does whatever they want to do..."