City Hall Plaza Revamp | Government Center

[FitchburgLine]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

It's still quite constructable- several buildings in the Seaport are directly over the Silver Line tunnel (which is wider than trolley tunnels), and the cost premium was small enough that both sites were developed before tunnel-free surface lots nearby.

 

[Hufer]

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.

Reminds me of what a dear Professor of mine used to say on urban design:
"When all options seemed to have run out, just plant trees"

really pathetic!!

 

[Beton Brut]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

"When all options seemed to have run out, just plant trees"

"A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect can only advise his clients to plant vines."

Someday, the City will realize the need to build something along Cambridge Street that's worthy of the location. Today is not that day...

 

[cadetcarl]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

I'm not mad at this. It's not groundbreaking landscape architecture, true. But I believe the city needs a central civic space like this one for (even rare) occasions of mass gathering. I loved it when Boston Calling was there, I loved watching World Cup games on the big screen. In fact I can see Boston Calling growing to two venues and coming back.

I think this retains the plaza's ability to host huge events while solving one of its biggest problems which is that it's either a desert or a tundra to traverse when there's nothing going on.

I will admit to my bias here; I like the building and don't want the plaza ever given over to private development; at most I'd like to see a new City Hall get built onsite but only if they keep the original for some other use.

 

[stick n move]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

Id like to see them sell off the bottom left corner for a 650’ tower. It could even hold jfk n other federal employees in new class A office space right at city hall. Jfk is beat up inside I could see them loving a new tower and benefit from consolidating federal/city/state workers from the various buildings into one tower. If they cant afford to build it they can just sell/lease the land with an agreement that they get to rent in it. It would be the same for the developer as leasing to anyone else plus it has an anchored tennant(s) prior to it being built which is crucial.

They really need a street through here too.

 

[SlothofDespond]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

Reminds me of what a dear Professor of mine used to say on urban design:
"When all options seemed to have run out, just plant trees"

really pathetic!!

The space in that picture would be fine if they knocked down City Hall.

 

[tobyjug]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

Band aid. Waste of money.

 

[Charlie_mta]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

Looks like weeds growing on a post-apocalyptic hellscape. LOL, just thought I'd say how I really feel. Really.

 

[chrisbrat]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

I'm not mad at this. It's not groundbreaking landscape architecture, true. But I believe the city needs a central civic space like this one for (even rare) occasions of mass gathering. I loved it when Boston Calling was there, I loved watching World Cup games on the big screen. In fact I can see Boston Calling growing to two venues and coming back.

I think this retains the plaza's ability to host huge events while solving one of its biggest problems which is that it's either a desert or a tundra to traverse when there's nothing going on.

I will admit to my bias here; I like the building and don't want the plaza ever given over to private development; at most I'd like to see a new City Hall get built onsite but only if they keep the original for some other use.

whether a fan or not, most would have to agree that city hall was at least daring -- had some balls, took some chances, pushed things into new territory. so much of boston architecture in the past 20ish years has been beyond bland. if only b/c it harkens to a time when the city (and, yes -- given that it's "city hall" you'd have to say "the city" here) was bold, brave then city hall should be appreciated.

that said, the plaza and boston's seeming inability to figure out how to fix it is idiotic.

look at plazas in madrid, rome, etc for inspiration. it can't just be a "plaza" in front of an imposing building and bordered by a street. successful plazas have: 1) entrance-points; 2) surrounding architecture; 3) retail/restauraunts/bars within that surrounding architecture.

encircle city hall plaza with low-level structures housing cafes, retail, restaurants, and people will have a reason to go there and to hang out there. it's not all that difficult to figure this out. trees are nice, but not the answer. if people went to places with trees to hang out then every bit of rural forest would be teeming with folks.

 

[type001]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

BORING!

 

[odurandina]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

Band aid. Waste of money.

Looks like weeds growing on a post-apocalyptic hellscape. LOL, just thought I'd say how I really feel. Really.

The space in that picture would be fine if they knocked down City Hall.

This is why i laugh every time i see this thread.

Id like to see them sell off the bottom left corner for a 650’ tower. It could even hold jfk n other federal employees in new class A office space right at city hall. Jfk is beat up inside I could see them loving a new tower and benefit from consolidating federal/city/state workers from the various buildings into one tower. If they cant afford to build it they can just sell/lease the land with an agreement that they get to rent in it.

They really need a street through here too....

Max FAA or nothing. i constantly think the obvious; that the search for an anchor tenant at 1 Congress starts with calling the City of Boston, State and FEDS!! Take down City Hall, State Services Building, the low sections of the JFK and O'Neill bldgs; You open what about 20~30 acres of land in Govt Center area? ......We can finally have a Downtown + West End that reflects the economic might of Boston--almost too much to dream a few years ago.

 

[tangent]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

On reflection, I think the plan for more trees is fine, but I would just have one row of trees on the city hall building side. That big area in the middle is meant for large gatherings and too many trees will get in the way.

Just need enough to obscure the ugly and unwelcoming ground level of City Hall. 1 Row of trees should do it and maybe grow some Boston Ivy up the side to make it "Ivy league" and make that big brick wall less like a big brick wall.


Other than that... sure go ahead... not sure how the math works on that, but go ahead and pretty it up.

Build a roof garden on top of city hall and that would be an awesome view.

 

[Kinopio]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

They really need a street through here too.

Oh hell no. We need to be removing streets in the city core and giving the space back to the people, not adding more streets. This space should be for the people of Boston, not suburbanites who insist on driving everywhere.

 

[odurandina]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

NO. i don't believe he's talking about streets with cars.

i thnk he's talking about a return to something more 'Scollay Square-ish.'

Changing Scollay and the West End to several humongous plaza's, walling off so much of it into prison-like sectors with these monoliths easily ranks as the worst mistake in history of Boston.

Adding 1 or 2 streets after the JFK plaza and City Hall come down (granted; a giant step in Boston's post urban renewal evolution) will allow for a vastly improved public realm and human scale that properly extends from the Historical/Market area, and would help whatever new construction properly connect to Beacon Hill, and the new, (finally) improving West End.

 

[Beton Brut]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

...grow some Boston Ivy up the side to make it "Ivy league" and make that big brick wall less like a big brick wall.

Been saying this since forever. Soften the brick, let it be a canvas rather than a wall. Generate the vibe of an "occupied ruin" to satisfy the postmodernist dystopians around these parts.

Build a roof garden on top of city hall and that would be an awesome view.

City Hall would make a great "viewing platform." IIRC, Antoine Predock's neo-brutalist Austin City Hall has a publicly accessible rooftop. And as I suggested when this plan was initially released, I'd 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.

Oh hell no.

They really need a street through here too.

Split the difference -- a pedestrian and cyclist only extension of Hanover Street, connecting Government Center to the North End.

 

[odurandina]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

Brut;

Let's kick the mule:

what is the proper engineering method to demo City Hall and the State Services Bldg?

 

[cca]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

Brut;

Let's kick the mule:

what is the proper engineering method to demo City Hall and the State Services Bldg?

Let every hater chip of one chunk each. Save on taxpayer money and give everyone who craps on this place a thing to put on their mantelpiece and tell their grandchildren about.

cca

 

[statler]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

^^ Only if they start at the bottom and move forward rather than up.

 

[statler]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

So CHP is surrounded by chain link fence and black netting. Are they starting this project or setting up for another event?

I assume it is construction because usually they forgo the netting if they are just setting up an event. Plus the fencing is put out pretty far toward Cambridge St, enclosing the benches/light poles things.

 

[stefal]

Re: Official City Hall Plaza Proposals

So CHP is surrounded by chain link fence and black netting. Are they starting this project or setting up for another event?

I assume it is construction because usually they forgo the netting if they are just setting up an event. Plus the fencing is put out pretty far toward Cambridge St, enclosing the benches/light poles things.

Just guessing, but HUBweek is in two/three weeks.