City Hall Plaza

sm89 said:
I thought the capacity of the plaza deck was 0 lbs. Did they fix that?
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That was only in one corner. And wasn't that supposedly fixed as part of an emergency repair just before the last Boston Calling?
 
mcus29 said:
Gotta look good for the Olympic bid.
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Based on the proposed scale of the The Polar Bar restaurant / bar -- I'd say its all about the money now in the Winter of 2014/2015 -- not really much connected with the Olympics in the Summer of 2024

The post https://www.facebook.com/WintersLanding says that the 20,000-square-foot full-service dining and drinking spot [full service menu] will have two floors of space with high ceilings [46 foot] and 360-degree glass walls, and it will overlook a new Olympic-sized skating rink at the plaza called Frozen Harbor. The Polar Bar will be open for brunch, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, with what is being called a "contemporary" menu.
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I was just thinking during the Olympic bidding process that it helps to have festive/eventful places like this. Since the bid was submitted yesterday I'm sure our city will be watched and judged till a decision is made. No?
 
City Hall Plaza skating rink idea is on ice
Plan needs permits, engineer’s analysis

It’s been billed as a winter playland: City Hall Plaza festooned with an Olympic-size ice skating rink — call it Frozen Harbor — and a two-story, glass-enclosed restaurant that would be known as Polar Bar. The wintertime playground is supposed to fill frigid, desolate months with something exciting on the dreary plaza.

Recently, an ad appeared on Craigslist, suggesting that plans are moving full steam ahead. A “busy grand opening,” the ad promises for Polar Bar.

Bartenders, servers, sous chefs, and hostesses — they’re all needed. Dishwashers must have at least two years’ experience in a fast-paced environment, and sous chefs must have mastered high-volume kitchens.

“These positions are all for immediate hire,’’ the ad says. A job fair is even scheduled.

But the mayor’s office says those promises are on thin ice. A slew of permits must still be secured and an engineer must certify that the plaza can support the weight of the rink. None of that has been done, the city says.

Kate Norton, spokeswoman for Mayor Martin J. Walsh, said he has consistently championed creative uses of City Hall Plaza. The city has hosted musicians, supported food trucks, invited residents to a Donna Summer-inspired roller disco party.

“We don’t have any news to report specifically about an ice rink,” Norton said. “But we will share information as it is available.”
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http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...office-says/kRQFa5OqSw9j2hWWxnUivN/story.html

Looks like the cart got ahead of the horse on this one.
 
Savin Hill said:
City Hall Plaza skating rink idea is on ice
Plan needs permits, engineer’s analysis



http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...office-says/kRQFa5OqSw9j2hWWxnUivN/story.html

Looks like the cart got ahead of the horse on this one.
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In this case, the horse hasn't even been born. The company I work for offered to put Anthem in touch with the structural engineer on the GC renovation project so they could review it (they would be able to verify the capacity of the plaza, as it's the station's roof), but no one returned the calls or e-mails, after they had originally reached out to us for help.

Next thing you know, Anthem is doing a media blitz hyping this thing they haven't got approval on at all.
 
datadyne007 said:
In this case, the horse hasn't even been born. The company I work for offered to put Anthem in touch with the structural engineer on the GC renovation project so they could review it (they would be able to verify the capacity of the plaza, as it's the station's roof), but no one returned the calls or e-mails, after they had originally reached out to us for help.

Next thing you know, Anthem is doing a media blitz hyping this thing they haven't got approval on at all.
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Data -- it sounds like more than a media blitz they've announced a openhouse job fair for the staff of the Polar Bar -- sounds like either someone set them up or they thought that they had an assurance that it would be ok'd
 
Savin Hill said:
City Hall Plaza skating rink idea is on ice
Plan needs permits, engineer’s analysis



http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...office-says/kRQFa5OqSw9j2hWWxnUivN/story.html

Looks like the cart got ahead of the horse on this one.
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When I was reading the thread and found out about the Skating rink Idea- I had two thoughts: Does the city need a skating rink at that location?- and after reading some of the links- the Rockefeller plaza image came up......

I quite frankly believe it is a weak idea and rather like to see a more bolt development taking place to finally reorganize the area once for all- instead of adding unnecessary & perhaps hollow retail enterprises competing with the already established business surrounding City plaza hall...
 
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rather like to see a more bolt development taking place
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You're not wrong, but that's not happening anytime in the short to medium future. If the option is to leave the plaza empty this winter or have a rink, I'm 100% pro rink.
 
Winter's Landing is Not Happening this Year After All
But it looks as though the project is now aiming for a 2015 fall/winter opening!


Last week, we learned (with high hopes) that Boston’s City Hall Plaza could be transformed into a winter wonderland this season. It was reported that the new Anthem Group venture and city centerpiece, dubbed Winter’s Landing, would include “The Polar Bar” restaurant and an Olympic-style ice rink. According to its Facebook page, it would also be a “centerpiece for entertainment, events and winter programming in the City of Boston.”

But alas, our hopes were dashed when we learned that the plans were "on ice,” as the Boston Globe put it. We soon noticed that the Craigslist ad seeking future employees for The Polar Bar restaurant had disappeared. In addition, the Globe reported that Winter’s Landing had not yet secured the necessary permits needed to go forward with the project.

[Update: Since publishing this story, an official source has informed us that all of the permits, site surveys, engineering reports, etc were indeed done, complete, in-hand, approved and finalized. Everything from a permitting and structural standpoint was fine.]

In short, there seemed to be serious questions about whether or not the ambitious project would materialize in time for this year's holiday season.

Now, we’ve learned from Chris Sinclair, president of The Anthem Group, that Winter’s Landing will most definitely not be happening this year. Sinclair told BostInno in an email today that:

“After much consideration, there was a mutual decision between both the Administration and Anthem to not proceed with Winter’s Landing for this season. The build out and setup completion was too close to the holidays to deliver the type of experience the residents and visitors of the City of Boston deserve.”

But don’t lose all hope just yet. Sinclair does state that they are “immediately looking at next fall/winter.” We’ll be sure to bring you additional information as we learn more about the upcoming 2015 Winter’s Landing project.

[Update: Chris Sinclair has since told BostInno in a follow-up email that:

“the reality is, this is just a complex project and its execution required a little bit more time than the clock allowed us for this year. It was going to be wonderful this season, but it will be better than imaginable in the future.” Sinclair also stated, “Winter's Landing had been an Anthem creation from over five years ago. We shaped it, built it, and expanded the vision to the finest detail. We then shared it with City Hall and worked with their staff on how to bring it to life. The proper time to pull it together is now. There is a great administration in City Hall, with diligent staff, a grand overall vision and there is a really exciting vibe around Boston in general. Never has there been a better time to bring something so innovative, world-class and desired by residents to Boston during the winter months. We are prepared to do just that.”]
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http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2014/12/07/plans-for-winters-landing-in-boston-on-city-hall-plaza/
 
From the Herald today:

Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s plans to reinvigorate Boston City Hall and City Hall Plaza took another step forward this week with a call for designers interested in creating a master plan and programming for the hulking concrete building and its vast, barren brick-and-concrete outdoor space.

The cost of the master plan is expected to run about $500,000. It follows the mayor’s informal request in March that went outside the design community and used a Twitter campaign to solicit the public’s suggestions for the redesign of the plaza and new potential uses.

Walsh announced plans to “re-envision” the plaza to make it a more inviting and attractive civic space for residents and visitors during this year’s State of the City address in January.

The master plan will identify areas for improvements at City Hall and the plaza, including possible public-private ventures, historic considerations and approaches for reuse, according to the solicitation issued by the city’s Public Facilities Department. It will look at existing conditions, including land use and zoning, and develop detailed cost estimates for the recommended work and programming.

“(The) vendor will coordinate with city representatives, other stake holders and (a) community advisory council on all aspects of project,” the advertisement states. “(The) scope of work will include a visioning exercise, identifying goals and objectives, best practices for municipal services and civic spaces as they relate to Boston City Hall and the plaza.”

Changes proposed for plaza improvements may be separated from City Hall improvements and expedited.

No one from City Hall was available yesterday to speak about the new request for designer qualifications, according to Walsh spokeswoman Bonnie McGilpin.

The plaza spans 200,000-plus square feet of open space in an L-shape that includes a stage on the north side. The city estimates its daily foot traffic at 20,000 to 30,000 people.

The city received about 30 formal ideas for the plaza from its March request that it’s continuing to review, McGilpin said. It had welcomed ideas including leasing options, design improvements and public-private partnerships.

It since has implemented a few ideas that were cost-efficient, including placing 40 Adirondack chairs on the plaza last week. An additional 20 tables and chairs will be added in the next few weeks for people to eat lunch or relax, McGilpin said.
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Nearly 5 acres of space for 40 Adirondack chairs. At least something got done after all these years of false starts.
 
statler said:
Uh, you know that they have had food trucks on CHP for a few years now, right?
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Or maybe they could do a circus tent? Or a fountain? I bet we are going to rehash many things that have already been done before.
 
Wow. My remark was pissy. Sorry. No more commenting as soon as I wake up.
 
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