Columbus Center: RIP | Back Bay

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This will cover the highway and increase property values for the neighborhood. These NIMBY'S are stupid.
 
Trinity is one of the interested parties, which sadly means we'll get some garbage from TAT.
 
datadyne007 said:
Trinity is one of the interested parties, which sadly means we'll get some garbage from TAT.
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Don't they have a 436' tower to build, pretty much next door? I don't understand why that one is taking so long and yet they're interested in another?

"A bird in the hand is better than 2 in the bush."
 
DZH22 said:
Don't they have a 436' tower to build, pretty much next door? I don't understand why that one is taking so long and yet they're interested in another?

"A bird in the hand is better than 2 in the bush."
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DZH -- to use a football analogy when you flood the zone the NIMBYs can't cover everyone and some receiver will be open for the long errr tall play ;)
 
Winn was not done in by the NIMBY's, but by a.) he, himself, not having enough skin in the game, and 2.) his financing drying up.

The Anglo-Irish bank was the leading lender.
That led to more loans to Pappas and others. Drumm struck up a partnership with National Development, one of the region’s largest commercial builders. “They were exceptionally responsive and had a quick turnaround on decision-making,’’ said Tom Alperin, chief executive of National. “David was very easy to relate to and very loyal.’’

That loyalty proved invaluable in the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Alperin was trying to close a $27 million loan to build a Marriott Hotel in the Charlestown Navy Yard. The attacks had brought much of American business to a halt — except the Anglo Irish loan.

“Given the impact on the hotel and tourism business, they easily could have withdrawn that loan,’’ Alperin said. “But they stayed with us.’’

Anglo Irish would later help fund the $300 million Mandarin Oriental, one of the last projects to be completed in Boston before the recession froze the commercial real estate sector.

Anglo Irish was also slated to be the primary construction lender for the now-defunct $800 million Columbus Center project in the Back Bay.
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http://www.siliconinvestor.com/readreplies.aspx?subjectid=51347&nonstock=False&msgid=26456607

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2015/10/12/anglo-irish-bank-banker-at-center-of-massive.html
 
stellarfun said:
Winn was not done in by the NIMBY's, but by a.) he, himself, not having enough skin in the game, and 2.) his financing drying up.

The Anglo-Irish bank was the leading lender.

http://www.siliconinvestor.com/readreplies.aspx?subjectid=51347&nonstock=False&msgid=26456607

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2015/10/12/anglo-irish-bank-banker-at-center-of-massive.html
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But if IIRC, NIMBYs were able to stall the project long enough for the economy to dry up, effectively playing a significant role in its demise.
 
KentXie said:
But if IIRC, NIMBYs were able to stall the project long enough for the economy to dry up, effectively playing a significant role in its demise.
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My recollection is that Winn kept on seeking additional direct/indirect funding from the state/city either in the form of grants, or givebacks (tax relief), -- the sort of thing Rifleman rails against.

IMO, Winn and Rosenthal are two peas from the same pod: little experience in developing big projects (both primarily small unit residential) and no deep pockets (leverage).

An assessment for why Columbus Center failed (from Winn's lawyer).
http://commonwealthmagazine.org/economy/016-the-lessons-of-the-failed-columbus-center-project/

The consequences of Winn's attempt to get state/local government backing.
https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/b...harged-with-making-illegal-campaign-donations
 
After observing the development process over the years in Boston. I can deal with tax breaks or incentives if they make sense for the development and Public.

The Liberty Mutual Project to me was a political hack job against the public. But at least Liberty Mutual kept the development architecture--- Backbay material.

I would love to see the garages in Boston knocked down. Harbor, Winthrop and Congress at this point.
 
BTW, dear Ned no longer lives across the street from this so he probably would have far less interest.
 
It would be awesome if Millennium Partners were interested in building at this site.

Unfortunately, they are not.
 
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If Millennium Partners was interested in building at this site you better believe that are going build the tallest they can. They don't strike me as a company that is interested in building over a highway. Their history is building in not so great areas and transforming those areas.
 
They proposed building over the Pike at Mass Ave and Boylston. I believe it was called Boylston Place or something.
 
DZH22 said:
Don't they have a 436' tower to build, pretty much next door? I don't understand why that one is taking so long and yet they're interested in another?
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What if you wait... While the Lion sleeps, you get 115 Fed, Harborfaro Tower, Parcel 15 and 1 Bromfield Streets permitted....

Then you bring the cranes for 380 Stewart, 40 Trinity, Copley Tower, Garden Garage, TD Garden 1 & 2, 1 Congress, and 50 New Sudbury.

In the aftermath of all the shock and awe, you ram the Eastie, Charlestown, Dudley Square, Columbus Ctr, Back Bay Station air rights projects through.
 
TallIsGood said:
They proposed building over the Pike at Mass Ave and Boylston. I believe it was called Boylston Place or something.
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Talk about dredging one up from the vaults:

http://www.fenwayaction.org/ctrd.html


If the collapse of that proposal in some way expedited/improved Millennium's redevelopment of the Combat Zone in the late 1990s into Ritz/AMC Loews, etc., then, maybe it was for the best they didn't have to spread their efforts on this ultimately doomed project as well?
 
odurandina said:
What if you wait... While the Lion sleeps, you get 115 Fed, Harborfaro Tower, Parcel 15 and 1 Bromfield Streets permitted....

Then you bring the cranes for 380 Stewart, 40 Trinity, Copley Tower, Garden Garage, TD Garden 1 & 2, 1 Congress, and 50 New Sudbury.

In the aftermath of all the shock and awe, you ram the Eastie, Charlestown, Dudley Square, Columbus Ctr, Back Bay Station air rights projects through.
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That's not how things work. That's not how any of this works.
 
TallIsGood said:
They proposed building over the Pike at Mass Ave and Boylston. I believe it was called Boylston Place or something.
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Boylston Square, possibly the most attractive tower ever designed by CBT:
boylstonsquare.gif


Nice one, Kent!
pzv5j7l.jpg
 
Probably because it had been buried for four months, during which time the new policy was created. I imagine there are many other threads that fall into this same situation.

Edited to add: That Ned Flaherty was really a master of the Gish Gallop on these boards.
 
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