Copley Place Expansion and Tower | Back Bay
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Czervik.Construction
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Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower
Sorry, for the continued derailment, but....
Don't even get me started on the old wood paneled Gucci store with the brass lettering over the door, back when Gucci was an old lady brand (where Louis Vuitton is today).
Sorry, for the continued derailment, but....
Don't even get me started on the old wood paneled Gucci store with the brass lettering over the door, back when Gucci was an old lady brand (where Louis Vuitton is today).
Brad Plaid
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Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower
The waterfall has to stay. It's a classic! Renovating the rest of the interior wouldn't be a loss but the waterfall has to stay just as it is.
The waterfall has to stay. It's a classic! Renovating the rest of the interior wouldn't be a loss but the waterfall has to stay just as it is.
dirtywater
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Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower
I was in Copley Place about a week ago and the waterfall was either not on or is no more. A fountain at the base was all that remained of the water feature, although the marble elements of the waterfall remain.
I was in Copley Place about a week ago and the waterfall was either not on or is no more. A fountain at the base was all that remained of the water feature, although the marble elements of the waterfall remain.
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Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower
I've never seen the waterfall work. I think it's permanently decommissioned. They should rip it out and convert the 3 elevators to seamless glass and activate/animate that atrium experience.
I've never seen the waterfall work. I think it's permanently decommissioned. They should rip it out and convert the 3 elevators to seamless glass and activate/animate that atrium experience.
Padre Mike
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Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower
The waterfall/fountain/sculpture worked well for a while, then the waterfall portion was turned off at least 10-15 years ago, while the fountain part burbled up the rock sculpture. In the meantime there was always a guard stationed in front of it (liability issues if someone drowned???) so I predict they'll get rid of it all and replace it with....retail space of some sort. Simon Malls (I think this is one of them) is famous for getting rid of anything that takes up potential rental/profit space, just as they've scattered senseless changing billboards throughout CP (for which I assume they're getting rent and which seem to refer to nothing in particular in the mall, unless I just don't have the aptitude for modern advertising). I also miss the neon "tunnel" effect over the back escalator going down to Dartmouth St. Replaced by...yay, televisions broadcasting drivel for those going up and down this passage. The sooner they redo the whole place the better.
The waterfall/fountain/sculpture worked well for a while, then the waterfall portion was turned off at least 10-15 years ago, while the fountain part burbled up the rock sculpture. In the meantime there was always a guard stationed in front of it (liability issues if someone drowned???) so I predict they'll get rid of it all and replace it with....retail space of some sort. Simon Malls (I think this is one of them) is famous for getting rid of anything that takes up potential rental/profit space, just as they've scattered senseless changing billboards throughout CP (for which I assume they're getting rent and which seem to refer to nothing in particular in the mall, unless I just don't have the aptitude for modern advertising). I also miss the neon "tunnel" effect over the back escalator going down to Dartmouth St. Replaced by...yay, televisions broadcasting drivel for those going up and down this passage. The sooner they redo the whole place the better.
HenryAlan
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Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower
Damn it, I never new about that place and always trekked over to Harvard Square for special periodicals offered at Out of Town News. Copley was much closer
Damn it, I never new about that place and always trekked over to Harvard Square for special periodicals offered at Out of Town News. Copley was much closer
Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower
So, 70,000 sf of new space of retail, restaurants, and atrium will be created.
There is indeed new retail that is not part of Neiman Marcus.
RED is new retail. (YELLOW is Neiman expansion)
Refer to the BCDC Presentation slides for additional renders and info: http://www.bostonredevelopmentautho...07-09-2013-bcdc-presentation-copley-expansion
So, 70,000 sf of new space of retail, restaurants, and atrium will be created.
AmericanFolkLegend
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Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower
Some inside info on why this project has been silent. Take it for what it's worth.
Simon was ready to go several years ago and took the design to ~90% CDs . Then the economy crashed and it got put on the side burner. Meanwhile new stretch code and an Administration later they are having to take $2M worth of design spend and redesign the project. But it's still a firm go.
Some inside info on why this project has been silent. Take it for what it's worth.
Simon was ready to go several years ago and took the design to ~90% CDs . Then the economy crashed and it got put on the side burner. Meanwhile new stretch code and an Administration later they are having to take $2M worth of design spend and redesign the project. But it's still a firm go.
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Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower
Holy crap, this was at 90% CD? It looked like it never left DD.
Holy crap, this was at 90% CD? It looked like it never left DD.
Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower
Can someone translate these new acronyms for me?
Can someone translate these new acronyms for me?
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Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower
SD = Schematic Design (Quick renders, massing, rough program/spatial relationships, establishment of scope)
DD = Design Development (More polished renders, presentation images, developed program. Plans, sections, elevations are taking shape)
CD = Construction and/or Contract Documents (Detailed plans, sections, elevations, details, schedules, specifications)
CA = Construction Administration (Comes after 100% CD and lasts through the construction of the building, including contractor questions, field visits, commissioning, etc)
The phases are often broken into percent of completion, like 90% DD, 30% CD, 60% CD, 90% CD for the purpose of cost estimating and to keep projects on track. At 90% CD, the building would have been close to completely designed (90% designed) including all the nitty gritty details, schedules, MEP, structural, etc.
Essentially what happened here is that a few years ago the tower was 90% designed and then got put on hold. When it came back, the program was shifted from condo to condo/apartment mix, as well as the massing/podium program changed, which requires them to redo a lot of the construction documents, as the ones they previously produced no longer applied. It is not going to be redesigned again or anything. This project is back and is staying in the form we've all been buzzing about for the past year. The project is silent right now because Elkus is doing new construction documents now that all the meetings (and thus DD) are over.
Can someone translate these new acronyms for me?
SD = Schematic Design (Quick renders, massing, rough program/spatial relationships, establishment of scope)
DD = Design Development (More polished renders, presentation images, developed program. Plans, sections, elevations are taking shape)
CD = Construction and/or Contract Documents (Detailed plans, sections, elevations, details, schedules, specifications)
CA = Construction Administration (Comes after 100% CD and lasts through the construction of the building, including contractor questions, field visits, commissioning, etc)
The phases are often broken into percent of completion, like 90% DD, 30% CD, 60% CD, 90% CD for the purpose of cost estimating and to keep projects on track. At 90% CD, the building would have been close to completely designed (90% designed) including all the nitty gritty details, schedules, MEP, structural, etc.
Essentially what happened here is that a few years ago the tower was 90% designed and then got put on hold. When it came back, the program was shifted from condo to condo/apartment mix, as well as the massing/podium program changed, which requires them to redo a lot of the construction documents, as the ones they previously produced no longer applied. It is not going to be redesigned again or anything. This project is back and is staying in the form we've all been buzzing about for the past year. The project is silent right now because Elkus is doing new construction documents now that all the meetings (and thus DD) are over.
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kz1000ps
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Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower
Stretch code I could google an answer for, but what's "an Administration" ?
Stretch code I could google an answer for, but what's "an Administration" ?
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Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower
MA added a stretch energy code (which is really the IECC) to the MA building code (which is really the IBC with amendments) appendices in 2009
See Appendix AA:
http://www.mass.gov/eopss/docs/dps/8th-edition/115-appendices.pdf
Edit: Quoted post was edited.
MA added a stretch energy code (which is really the IECC) to the MA building code (which is really the IBC with amendments) appendices in 2009
See Appendix AA:
http://www.mass.gov/eopss/docs/dps/8th-edition/115-appendices.pdf
Edit: Quoted post was edited.
SeamusMcFly
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Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower
They may have taken the arch. design to 90%, but MEP never got beyond SD back then.
They finished SD around Xmas last year, and DD should be done around now (was at 90% last month IIRC). Might officially be in the CD phase now for all I know. I don't work there anymore, but I'd put CD's 3-6 months out.
They may have taken the arch. design to 90%, but MEP never got beyond SD back then.
They finished SD around Xmas last year, and DD should be done around now (was at 90% last month IIRC). Might officially be in the CD phase now for all I know. I don't work there anymore, but I'd put CD's 3-6 months out.
SeamusMcFly
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Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower
Finishing DD typically means the design is at a 50% CD level (or it used to anyways). All major decisions 'should' be made, and major systems and components should be selected.
System mains are sized and in general are located. The detail side really picks up in the last 50%.
I'd put a building this size and complexity in the 18-24 month design schedule, without hiccups and opposition and market crashed getting in the way.
Of course it might take 2 years to design, but I could easily see a number of early release packages to get things rolling much quicker. Underground packages, structural packages, maybe a separate set of CD's for the podium.
Finishing DD typically means the design is at a 50% CD level (or it used to anyways). All major decisions 'should' be made, and major systems and components should be selected.
System mains are sized and in general are located. The detail side really picks up in the last 50%.
I'd put a building this size and complexity in the 18-24 month design schedule, without hiccups and opposition and market crashed getting in the way.
Of course it might take 2 years to design, but I could easily see a number of early release packages to get things rolling much quicker. Underground packages, structural packages, maybe a separate set of CD's for the podium.
dirtywater
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Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower
My understanding from news stories at the time of approval of the revised project last fall was that Simon did not plan to start construction until early 2015. The fact that nothing has happened yet should not be taken to mean that there is a problem or that they are in redesign.
Quote:
Some inside info on why this project has been silent. Take it for what it's worth.
Simon was ready to go several years ago and took the design to ~90% CDs . Then the economy crashed and it got put on the side burner. Meanwhile new stretch code and an Administration later they are having to take $2M worth of design spend and redesign the project. But it's still a firm go.
This is all gibberish to me... are they redesigning the tower? That's unfortunate
My understanding from news stories at the time of approval of the revised project last fall was that Simon did not plan to start construction until early 2015. The fact that nothing has happened yet should not be taken to mean that there is a problem or that they are in redesign.
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