Dorm Tower @ Berklee College of Music | 168 Mass Ave | Back Bay

[BostonUrbEx]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

On an unrelated note, I never saw it in the news that you are now required to be a hipster in order to attend Berklee.

 

[datadyne007]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

On an unrelated note, I never saw it in the news that you are now required to be a hipster in order to attend Berklee.

MassArt too, but isn't that like dead-obvious?

 

[briv]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

Does anybody know the real story behind this work stoppage? This is pretty nuts. I can't see one vendor holding up construction like this. The only other time I've seen something like this happen was when the developer went bankrupt mid-construction. Certainly Berkee hasn't gone bankrupt, but what the hell is going on?

 

[datadyne007]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

Does anybody know the real story behind this work stoppage? This is pretty nuts. I can't see one vendor holding up construction like this. The only other time I've seen something like this happen was when the developer went bankrupt mid-construction. Certainly Berkee hasn't gone bankrupt, but what the hell is going on?

I asked on Berklee's Facebook page and got no response. Perhaps someone should write to the Herald or Globe and queue them into some investigative reporting.

 

[kz1000ps]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

On an unrelated note, I never saw it in the news that you are now required to be a hipster in order to attend Berklee.

I know your comment is tongue in cheek, but I'd have to say there's no way Berklee is all hipster. Hipsters to me are people who listen to indie music, whether you're talking about punk and lo-fi or the more produced electronic dance and/or rock that is being called "alt" these days, while Berklee's makeup is rather short on them and long on prog/metal heads and jazz cats. Rather, I think what we're seeing is hipster fashion seep far beyond its original roots to the point where it's almost everywhere among city dwelling 18-34 year olds.

 

[JohnAKeith]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

Spend a day at Pavement coffee shop and then we can all talk about who goes to Berklee ...

 

[Coyote137]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

The term hipster is way over used, to the point of having become meaningless. It seems to mean "some young person I don't like" or "someone whose appearance is not painfully mainstream."

 

[kz1000ps]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

^ Agreed. Just like how "indie" music has become a completely meaningless term.

Spend a day at Pavement coffee shop and then we can all talk about who goes to Berklee ...

Attend Berklee for three semesters and then we can all talk about who goes to Berklee.

 

[JohnAKeith]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

As first-hand as you can get, a reporter I know for a respected newspaper talked with the construction team "on background" (at my request) and he confirmed the window company / bankruptcy story. The developer is having trouble finding a new company to pick up where they left off due to "liability" issues.

 

[bbfen]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

/\ Huh? **At your request** someone you won't name who either works for the Globe (idiots) or the Herald (hacks) spoke to someone that won't be named and confirmed something that maybe or maybe not resembles the truth? The developer is the Berklee school. Why would they be responsible to replace a sub?

 

[shmessy]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

/\ Huh? **At your request** someone you won't name who either works for the Globe (idiots) or the Herald (hacks) spoke to someone that won't be named and confirmed something that maybe or maybe not resembles the truth? The developer is the Berklee school. Why would they be responsible to replace a sub?

Wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?

John is a respected poster and local real estate professional. I appreciated his post. Alot of us would like to know what is delaying this building.

 

[kz1000ps]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

Coincidentally, this weekend I asked my friend who works in Berklee operations what's going on and all he said was "sorry but I'm under a gag order," to which I said I'm going to believe it's true and wonder what's with all the secrecy, and to that he just smiled. I didn't press any further.

 

[tobyjug]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

I have no personal knowledge of the issue. But I have done 25 years of construction litigation, so I'm making some guesses based on that and based on what was written above.

1) Berklee might be the "developer", but it isn't the general contractor.

2) The subcontractor may have had a financial failure, and/or is not being timely paid by the general contractor, and/or has done a faulty installation, and/ or has used faulty materials.

3) Berklee will make a claim on the performance and payment bonds (if it has been wise enough to require them), and if applicable, the manufacturers warranties, and no one will want to compromise claims against these sureties by jumping in and starting work on windows until the cause of the problem (see #2 above) is identified and agreed upon by as many parties as is possible.

Or something like that.

In other words, this is a typical construction project.

 

[jass]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

I have no personal knowledge of the issue. But I have done 25 years of construction litigation, so I'm making some guesses based on that and based on what was written above.

1) Berklee might be the "developer", but it isn't the general contractor.

2) The subcontractor may have had a financial failure, and/or is not being timely paid by the general contractor, and/or has done a faulty installation, and/ or has used faulty materials.

3) Berklee will make a claim on the performance and payment bonds (if it has been wise enough to require them), and if applicable, the manufacturers warranties, and no one will want to compromise claims against these sureties by jumping in and starting work on windows until the cause of the problem (see #2 above) is identified and agreed upon by as many parties as is possible.

Or something like that.

In other words, this is a typical construction project.

I was led to believe private sector projects are always on time and under budget?

 

[JohnAKeith]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

If you want the answer directly, call college spokesman Allen Bush at Berklee 617.747.2658.

 

[tobyjug]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

I was led to believe private sector projects are always on time and under budget?

Only the projects that don't involve human beings.

 

[AmericanFolkLegend]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

3) Berklee will make a claim on the performance and payment bonds (if it has been wise enough to require them), and if applicable, the manufacturers warranties, and no one will want to compromise claims against these sureties by jumping in and starting work on windows until the cause of the problem (see #2 above) is identified and agreed upon by as many parties as is possible.

Toby, in your experience, wouldn't it be strange for an owner not to require a P&P bond on a project of this size??
God, I hope Berklee did ...

 

[Roxxma]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

The term hipster is way over used, to the point of having become meaningless. It seems to mean "some young person I don't like" or "someone whose appearance is not painfully mainstream."

Humorist John Hodgman defines a Hipsterism as "gaining cache and social credibility though your taste".

 

[tobyjug]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

Toby, in your experience, wouldn't it be strange for an owner not to require a P&P bond on a project of this size??
God, I hope Berklee did ...

Sad to say I've had clients who didn't. What a nightmare. But you are right that it ought to have some form of surety.

 

[Coyote137]

Re: Berklee Expansion Plans

Humorist John Hodgman defines a Hipsterism as "gaining cache and social credibility though your taste".

Yes, I realize the (recent) origin of the term (as opposed to its 1940's/50's connotation), but that was more than a decade ago now, and the word has mutated in its actual usage.