DOT Parcels | 25-28 Kneeland Street | Chinatown

deh74 said:
I thought that we had determined that the FAA height limits in that area wouldn't allow for an 800 footer? I might be wrong though, I would love to see something like that here, preferably with at least a semi-decent street level activation though.
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From the massport map they really don't allow much at all- but that map is a guide, not official determination from FAA. We will see soon anyways.
 
Jouhou said:
From the massport map they really don't allow much at all- but that map is a guide, not official determination from FAA. We will see soon anyways.
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Even if it were a strict determination, the parcel would land somewhere in the 725'-750' range. Not the tallest in Boston but still good nonetheless.
 
Jouhou said:
From the massport map they really don't allow much at all- but that map is a guide, not official determination from FAA. We will see soon anyways.
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Don't get too excited. This may just be an announcement that they're seeking a developer.

...although, it has to be something fairly important to bring out both the Mayor and Governor in person.
 
My best guesses:

GE HQ, major housing initiative, or heliport.

Most likely? Something lame like a library for Chinatown.
 
meddlepal said:
My best guesses:

GE HQ, major housing initiative, or heliport.

Most likely? Something lame like a library for Chinatown.
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...or a school. I think if they were selling the site we'd have that party's name on the announcement. That would definitely be true with GE.

Another possibility is a larger program to jointly promote development at transit-accessible State and City-owned sites around Boston. They wouldn't bring out the big guns for just this site, but maybe they would for several.
 
MassDOT tweeted about the meeting this morning using the phrase "redevelopment partnership."
 
JANAM said:
Maybe this is an old FAA map but it looks like this site can only go to 325'?

https://www.massport.com/media/11778/BOS_COMPOSITE_Ver2pt0_dec201_small.pdf
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Yeah that's a much higher res version than the one I was looking at. The parcels are clearly on the 325' side of the yellow line there. Hopefully since the parcel is so close (I'd guess about 200 feet away) to the 700'+ zone the FAA will allow it. On the other hand it's equally as close to the take off path for runway 9/27, so probably not that likely..
 
Seems that most of those sites would be a real bitch to build on. Tunnels would complicate foundations. Soft soggy fill that complicated the big dig and required the frozen slurry walls. Maybe some additional air rights work to get good access with all of those ramps. Without some serious height/square footage, these will be a tough go economically.
 
Remember, Copley Place was built on this:
images

2734768_orig.jpg
 
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business...redeveloped/ms7v57KBw7j7rxSuO9I5pO/story.html

Boston Globe said:
A prime piece of state-owned land, at the southern entrance to downtown Boston, is going on the market.

Gov. Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh said Tuesday they are seeking developers for a 5.5-acre site along Kneeland Street near South Station that’s now home to the Veolia North America steam plant and an office building for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.


It’s the highest-profile parcel yet to be marketed in a new push by the Baker Administration to put state-owned land into the hands of private developers, to build housing and job-creating activities. The Kneeland Street site, they say, could house 1.5 million to 2 million square feet of new development, which would make it among the biggest projects in Boston’s current building boom.

First though, officials will canvas neighbors and community groups to see they want at the site. Public input sessions will begin in March to design “a broad set of goals,” a state spokesman said, which could include housing, commercial space or open space. After that, the state will issue a request for proposals, and eventually select a developer.

Veolia is partnering in the project, and any development would need to include “a scaled-down version” of the steam plant, state officials said. The nearly century-old plant helps to heat and cool many buildings in downtown Boston. MassDOT’s District 6 headquarters would either be relocated or replaced in the project.

The chance to redevelop such a big parcel downtown, alongside an offramp from the Southeast Expressway and one block from South Station, will likely attract a number of big-name developers.
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Gotta give Baker credit for his comments about State & City-owned "assets" not really being an asset when they are just "open space, tall grass, beer cans, and burned out automobiles" and that he would rather see affordable housing & TOD on these sites. "This will not be the last."
 
Won't even go out to bid until they canvas all the neighborhoods to see "what they want" - housing, commercial, open space ... yikes.
 
Shepard said:
Won't even go out to bid until they canvas all the neighborhoods to see "what they want" - housing, commercial, open space ... yikes.
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....it's already open space!
 
Jouhou said:
....it's already open space!
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Baker openly criticized State assets being "open space," so whatever is developed there won't be open space. The Globe story came out before the press conference even happened.
 
Veolia is partnering in the project, and any development would need to include “a scaled-down version” of the steam plant, state officials said. The nearly century-old plant helps to heat and cool many buildings in downtown Boston. MassDOT’s District 6 headquarters would either be relocated or replaced in the project.
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Uh, Charlie... you do realize you just pumped a lot of money into the D6 building, it's lovely now, and it's tall enough and of a small-enough footprint to remain on the site, right? I hope you noticed that when you held a press conference there.
 
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