Echelon Seaport | 133-135 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

[JeffDowntown]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

The rest of the seaport is having no problem filling retail spaces, and some of them are the companies first locations in Boston. Until I see a slowdown theres no reason to believe otherwise. The seaport is having no trouble filling in retail whatsoever. When the ritz was built DTX was still the warzone. Only within the last couple years has it become a decent location. The seaport is in very high demand right now.

Back in the 1960's the "brilliant" architects and planners thought that an outdoor shopping plaza at Prudential Center was a great idea in Boston. How little we learned.

 

[BosDevelop]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

The people in the Ritz Towers blocked some of the planned retail (restaurants) as too noisy.

Interesting. I lived in the immediate neighborhood from 1998 to 2002 when the Ritz was built and for a few years after and I don't recall any opposition. Regardless if restaurants would be too noisy, certainly other retail is not.

 

[stick n move]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

Back in the 1960's the "brilliant" architects and planners thought that an outdoor shopping plaza at Prudential Center was a great idea in Boston. How little we learned.

That was because it was a wind swepped island. Theres tons of outdoor shopping areas all over the city that are very successful.

 

[Mike1000]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

Does anyone have an update on this one? There's been no activity at the site since the slurry wall equipment arrived in October.

 

[fattony]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

Does anyone have an update on this one? There's been no activity at the site since the slurry wall equipment arrived in October.

Welcome Mike! Just a friendly reminder, as a matter of forum etiquette we don't bump a thread to ask if there is news. There is a sticky thread dedicated to asking for new news on any project.

 

[mdd]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

The buildings are in CD's right now I believe. Source: I have a friend at CBT actually working on the job.

 

[atlantaden]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

What does that mean, the building is in CD's? And arn't there multiple buildings in this development?

 

[datadyne007]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

What does that mean, the building is in CD's? And arn't there multiple buildings in this development?

Construction Documents.

Phases of Construction:
- Programming
- Schematic Design (SD) <-- PNF often happens here
- Design Development (DD) <-- PNF often happens here
- Construction Documents/Contract Documents (CD) <-- Begins once project is approved
- Bid Phase/Addenda
- Construction Administration (CA) <-- The building is constructed during this phase
- Project Closeout

 

[atlantaden]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

Thanks! Great news about this project!

 

[FK4]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

Welcome Mike! Just a friendly reminder, as a matter of forum etiquette we don't bump a thread to ask if there is news. There is a sticky thread dedicated to asking for new news on any project.

I'm going to come out here and say this isn't really one of those cases... for projects that are longshots and in the pre planning phases, that might be the case, but this is something that is about to start and when construction, or in this case pre construction, on a site stalls, I think it's perfectly reasonable to post in the thread itself, rather than the updates query sticky thread we have. Others may disagree. Just an opinion.

 

[stellarfun]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

I think a case in point with regard to starting and stopping is Harvard's science complex in Allston. Harvard spent many tens of millions constructing everything that was below grade, and then stopped, and basically hibernated the construction.

Harvard has started again with a revised design, and now they're back modifying the completed below-grade construction to fit the revised design.

 

[JANAM]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

Seaport TMA announcement today:

The Parcel M public parking lot (145 Seaport Boulevard, between B Street and East Service Road) will begin to wind down parking operations the week of January 30. During the week of the 30th, the northern section of the lot and the entrance along Seaport Blvd will close. Approximately 130 parking spaces will continue to be available for daily paid parking in the southern end of the parking lot (accessible from East Service Road) for another 30-45 days as site work begins for the development of three mixed-use towers containing approximately 700 housing units and 125,000 square feet of retail space.

 

[cjbski]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

Seaport TMA announcement today:

The Parcel M public parking lot (145 Seaport Boulevard, between B Street and East Service Road) will begin to wind down parking operations the week of January 30. During the week of the 30th, the northern section of the lot and the entrance along Seaport Blvd will close. Approximately 130 parking spaces will continue to be available for daily paid parking in the southern end of the parking lot (accessible from East Service Road) for another 30-45 days as site work begins for the development of three mixed-use towers containing approximately 700 housing units and 125,000 square feet of retail space.

YEAH BABY!!!!!!!!

 

[kenns15]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

perhaps this is the development that brings a real grocery store to the area? I don't think the CVS or that small italian market are going to cut it - thoughts?

 

[JeffDowntown]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

perhaps this is the development that brings a real grocery store to the area? I don't think the CVS or that small italian market are going to cut it - thoughts?

I don't think there is the residential density in the Seaport to support a real grocery store.
For comparison, the South End has probably 3 x the residential population of the Seaport, and it just recently got a real grocery store (Whole Foods Ink Block). (Used zip code 02118 as a proxy).

 

[SouthEnder88]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

I don't think there is the residential density in the Seaport to support a real grocery store.
For comparison, the South End has probably 3 x the residential population of the Seaport, and it just recently got a real grocery store (Whole Foods Ink Block). (Used zip code 02118 as a proxy).

We were doing just fine with Foodie's years before Whole Paycheck came

 

[BKNA]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

even if there was the residential density (supermarkets arent looking to lose money for a few years waiting for the residents to come), there hasnt been a building with big enough retail or the facilities to accommodate a grocery store.

the neighborhood (Fan Pier, Seaport Square, Pier 4) is 33% occupied (with an even lower percentage of residential occupied compared to final). Even with 50 Liberty, Block B and Block C, Block M, and the 2 remaining Pier 4 sites under construction, it will be between past 50 at 66% occupied. Most of the existing occupied is office, while all of the under construction is residential (except for 1 of the Pier 4 buildings) which is going to really change the make up of the area (for the better, IMO).

Residential density will come and perhaps there will be a grocery store in one of the under construction buildings, but in no way has it been an oversight that there isnt a grocery store in the area yet--it just hasnt been feasible for a number of reasons.

 

[DZH22]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

What about Fort Point? Aren't there people living there? I could see a centralized supermarket making sense, in a location such as the corner of Boston Wharf Road and Autumn Lane (across from PWC).

 

[West]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

Grocery store placement always trails residential density in a developing area. Every chain has a strict formula (or set of formulae) that they will not violate, because the profit margins are so thin to begin with, they literally can't survive if they go in too soon.

There are pretty widely different formulae; a Trader Joe's will go to a place a Hannafords would not, and vice versa.

I am not privy to any chain's formula and I don't know the resident count out there, but it sure doesn't seem like there's sufficient people there yet. The fact that no one's tried strongly suggests it's not there yet.

Does anyone know what sort of rent WF or TJ pays in some of their more urban locations? And how that compares to the rents property owners get for restaurant space in the seaport area? I'm guessing the grocery stores can't afford quite the rent that a top line restaurant can, but on the other hand, restaurants fail with depressing regularity, where as some grocery chains have great stamina. So if I were a developer with product coming on line with the right timing on residential density, and was getting real interest from WF or TJ's or Wegman's, I'd very seriously consider taking the lower rent in exchange for the probably more secure future. And lots of foot traffic too, if I had other retail adjacent.

 

[JeffDowntown]

Re: Seaport Parcels M1-M2 | Seaport Sq. | Seaport

We were doing just fine with Foodie's years before Whole Paycheck came

I used to shop there, but did not share your feeling about doing just fine.

I have not been back since Whole Foods and Roche Bros opened up.

A Foodie's scale store might be a decent stop-gap for Seaport/Fort Point though.