Fenway Center (One Kenmore) | Turnpike Parcel 7, Beacon Street | Fenway

[PaulC]

meeting tonight

I just got this email:

Dear Fenway/Kenmore Residents,

This is a reminder that there will be a MTA Air Rights Parcel 7 CAC Working Session to discuss the Fenway Center proposal tonight, 11/6, at 6:00 PM. The meeting will be held at the Boston Redevelopment Authority in Room 900. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to let me know.

 

[Boston02124]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

Todays Herald

 

[Arborway]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

Tell me that 1980s suburban office park trash in the foreground already exists, and only still exists because no one has the money to tear it down, and it is not in fact, a new proposal.

Yay for run-on sentences.

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

On one hand you have a giant open highway trench and on the other you have something taken from 128 and plopped in the middle of a city. Honestly I don't know which is worse.

Ok, the highway is worse. I'll take Copley Place over an open highway interchange any day.

 

[kz1000ps]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

Renderings like that make me yearn for the days of cheesy po-mo.

 

[tobyjug]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

Sorry. Been napping. Marriott opening a new hotel in Waltham?

 

[blade_bltz]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

LoL. A concerted effort to make the suburbanites feel right at home when they pull into town off the Pike (via 128 of course)

 

[ablarc]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

So this is what you get when a citizen committee plays architect.

Parturiunt montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.

 

[ablarc]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

Ok, the highway is worse. I'll take Copley Place over an open highway interchange any day.

It's also better than a parking lot.

 

[Boston02124]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

When this was 1st proposed it was 2-36 story towers,that brown building should be taller,and better designed!

 

[statler]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

And Ned Flaherty will use this to prove that you can build over the Pike if you follow 'the process' without ever realizing that 'the process' leads to results like this. Ugh.

 

[Bubbybu]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

I really don't think those renderings are that bad
none of them are anything special but from that vantage point all the buildings work well together
though with the brown building in the foreground...are some of those windows set back? I hope that is the case....

 

[statler]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

^^ You must love driving down 128.

 

[shiz02130]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

Does anyone know for sure that this is the actual design?

 

[Ron Newman]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

What does the Red Sox organization think of this proposal? It certainly does not look to me like something that enhances the ballpark milieu, especially if it's visible from inside the park.

I'd much rather see red brick to match the architecture of Bay State Road and Audubon Circle.

 

[atlrvr]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

Red Sox are equity partners in this deal, so I assume they don't strongly disapprove.

The foreground building reminds me somewhat of the Transportation Building on Stewart, not a compliment.

As far as was the process followed?

Are there any subsidies? I assume the MBTA is leasing this below fair market value and are contributing something to the Yawkey Way station.

Was this put out to open bid? Not really. Rosenthal already owned the adjacent deck, so it was forgone that he would be selected, and there were not competing bids.

Does this follow the Master Plan? Not sure.

Does this incorporate some UFP scrubbing technology that won't result in concentrated pollution spots? I'm going out on a limb here and saying no.

I can't speak for Ned, but this fails his "process" measure that he claimed were important. I expect he'll be lending his development expertise to the victims in Audobon Circle soon enough....wait...nevermind.

 

[JSic]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

Bleachhh, it looks like the O'Neal building. And this is somehow "better" than the original towers that were "too tall"...

 

[statler]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

I can't speak for Ned, but this fails his "process" measure that he claimed were important. I expect he'll be lending his development expertise to the victims in Audobon Circle soon enough....wait...nevermind.

I know, I know...better than a open gully, but I really wouldn't be overly heartbroken if this got sent back to the drawing board.

 

[KentXie]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

Oh dear god....Why is it the community approves ugly buildings like these and never the good ones.

 

[tobyjug]

Re: Fenway Center (One Kenmore, Mass Turnpike PARCEL 7)

^^^^Because democracy and good architecture are inimicable.