Foundation Medicine (Parcel P) | 400 Summer Street | Seaport

Equilibria

Equilibria

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www.bostonplans.org/documents/plann...tations/parcel-p-bcdc-presentation-2019-04-02

FitchburgLine posted this in the general Seaport Square thread, but this is now its own project.

Building looks nice, but it's missing both the performing arts center WS Development had promised for the site and the grocery store that had been here in master plan renderings. Both need to happen, and BPDA needs to push harder for them.

The indoor retail concourse is a new thing. Aspiring to an Apple Store sure is an interesting way to respond to recriminations about your project being elitist!
 
I think Adjmi does a great job and I actually adore the design here- but I'd rather see a project that includes the promised performing arts center and grocery store, even if a design accommodating the two is lesser.
 
Keep the steel/glass framing all the way around. The brick facade with the cornice tries too hard to mimic the Fort Point building fronts on Summer. Mimicry is never a good look.
 
Cladding looks fantastic.

Holy Crap; is the low-rise building to completely cover the E. Service Rd

and Haul Rd? This is incredible.
 
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The pedestrian connection between Congress and Summer is going to be fantastic. So annoying trying to walk in that area right now.
 
I think this is the one we've all been waiting for... the promenade will finally connect the windswept Convention Ctr to the water.
 
I also love how this + the sausage parcel development will now completely block the I-90 vent stacks from view as you walk down Congress or Summer from downtown. Its really hard to overstate how freaking enormous and urban-fabric-killing that vent building is.
 
South Station is close to here too but it felt far with an elevated road and parking lots everywhere. Its going to feel much closer. The stairs bring a connection from South Station to the rest of the neighborhood below Summer st as well.
 
Well, at least they drew in a buffered bike lane (though not a cycle track). Are they building it, or are they assuming the city will?

Same question about the Omni hotel, if anyone knows.
 
stevebikes said:
Well, at least they drew in a buffered bike lane (though not a cycle track). Are they building it, or are they assuming the city will?

Same question about the Omni hotel, if anyone knows.
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Not sure, but as long as we're talking about infrastructure, Congress should be dieted to 2 lanes on this stretch.
 
Equilibria said:
Last seen on AB as the architect of the building Gensler ripped off for Hub on Causeway...
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Ripped off is pretty harsh! I'd say, "Imitation is the highest form of flattery." ;)
And btw, I love this building, the stairway, as well as the podium of the Hub! Will the lobby, of this new building, be accessable to the public during business hours as a pass through? Doesn't seem it will be in the specs.
 
Equilibria said:
Building looks nice, but it's missing both the performing arts center WS Development had promised for the site and the grocery store that had been here in master plan renderings. Both need to happen, and BPDA needs to push harder for them.
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My first thought was maybe the lab space that Foundation Medicine would need would interfere with that. The bigger problem might be the rent a grocery store would be charged, might make it difficult to be viable. But yes I agree that the Seaport could use some.
 
Equilibria said:
Not sure, but as long as we're talking about infrastructure, Congress should be dieted to 2 lanes on this stretch.
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100x this. It goes from a perfectly normal street to a 6-7 lane car sewer for zero reason, right as lots of pedestrians are crossing from the Summer St steps.
 
jklo said:
The bigger problem might be the rent a grocery store would be charged, might make it difficult to be viable. But yes I agree that the Seaport could use some.
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Public goods (schools, fire stations, parks) and services for public needs (groceries, art space [potentially]) don't usually make much/any money, but they're necessary for a healthy neighborhood – which is why we need to require them in these ultra $$ developments, otherwise we'll never get them. (And we can't back down when they come back a year later trying to cut the public components out!)
 
34f34f said:
Public goods (schools, fire stations, parks) and services for public needs (groceries, art space [potentially]) don't usually make much/any money, but they're necessary for a healthy neighborhood – which is why we need to require them in these ultra $$ developments, otherwise we'll never get them. (And we can't back down when they come back a year later trying to cut the public components out!)
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I read an article recently about how developers/landlords are setting retail rents lower than they "could" get from a bank or something in order to attract the kind of retail that makes their residential units more valuable. On the whole, sacrificing a little money on retail rent nets them more revenue overall. The challenge is getting developers/landlords to apply that reasoning across the whole neighborhood. Essentially, we are asking someone to "take one for the team" which is not going to fly without a subsidy or some kind of compensation. When you have one master developer like at Assembly Row, the outcome is obviously much better.
 
fattony said:
I read an article recently about how developers/landlords are setting retail rents lower than they "could" get from a bank or something in order to attract the kind of retail that makes their residential units more valuable. On the whole, sacrificing a little money on retail rent nets them more revenue overall. The challenge is getting developers/landlords to apply that reasoning across the whole neighborhood. Essentially, we are asking someone to "take one for the team" which is not going to fly without a subsidy or some kind of compensation. When you have one master developer like at Assembly Row, the outcome is obviously much better.
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Yes, but this IS a master developer.
 
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