Hook Wharf | 400 Atlantic Ave | Downtown

Re: James Hook Burns Down on the Greenway

55' is a bit ridiculous. 200' is much more reasonable, and probably still shorter than the neighbors. If anything gets built here, I just beg it not be glassy and modern (or precast).
 
Re: James Hook Burns Down on the Greenway

How about a 450' sliver-building, and a re-constituted Hook on the pier?
 
Re: James Hook Burns Down on the Greenway

^ Nice concept.
 
Re: James Hook Burns Down on the Greenway

A smart designer may incorporate a "nautical gesture," like running the ground-plane of the pier up the tower's facade, as horizontal elements, to form a bris soleil. The spot is worthy of something iconic.
 
Re: James Hook Burns Down on the Greenway

4317875907_a1187a8903_b.jpg


What a sight

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Re: James Hook Burns Down on the Greenway

Is that last photo a BRA mock-up of what will be allowed under the new Greenway height rules?
 
Re: James Hook Burns Down on the Greenway

Good call, Toby. It'd be perfect for some of Boston's favorite homegrown retail businesses to sprout like fungi up and down the Rose Kennedy Lawn: Dunkin' Donuts, CVS, BoLoco or (think outside the box here, and imagine that little trailer spread out over a football field-size area) Staples.

[*Impressed sigh*] Man, with those BRA Einsteins you can never figure out which is more impressive: their knowledge of architecture/city planning, or their knowledge of economics.
 
Re: James Hook Burns Down on the Greenway

Probably will need it's own thread soon

The public presentation included no specific design proposals, but rather a discussion of the constraints and opportunities of the site. Unique to the site is four-sided exposure in a central location connecting the Greenway to the Seaport between the Northern Avenue Bridge and the Moakley Bridge. The Northern Avenue bridge is in the design stages to be replaced in the next five years.

The site is approximately 20,000 square feet. Connecting the Harborwalk pathways around the site was noted as a priority, perhaps under the two bridges. Manfredi characterized it as “under-utilized” in a “landmark” type location with open views on three sides.

Under the BRA-approved Greenway District Planning Study, the Hook Lobster parcel and adjacent 400 Atlantic Avenue (Coast Guard Building) have recommended height limits of 175 feet, consistent with the size of the nearby Rowes Wharf development.

Designers said they expect to have some type of development plan in the next six months. Temporary landscaping measures were requested by some committee members to make the site more attractive during the current interim process.

Please watch the video more information from the public presentation at the December 18, 2013 meeting.
Click to expand...

http://northendwaterfront.com/2013/...ue-site-as-part-of-development-project-video/
 
Re: James Hook Burns Down on the Greenway

I know James Hook was iconic and in the same location for ever, but I have to wonder if it might fit in better down by Harpoon, either on the parcel between the brewery and the pavillion, or on the old drydock (what's the story with that anyway?). It would be a great attraction, and pull more people to the very end of Northern Ave.
 
Re: James Hook Burns Down on the Greenway

Sorry if I'm missing something but was this property sold following the fire? There seems to have been some conversation about it three years ago but don't know if they sold?

Also, I saw the other day something about the re-routing of Northern Ave. Is this regular Northern Ave or "Old Northern Ave" or are they the same thing?
 
Time for a new thread in the development section. I'm sure there might be a name change latter.

Under the plan, the Hooks are proposing a building of undetermined size on the site at 436-440 Atlantic Ave. to house a “rustic” lobster restaurant on the ground floor. It is unclear whether the building would contain offices or apartments.

James and Al Hook, who attended the session on Wednesday, declined to speak to the panel. Manfredi said the brothers are a “little uncomfortable addressing you directly.”

William Zielinski, a principal at Boston developer SKW Partners, is partnering with the Hook family to develop the site. Zielinski could not be reached for comment
Click to expand...

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/real_estate/2013/12/plans-for-hook-lobster-site.html
 
Re: James Hook Burns Down on the Greenway

The Hook family still owns the property and is now partnering with SKW Partners. Previously they were partnered with the Beal Co.
 
Re: Hook Lobster

Isn't this a site that has a tricky foundation or some issue that would make building tall somewhat difficult/expensive? Like a wooden pier or something?

I obviously don't really know my stuff here, would be a great location to build though. Maybe some sort of cylindrical structure that adds to the international place towers.
 
Re: James Hook Burns Down on the Greenway

PaulC said:
Probably will need it's own thread soon



http://northendwaterfront.com/2013/...ue-site-as-part-of-development-project-video/
Click to expand...

Sounds as though the restoration / renovation of the Ole Northern Ave Bridge is the key to doing anything on this site.

But clearly the location is as Manfredi said both a challenge [ 60,000 sq ft of which 20,000 sq ft is on land] and an opportunity to do something special to tie the Greenway to the Innovation District and the Fort Point area

Very early -- But Very Very Intersting
 
Seeing as the current Downtown Waterfront Public Realm and Watersheet Activation Plan is currently up for completion I wondered if anyone had any comments about the development potential of the James Hook site (although I think the public comment period is over).

Form the BRA planning document here is the proposal for the Hook site (pages 20 and 21)
AEyO0C0.png


Proposals in the Activation plan
1) They are calling for reusing the Northern Ave Bridge as a vehicle street.
2) Looks like the old 200' height remains as the as-of-right.
3) Retail around four sides of the new building.
4) Putting the Harbourwalk below Congress St and Northern Ave.


They refer to a planned renovation of Northern Ave Bridge. I am not sure what this is in reference to, they make it sound imminent, but all I can see is this Globe reference to the BRA/city planning document. Obviously this doesn't include a likely funding mechanism so I question how legitimate a plan it is.

Perhaps this document was discussed somewhere else not his site, but I haven't found it.

I would not like to see car traffic return to the Northern Ave bridge. The current set-up is not bad, although the planters are stupidly wide considering the amount of per and bike traffic. If all the lanes were open this would not be a problem.

The main goal should be activation of either side. Completion of the Envoy Hotel will help and hopefully will include a good pedestrian design between it and the Barking Crab. Hopefully the whole Northern Ave stub to Sleeper St is severely closed off to car traffic, a bit like the back of Harbour Towers (no gates please).

Putting the Harbourwalk underneath the Hook site and Northern Ave bridge seems like a mistake. Although putting it under the Congress Bridge might be necessary. And how about a connection from the south side Harbourwalk at Independence Wharf to Congress St so you don't have to walk all the way down to Atlantic if you are planning to cross the bridge.

On height, I certainly don't have a problem with a reasonably high tower, although perhaps put it on a podium so it does not take the whole footprint. Given the small size I am presuming it will be a hotel or residences. Which I guess means another garage. (Given the prevalence for underground garages on the waterfront, I hope Google designs it's driverless cars to be more like this though).

I think Hook could be really great if they took the whole ground floor level and made a comprehensive seafood retail / market plus restaurant and cafe out of this.

Perhaps Northern Ave stub next to Hook/Coast Guard could become a public seating with tables plus bikeway and pedestrian access to bridge. Have Hook developers offer 5 garage spots to take away the parking from the Coast Guard.

I would be interested to hear other's thoughts.
 
Opening the bridge to vehicle traffic is a lousy idea. Think about what it would do to traffic on Atlantic Ave--presumably a light would be necessary, all of 150 feet further north from the preceding light. And this would be yet another intersection for pedestrians to cross. Lastly, having a pedestrian only bridge is quite a nice thing for pedestrians--can't we have nice things?

The only justification I can see for bringing back cars is so that federal transportation funding can be leveraged. Perhaps the likes of Vertex are also pushing for a more direct connection to Atlantic, but please, leave that bridge be.
 
Unless something has changed, the idea is to open the south side of the bridge to one-way traffic into the seaport district. A traffic light should not be necessary. The north side of the bridge would remain open only to pedestrians.
 
The schematic above suggests something has changed, and that they're planning for two way traffic. See also my post in the McCourt parcels thread--this should be a trolley and pedestrian bridge!
 
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