Hurley Building Redevelopment | 19 Staniford St | West End

[Mike]

She sure hasn't articulated a big picture vision has she? All I see are small gimmicks so far. But I'll withhold full judgement until interest rates decrease to a more encouraging level for development.

But she did create the position "Nightlife Czar" : https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/04...s-is-mission-make-boston-vibrant-after-hours/

Walsh had one too iirc, it changed nothing lol

 

[Life Coach Mike]

As long as those god-awful bulging buildings are eliminated forever from the Hurley proposals.

 

[type001]

I’m just hear again to say tear them down now. For the minority of people clamoring about the architectural worth (which I understand and respect), go take your pictures now. The city is suffering as long as the landscraper sits there giving me the finger everyday I walk by it.

 

[bigpicture7]

I’m just hear again to say tear them down now. For the minority of people clamoring about the architectural worth (which I understand and respect), go take your pictures now. The city is suffering as long as the landscraper sits there giving me the finger everyday I walk by it.

I'm with you very much re: the presently wasted value of this parcel / landscraper giving us the finger /etc.

But just genuinely curious: would you oppose a facadectomy with skyscrapers sprouting out of the present footprint of this thing?

 

[Justbuildit]

My take is that it's a huge lot with tons of development potential. Why constrain what can be done with anything leftover? While urban renewal is bad, renewing the renewal is sweet comeuppance. Level the whole damn block and start anew.

 

[Longfellow]

I'm with you very much re: the presently wasted value of this parcel / landscraper giving us the finger /etc.

But just genuinely curious: would you oppose a facadectomy with skyscrapers sprouting out of the present footprint of this thing?

Logically yes this would be OK as long as it could be activated street level wise.

However I think there is a ton of value to be had in destroying the temples and monuments of urban renewalists. If they say, "well, what we did was bad, but at least we got these sick buildings out of it!" you haven't really made up for anything. Either it was worth destroying the city for or it wasn't. So let's take the chance to affirmatively say, it was bad. It's not the 60s, it's not the 80s... it's 2024. We have a lot more data now on what's Good and what's Bad.

 

[HenryAlan]

I'm with you very much re: the presently wasted value of this parcel / landscraper giving us the finger /etc.

But just genuinely curious: would you oppose a facadectomy with skyscrapers sprouting out of the present footprint of this thing?

I am a fan of these buildings in the abstract, but think they completely destroy the urban fabric in that location. A facadectomy is fine, so long as it makes the existing facade significantly more porous. The big issue to me is the way the buildings block natural pedestrian routes, forcing people to walk significantly out of their way. Fix that, and save the rest if possible, but there needs to be much better pedestrian (and bike) passage through the mega block.

 

[atlantaden]

On Oct 30th, 2019, the day this thread began, I posted,

Hopefully, this sucker will be bulldozed out of existence

I stand by my statement today!

 

[type001]

I'm with you very much re: the presently wasted value of this parcel / landscraper giving us the finger /etc.

But just genuinely curious: would you oppose a facadectomy with skyscrapers sprouting out of the present footprint of this thing?

Great question. I want to answer “No, with a long BUT”, but also any sort of compromise that leaves any of the outside facade standing is most likely going to look like some Frankenstein-y mismatch. Demolition seems like the safest bet.

EDIT: Then again, if they can do some sort of treatment a la the Middlesex Courthouse, that could work. My only gripe with the building as is is it’s location. If it existed in even the Longwood area, I would want it to be preserved

 

[dhawkins]

I think the state should shuffle some properties and re-purpose the entire Hurley and Lindemann as a new home for Suffolk Superior court house and Supreme Judicial Court that are currently located behind Center Plaza. Move the folks in the Lindemann to the Carney Hospital that Steward is closing in Dorchester (take it by eminent domain and force Steward to pay for the move!); renovate Hurley and Lindermann into a court house and the two buildings on Beacon Hill can be sold to a developer. A Beacon Hill property either land leased or sold would be a jackpot for the State! The tower court building could be the next middlesex court house tower type renovation!! Another bonus is the Hurley and Linermann shares the block with another Suffolk court house so they can share resources/ staff. And the signature brutalist architecture could be preserved to a certain extent and would be a perfect fit for the ominous government court building.