Ink Block (Boston Herald) | 300 Harrison Avenue | South End

Re: Ink Block | Boston Herald Property Redevelopment

Am I missing something? Where are the renderings people have mentioned?
 
Re: South End Construction

Boston02124 said:
Is there a thread for this?
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These.
 
Re: Ink Block | Boston Herald Property Redevelopment

Not bad, but not amazing either. Too bad it's isolated from the city by two freeways. I'd love to see 30 square blocks of this in the Seaport instead of the random stump forest that exists there now...
 
Re: Ink Block | Boston Herald Property Redevelopment

czsz said:
Not bad, but not amazing either. Too bad it's isolated from the city by two freeways. I'd love to see 30 square blocks of this in the Seaport instead of the random stump forest that exists there now...
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That would be amazing!

Refer to sig quote:
 
Re: Ink Block | Boston Herald Property Redevelopment

Would also be great if the adjacent Pike parcel could be involved, too. But incredibly doubtful after the implosion of Columbus Place and stagnation of Yawkey/Fenway Center.
 
Re: Ink Block | Boston Herald Property Redevelopment

czsz said:
I'd love to see 30 square blocks of this in the Seaport instead of the random stump forest that exists there now...
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Don't want to get too far off topic, but it seems to me that the Seaport proposals moving through right now are, in fact, much more of the Ink Block (love this name by the way) type - Seaport Square, Pier 4, and the new proposals for the D Street corridor (done by same developers as Liberty Wharf) come to mind.
 
Re: Ink Block | Boston Herald Property Redevelopment

Shepard said:
Don't want to get too far off topic, but it seems to me that the Seaport proposals moving through right now are, in fact, much more of the Ink Block (love this name by the way) type - Seaport Square, Pier 4, and the new proposals for the D Street corridor (done by same developers as Liberty Wharf) come to mind.
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That was my reaction to the comment, too. I don't see a substantive difference between this proposal and what we are seeing in the Seaport. This is just on a smaller scale, but it's similar heights, similar footprints. Maybe it looks better because it's not surrounded by parking lots, and people are willing to overlook the emptiness created by the highways/interchanges. It wouldn't at all surprise me if much of the seaport looks like this in 15 to 20 years.
 
Re: Ink Block | Boston Herald Property Redevelopment

I know Seaport Square looks somewhat similar. It's unfortunate it's not being built on an even grander scale (imagine the neighborhood with a unified aesthetic like this; it may have at least vaguely lived up to its "new Back Bay" promises)...and that it seems to have hit a lot of snags. I mean, I'll believe anything good happening in the Seaport when I see it.
 
Re: Ink Block | Boston Herald Property Redevelopment

czsz said:
Not bad, but not amazing either. Too bad it's isolated from the city by two freeways. I'd love to see 30 square blocks of this in the Seaport instead of the random stump forest that exists there now...
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CZ-- if you look to the upper right in the birds-eye view you can see a patch in the midst of the ramps which will be built upon

This Ink Block and the Gateway and future redo of Dorchester Ave should be connected by relatiely low cost Pru-Copley-style Gerbil Tubes with moving walkways spaning the highways and rail lines
 
Re: Ink Block | Boston Herald Property Redevelopment

You. You astound me sometimes....

I kinda like the idea of it being an enclave, that when you find it, and how to get to it, and it's really cool..... it is now a destination.

Gerbil tubes and Jetson ways really sounds to me like the antithesis of a "neighborhood".
 
Re: Ink Block | Boston Herald Property Redevelopment

whighlander said:
CZ-- if you look to the upper right in the birds-eye view you can see a patch in the midst of the ramps which will be built upon
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That patch of grass in the middle of the interchange will only get developed when flying pigs descend to hell to go ice skating.
 
Re: Ink Block | Boston Herald Property Redevelopment

So before South Station Tower then?
 
Re: Ink Block | Boston Herald Property Redevelopment

whighlander said:
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CZ-- if you look to the upper right in the birds-eye view you can see a patch in the midst of the ramps which will be built upon

This Ink Block and the Gateway and future redo of Dorchester Ave should be connected by relatiely low cost Pru-Copley-style Gerbil Tubes with moving walkways spaning the highways and rail lines
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We are working with the City and State DOT to try to get the turnpike bridges for Washington and Harrison reworked as more pedestrian-friendly connections between the New York Streets area (Herald/Ink Block) and Chinatown/South Cove/Tufts Medical Center. The bridges do not carry a lot of vehicle traffic, so there is the opportunity to widen sidewalks, provide lighting (none now!) and install other pedestrian-friendly amenities to encourage foot traffic.

This is part of the Chinatown Master Plan 2010.
 
Re: Ink Block | Boston Herald Property Redevelopment

This South End Patch article does a great job summarizing the proposal.

A Guide to the 'Ink Block' Proposal at the Former Boston Herald Site

About 50 people turned out for the project’s first look and a public discussion, which was held by the Boston Redevelopment Authority at Project Place on Washington Street.

Below is a quick-hit list of everything that was covered. All quotes below came from Thursday’s meeting.

The Boston Redevelopment Authority is accepting public comments on the proposal until Friday, March 9 (scroll down to the bottom for more information). After that, National Development will bring the proposal before the authority’s board for approval.

● The players: National Development, a Newton-based real estate development firm, bought the former Boston Herald site five years ago and is behind the “Ink Block” proposal. The firm has an extensive portfolio of local projects, and Sherry Clancy is the firm’s project manager for the proposal. Architect David Manfredi, a South End resident from Elkus Manfredi Architects, designed the project.

● The site: The former site of the Boston Herald for more than 50 years, at 300 Harrison Ave., is 6.22 acres. It encompasses the entire block between Herald Street to the north, Albany Street to the east, Traveler Street to the south and Harrison Avenue to the west, except for three properties along Albany Street – an insurance agency, a taxi stand and the F.W. Webb building.

“The Herald has officially left the building,” Clancy said Thursday. “They moved out last Friday (Feb. 17).”

● Size and scope of the project: National Development’s plans call for the construction of three new buildings, which would all be between 70 and 100 feet high, and the reuse of the existing Boston Herald building, mainly for its foundation. The four buildings would be five, eight, eight and nine stories high and together would be nearly 550,000 square feet.

There would be 471 new residential units and a total of about 85,000 square feet of retail space, including a 30,000-square-foot space for a grocery store and multiple smaller, ground-floor spaces for retail and/or restaurants.

There would be 411 parking spaces on site, primarily in structured parking. There would be about half a parking space for each residential unit, Clancy said.

National Development’s proposal last spring only called for 262 residential units at the site. However, the city’s approval of the Harrison-Albany Corridor Strategic Plan in January allowed the firm to expand its proposal.

The project is expected to cost “hundreds of millions of dollars,” Ted Tye, a managing partner at National Development, recently told the Boston Globe.

● Timeframe: “In a perfect world, we’d start demolition in the fall,” Clancy said, “[and try] to start construction by the end of the year, or by the start of next year.” The project would most likely be built sequentially, she said, with a target date of 2016 for its entire completion.

● Whole Foods not likely: “We tried very hard to attract Whole Foods,” Clancy said to a resident’s question, “… but it’s probably not going to happen.” A grocery store like Stop & Shop is more likely, she said, as they’ve built a couple smaller, “urban” supermarkets in recent years. In general, residents said a grocery store is much needed in that area.

● Resident: Go big or go home: Practically all residents in attendance appeared to be overwhelmingly in favor of the project. However, Bill Moy, a longtime community activist in Chinatown, wasn’t sold on the current proposal.

He thought National Development should be putting more money into the project, such as buying and developing the other three properties in the block.

“Those businesses are going to be empty … and bums are going to come down there, and they’re going to live there, you know that,” he told Clancy. “… if you had bought [those properties], you really could’ve used your imagination.”

“This project as it exists today doesn’t fit what we need in this area,” he continued. “This should be an anchor site for the South End and for Chinatown, and you’re putting a suburban mall in an urban setting, and that’s not doing justice to this site and this area.”

● Public safety: “It’s a little bit of a frontier right now,” Clancy said of the area, “but we’re trying to bring that kind of neighborhood, that kind of presence, so that it will improve public safety.”

● Pedestrian access, streetscape: “We’re trying to create a ground floor that engages pedestrians,” Manfredi said.

● One hundred percent union labor: National Development plans to use 100 percent union labor to construct the project, according to Clancy.

● Affordable housing: All-required affordable housing would be on site, Clancy said.

● Public comments due Friday, March 9: Project Assistant Erico Lopez is the point person for the Boston Redevelopment Authority on the project, and, at Thursday’s meeting, he encouraged members of the public to submit letters with their thoughts on the project via email, erico.lopez.bra@cityofboston.gov, or to: Boston Redevelopment Authority, One City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA 02201. If you have any questions, Lopez can be reached at 617-918-4429. Letters can also be faxed to Lopez at 617-742-7783.
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Re: Ink Block | Boston Herald Property Redevelopment

What's this? South Enders actually support this project? Someone wishes it were DENSER?? Who are these people and what have they done with Bostonians?

'Ink Block' project receives warm welcome in the South End
Print | Comments (0) Posted by Patrick Rosso February 24, 2012 08:50 AM

By Patrick D. Rosso, Town Correspondent


Developers of the proposed “Ink Block" project, at the site of the Boston Herald’s former headquarters on Washington Street, received a generally warm reception at their meeting with the South End community Thursday night.

This is not the first time New England-based National Development has proposed a project for the site. In the spring, the group proposed a more scaled-down version but have since revamped the proposal adding more units and taking advantage of the new zoning in the neighborhood, which allows taller buildings.

“At this juncture we were encouraged to begin the project,” said Sherry Clancy, a project manager for National Development. “Now we feel it is the right time to move forward.”

The group has proposed demolishing portions of the Herald’s old building and replacing it with 85,000-square-feet of retail use and 463,900-square-feet of residential use.

The development would consist of 471 rental residential units, which will be lofts, one, two and three-bedrooms, along with space for retail use and a grocery store. The project also calls for 411 underground parking spaces and close to 60 at-grade spaces.

The first building would be a nine-story residential structure on Herald Street.

The second building would be a five-story residential structure facing Harrison Avenue with street-level retail, including a grocery store.

The third building would be an eight-story residential structure with street-level retail facing Harrison Avenue.

The fourth building would be an eight-story residential structure with street-level retail facing Traveler Street.

Project architect David Manfredi said developers are working to make every building unique.

“This is much more than a building, we are building an urban block,” said Manfredi. “We want each of these parts to be specifically distinct.”

Along with unique buildings, Clancy informed residents that the site will also have multimodal amenities, including a Zipcar station and possibly a Hubway site. Clancy also said the developers would be making public realm improvements, including widening sidewalks, planting trees and building a small pocket park on the site of the development.

Many of the 30 residents who packed the meeting room at Project Place Thursday expressed excitement for the development.

“I think it’s a big improvement,” said Alan Naylor, a South End resident. “I was just curious as far as the space [for the supermarket]. Is that adequate?”

The supermarket was a major point of excitement for residents who said it is needed in the neighborhood.

National Development has set aside close to 30,000-square-feet of space for a grocery store and although many in the meeting expressed a want to see a Whole Foods there, Clancy said they are in talks with a few chains but Whole Foods is not one of them.

While many at Thursday’s meeting seemed enthusiastic for the development, Bill Moy, a member of the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s Impact Advisory Committee, a group of residents and business owners working to review plans and raise neighborhood concerns, said the project doesn’t fit.

“That’s a suburban strip mall on an urban site,” said Moy. “This project as it exists today doesn’t do justice to the area. This should be an anchor site for the South End and Chinatown.” (ed -- is this one of you guys?)

Residents also suggested National Development add more shrubs and trees to the site to help hide the two-story parking structure in the center of the development, along installing solar trash cans and more bike racks.

The question of who would be doing the work was also raised by residents. Clancy did not specify if the people working on the site would be local residents but did say the group plans to use 100-percent union labor.

National Development, according to Clancy, would like to begin demolition of the current structure by fall 2012 with the construction of buildings one, two and three following the demolition.

Construction of the fourth building may be delayed until after the construction and occupancy of buildings one, two and three.

According to the Project Notification Form filed by National Development with the BRA, the group estimates that all the buildings could be completed and operating by 2016.

But before the groups break any ground on the site they must first receive a slew of approvals from the city.

Along with seeking BRA approval, developers also must obtain variances from the city for the ground water system and for parking. Developers must also receive the sign-off of the city’s Landmarks Commission because the development falls into the South End “protection area”, requiring review by the city agency.

The public comment period for the project ends March 9. Comments can be submitted via email to erico.lopez.bra@cityofboston.gov or through mail to the Boston Redevelopment Authority, One City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA 02201.
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Re: Ink Block | Boston Herald Property Redevelopment

Moy is a nut case. He keep yelling at the woman who is the develper "this is garbage, garbage". In all my years of going to meeting with wacky nimbys i've never seen some one as ingnorant or rude as him. By the way every thing in downtown Boston he built, "look at Millineum place, that's mine".
 
Re: Ink Block | Boston Herald Property Redevelopment

today
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Re: Ink Block | Boston Herald Property Redevelopment

Bos -- those pics seem to indicate that despite the fact that;
" The public comment period for the project ends March 9. Comments can be submitted via email to erico.lopez.bra@cityofboston.gov or through mail to the Boston Redevelopment Authority, One City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA 02201 "

well the developer seems to think that everything is gung ho!
 
Re: Ink Block | Boston Herald Property Redevelopment

Looks like those trucks are boring for groundwater wells and/or core samples. Preconstruction work, but nice to see progress.
 
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