Kendall Common ( née Volpe Redevelopment) | Kendall Sq | Cambridge

"M.I.T. is hosting two public meetings on Thursday, February 16, to hear feedback re: its plans to redevelop the 14-acre Volpe transportation hub in Kendall Square."

http://boston.curbed.com/2017/2/10/14574298/mit-volpe-center-plans-kendall

Per Cambridge Day, the meetings will be held at noon and 5:30 pm. So, basically, anybody with a "normal 9-5 job" will have some difficulty making either.

It seems like if they truly want feedback from a representative sample of the public they should schedule the meetings at times when a representative sample of the public can attend. And I have no hard data to base this on, but I suspect that the segment of the population that does not spend their weekdays at work is more anti-development than the segment of the population that does...
 
Per Cambridge Day, the meetings will be held at noon and 5:30 pm. So, basically, anybody with a "normal 9-5 job" will have some difficulty making either.

It seems like if they truly want feedback from a representative sample of the public they should schedule the meetings at times when a representative sample of the public can attend. And I have no hard data to base this on, but I suspect that the segment of the population that does not spend their weekdays at work is more anti-development than the segment of the population that does...

The later of the two meetings was originally at 7:30PM. CambridgeDay states that it was moved due to snow in the forecast for Thursday night.
 
The later of the two meetings was originally at 7:30PM. CambridgeDay states that it was moved due to snow in the forecast for Thursday night.

They were originally scheduled for last Thursday, the 9th, and moved to this Thursday because of the snow. There is no snow in the forecast at any time this Thursday.
 
They were originally scheduled for last Thursday, the 9th, and moved to this Thursday because of the snow. There is no snow in the forecast at any time this Thursday.

Sorry, misread the article. In any case, the meeting was initially at 7:30.
 
Yes, that is exactly the plan. They keep stressing this endlessly in all the community meetings since everyone is scared about the impact of demo-ing Eastgate without a replacement.

Like everyone, i've never thought much of Eastgate. But, it does provide a considerable quantity of housing density. It sort of amazes me that MIT could build something as recently as the Late '60s that is so bad, that even if you gutted it, it couldn't be returned to service to an acceptable level of livability/servicabilty + passible LEED standards vs implosion and redo.

Is the tower's location also a problem?
 
Like everyone, i've never thought much of Eastgate. But, it does provide a considerable quantity of housing density. It sort of amazes me that MIT could build something as recently as the Late '60s that is so bad, that even if you gutted it, it couldn't be returned to service to an acceptable level of livability/servicabilty + passible LEED standards vs implosion and redo.

Is the tower's location also a problem?

If you think of Eastgate as a "considerable" level of density, the graduate housing MIT is proposing to build is even more dense. Eastgate is surrounded by a parking lot and a plaza with picnic tables.
 
Like everyone, i've never thought much of Eastgate. But, it does provide a considerable quantity of housing density. It sort of amazes me that MIT could build something as recently as the Late '60s that is so bad, that even if you gutted it, it couldn't be returned to service to an acceptable level of livability/servicabilty + passible LEED standards vs implosion and redo.

Is the tower's location also a problem?

My understanding about the refurbishment of many of the poured concrete Brutalist structures, is that the way the utilities and building systems are integrated into the concrete building structure makes them horribly impractical or at least very costly to retrofit.

It is my understanding that both the Harbor Towers and Boston City Hall have these same issues. (Brutalist experts, please chime in!)
 
If you think of Eastgate as a "considerable" level of density, the graduate housing MIT is proposing to build is even more dense. Eastgate is surrounded by a parking lot and a plaza with picnic tables.

They still easily could have chosen to build around Eastgate and probably get higher density...however, I think a factor in the decision was also to have a more active streetscape, and Eastgate's placement does not afford that.

I still think getting rid of Eastgate is dissapointing.
 
My understanding about the refurbishment of many of the poured concrete Brutalist structures, is that the way the utilities and building systems are integrated into the concrete building structure makes them horribly impractical or at least very costly to retrofit.

It is my understanding that both the Harbor Towers and Boston City Hall have these same issues. (Brutalist experts, please chime in!)

A couple of years ago, the residents of Boston’s Harbor Towers Condominium were hit with a $75.6 million special assessment—believed to be the highest ever in Boston—to cover the costs of repairing and replacing the heating and cooling systems of their two waterfront mid-rises. The one-time assessment, ranging from $70,000 to $400,000 per unit owner, led to a bitter political struggle and panic on the part of some residents who would likely have to sell their units to pay the huge bill, due in November of 2007.
https://cooperator.com/article/dealing-with-special-assessments
 
My understanding about the refurbishment of many of the poured concrete Brutalist structures, is that the way the utilities and building systems are integrated into the concrete building structure makes them horribly impractical or at least very costly to retrofit.

It is my understanding that both the Harbor Towers and Boston City Hall have these same issues. (Brutalist experts, please chime in!)

I don't know about Harbor Towers, but I do know that the plumbing, IT, and utility conduits (with the exception of some vestigial floor sockets in some departments -most have been deactivated over the years) at City Hall are all external to the concrete structure.
 
Retrofitting city hall would be a huge mistake. Itll cost a ton of money just to still be the same POS. When off some day in the future they finally address this it needs to be an all encompassing solution of the street grid, building itself, and public realm. Maybe even move it to a different location and then reconnect the streets snd sell the land.

This project though has been quoted as being the most valuable real estate development in America. Is this true?
 
"The height of each of the eight buildings would range from 135 feet to more than 500 feet."

More than 500' could be 501'! More than 500' could be taller than the Hancock! Probably closer to 501', but still, changing the game in Kendall! Hopefully the designs live up to the hype.

"Marsh estimated that facility could take between four to five years to plan and build. The eight residential and commercial buildings wouldn’t be built until the new federal facility is finished."

Timeline says.... This is still a long way away.
 
"The height of each of the eight buildings would range from 135 feet to more than 500 feet."

More than 500' could be 501'! More than 500' could be taller than the Hancock! Probably closer to 501', but still, changing the game in Kendall! Hopefully the designs live up to the hype.

"Marsh estimated that facility could take between four to five years to plan and build. The eight residential and commercial buildings wouldn’t be built until the new federal facility is finished."

Timeline says.... This is still a long way away.

That's a benefit of MIT, though... they can deal with long timescales. They won't go belly up or walk away.
 
This project though has been quoted as being the most valuable real estate development in America. Is this true?

Probably not. I mean ,Hudson Yards is bigger and more valuable. On the other hand, Kendall Square is one of the tightest markets in the country, after Midtown NY and SF/SV.
 

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