Kenmore Square North (WHOOP) | 533-541 Commonwealth Ave | Fenway

not everything we save needs to be noteworthy.

This is so true. In a way it can be even more important to save the “non noteworthy” things because thats the true fabric of a city, the noteworthy pieces are like the exclamation point. It is true not everything can be saved and change needs to happen, thats just reality, but theres a balance. I really want to see a shift toward building things today that will be worth saving later too. Not everything that is great needs to be old either. We can build things today that are better than what was there and things today that will also be worth saving one day.

Take the municipal building in Dudley sq, that is a newly built building that will be worth saving in the future. I know that not everything can be amazing, but not everything needs to be precast either, cant there be a balance? Theres empty lots everywhere I wish most of our focus was on filling in those before we demolish anything. One thing Ill never forget is when 315 on A st was built in fort point, an old brick building was demolished to build it... when there is literally an empty lot next door and acres of empty lots in every direction. Wtf is that. Its a nice building and it had to do with acquiring the lot, but come on. They could have built it 100 feet to the left and saved the old built fort point structure and filled in more parking lots vs just a 1 for 1 swap. Completely unacceptable and we have to do better. Recently we are, but we can still improve a lot.

This building was torn down to build 315 on A. Parking lots EVERYWHERE. What a joke. Ive never forgot about this. I think this may be peak idiocy that was reached before there was a shift towards filling in lots.
today
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I'm not contributing anything of development-related value; I just want to say to NM88 that I really appreciate the substance and style of your above post.

Thank you.
 
I'd imagine some rennovators supply type place would pay handsomly for those detailed copper bow window exteriors.
 
Of all the great projects in the area that are stalled, stuck or taking forever... becoming more myth and legend than forthcoming reality, this one is flying along, much to the chagrin of many here...
 
...and to top it all off, I've walked by the carcass several time since it was torn open, and it seems to be that the floor-to-ceiling heights really were pretty good. Exterior windows were larger than we gave them credit for, creating an illusion of short floor heights. Owners had their heart set on Class A office space, so saving this would have been costly. They should have thrown some boutique condos or small offices in the old portion, and built out an office building (perhaps even with a cantilevered jewel box over the old portion) around/above it.
 
Couldn't just give them height in exchange for preserving the facade.....
'because God forbid any views of the Citgo would have been reduced.
what a _______ joke. Stupid as ____ priorities..
 
-In all fairness, I love height. but you cant take away what the Citgo sign represents to Boston. Its Iconic. No matter what anyone here thinks, the vast majority of Bostonians and Outsiders wouldnt want the Citgo sign to go
 
-In all fairness, I love height. but you cant take away what the Citgo sign represents to Boston. Its Iconic. No matter what anyone here thinks, the vast majority of Bostonians and Outsiders wouldnt want the Citgo sign to go

I’m the furthest thing from a height fetishist but 20-30 floors was appropriate here and the Citgo sign is an embarrassment and a joke to people from outside of Boston. I feel badly for anyone with an emotional attachment to it. It’s nothing more than a billboard.
 

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