Landmark Ctr. Expansion Plans | Fenway

Tombstoner said:
I'm a fan of BB&B but I always marvel at how empty that place is most time outside of the holiday season. I was thinking that Target might sound the death knell for BB&B and maybe this is confirmation of that.
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BB&B is FAR from empty from about August 15 to September 15 when people start moving into their apartments/dorms and need numerous BB&B items.
 
^ That BB&B might be fueled by poor college students today, but there are several hundred new and expensive apartments coming online in the Fenway. I bet BB&B not only returns to Landmark, it makes a killing on the new Longwood workers and various other yuppies that flood into the Fenway.
 
Everything in the Landmark Center is geared specifically toward the college demographic - BB&B, Staples, REI, Best Buy (especially important now that the one on Newbury is gone), Blick, Regal... The whole place is a college powerhouse.
 
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underground said:
Don't forget the REI!
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I knew I was forgetting something. That store should pick up in business too with all the luxury housing going in the Fenway.

coleslaw said:
REI is in the original building and will not be affected.
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REI is not shown in the plans. Their current space has stairs and an elevator down to their little basement part that are not shown in the shell & core plans in the PNF.

I don't understand why they are using that "Existing to Remain" callout area because none of what they are showing currently exists in the actual Landmark Center besides the offices and atriums on the upper levels. Maybe they're just calling out the original building that way. From the looks of the plans, it looks like nothing that is currently inside the complex is safe.
 
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datadyne007 said:
REI is not shown in the plans. Their current space has stairs and an elevator down to their little basement part that are not shown in the shell & core plans in the PNF.

I don't understand why they are using that "Existing to Remain" callout area because none of what they are showing currently exists in the actual Landmark Center besides the offices and atriums on the upper levels. Maybe they're just calling out the original building that way. From the looks of the plans, it looks like nothing that is currently inside the complex is safe.
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I was confused about that too. As far as I know, the arcade doesnt extend to Brookline Ave, you have to walk through best buy
 
jass said:
I was confused about that too. As far as I know, the arcade doesnt extend to Brookline Ave, you have to walk through best buy
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Ah, I stewed over this at lunch and I happened to have a demo drawing PDF open that I had been working on which got me thinking. The ETR callout is simply saying "this is not being demo'd," but it is being gutted completely.

They seem to be removing the concourse level completely, as the escalators are gone and there are turnstiles around the elevators at the ground floor. Those office elevators don't serve the ground floor though (they end at the concourse), so this is going to be a major replacement job. The public will no longer be able to experience those stunning atria either, as the former concourse is now all retail.
 
From the PNF: said:
Historically, the Sears Roebuck and Company Mail Order Store has displayed the company name in 12 foot high letters on its tower and on corner-mounted blade signage. Bunting, banners, and surface mounted signage were also used to commemorate special events. The Proponent proposes to continue this tradition of monumental celebration signage for Project tenants and events. Refer to Figure 3.5 for examples of historic signage.
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I love massive architectural signage, I hope they follow through on this.


The MBTA side could be improved upon. With bikes and pedestrians on the community path it could be used for active retail. Just because there are not cars does not mean it can't function as a street. As designed its just the wall of the loading docks, although it does look like they are going to try to pretty it up a bit. Moving the loading docks in 20' or so would give space for small shops.

Otherwise I can't really find any fault in the project. I've never been a fan architecturally of Samuels' buildings, this one included (The Point is my one exception). However from an urban design context, his buildings outstride everything else, and that's what really matters. Fixing the issues with the existing Landmark Center (and the 10 mil restoration of the facade) is also a massive bonus.


The next mayor should just outsource the BRA to Sameuls.
 
It will be interesting to see if the renovation of Shaw's proceeds.

The new owners, a group of private equity firms led by Cerberus Capital Management, plan to remodel four to five stores every quarter. Renovation projects at stores in Dorchester, the Fenway, Belmont, and two locations in Cambridge should be finished this fall. A dozen underperforming stores are scheduled to close this summer. At that point, the chains will operate 157 supermarkets.
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http://www.bostonglobe.com/business...ck-shoppers/Cmr5kIrsoRm7tyONGAuGvJ/story.html

I also wonder if Whole foods going into the Ink Block will put Foodies on Washington St out of business.
 
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davem said:
The MBTA side could be improved upon. With bikes and pedestrians on the community path it could be used for active retail. Just because there are not cars does not mean it can't function as a street. As designed its just the wall of the loading docks, although it does look like they are going to try to pretty it up a bit. Moving the loading docks in 20' or so would give space for small shops.
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Definitely a second entrance on the other side with Park Dr. being such a speed trap. The summer I lived there the blinking yellow light on the bridge got pulverized twice by speeding cars. It's probably been deposited on the other side of the road 10 or 15 more times since. I hate that entire stretch of road from the bridge to Boylston. It's a typical ex-MDC pedestrian killing field with too many high-speed lanes and total nonsense signal timing.

Really like the greenspace renderings. "Gooseshit Park" there in the middle of the rotary only needs minimal TLC and reining in of surrounding MDC road batshittery to be a really nice space. It always baffled me there was never a ballfield or something there.
 
F-Line to Dudley said:
Definitely a second entrance on the other side with Park Dr. being such a speed trap. The summer I lived there the blinking yellow light on the bridge got pulverized twice by speeding cars. It's probably been deposited on the other side of the road 10 or 15 more times since. I hate that entire stretch of road from the bridge to Boylston. It's a typical ex-MDC pedestrian killing field with too many high-speed lanes and total nonsense signal timing.

Really like the greenspace renderings. "Gooseshit Park" there in the middle of the rotary only needs minimal TLC and reining in of surrounding MDC road batshittery to be a really nice space. It always baffled me there was never a ballfield or something there.
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I could never understand why there isn't an entrance by that ally at the other end of the platform. All it would take is putting a gate in the fence.

Sort of related, is that a DCR building at the corner of the Riverway and Park Drive? It always seemed like a perfect spot for a coffee shop or something. Or a real headhouse to Fenway. Or both.
 
I think all of ArchBoston should chip in on a Christmas gift for Samuels.

sidewalks said:
Samuels is brilliant...this is going to be fantastic. I have a feeling he will be borrowing from Eataly in New York...hopefully it will evoke the type of market feeling that exists in Europe.
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davem said:
I could never understand why there isn't an entrance by that ally at the other end of the platform. All it would take is putting a gate in the fence.

Sort of related, is that a DCR building at the corner of the Riverway and Park Drive? It always seemed like a perfect spot for a coffee shop or something. Or a real headhouse to Fenway. Or both.
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That's a DCR parks maintenance yard. Has a little fueling station in back for pickup trucks. Summertime you'll see a lot of lawn mowing equipment staged in there. Building's a neat little historic structure...think it's got an informational placard on it about its history.


They should definitely open a straight path onto the Emerald Necklace from the station and existing Fenway walking path. That's too logical not to happen. The T rarely uses that unpowered storage track unless it's staging for particularly major overnight track work in the subway like rail grinding or tie replacement, so a ped grade crossing of that thing is no big deal.

Outside the scope of the Landmark, but if they're improving that walkway they really need to take it across Miner St. all the way to Yawkey and Brookline Ave. so it's a true Emerald Necklace--Landmark Ctr.--ballpark--Kenmore gateway. That's a must-have for all the development going in on the windswept parking lots. Major ped/bike accessibility disconnect that needs to be filled in.


EDIT: If you mean the alley on the other side of the station, towards Medfield St...that's all private parking for the apartment buildings on that block. I know, because the big-ass brick 6-story right there used to be my building. That would not be appropriate at all for a public egress. Liability issues with drunk Sox fans worming their way around cars and building dumpsters or breaking onto rear patios. Egresses need to be on the Park, Landmark, and/or Necklace sides only.
 
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wow. i'm not super-familiar with this area, but i just realized how massive this parking garage is, and that it is the same as the one everybody walks past to get from the T stop to Fenway park. This is a big undertaking. hope it works out.
 
http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/Calendar/scheduledet.asp?EventID=3557

Landmark Center Project
Monday, October 28, 2013
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Division-Department: Economic Development - BRA
Description: The Project consists of the demolition of the existing freestanding garage and the development of a new mixed-use project integrated with the current historical building and is anticipated to include up to 550 residential units, 110,000 SF new retail use, 75,000 SF of grocery use, 15,000 SF of new office use, and 1,500 parking spaces in a subsurface garage.
Location: Landmark Center 10th floor, 401 Park Drive, Boston, MA 02228
Neighborhood: Fenway/Kenmore
Contact: John Fitzgerald at (617)918-4267
Email: John.Fitzgerald.BRA@cityofboston.gov
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http://www.bankerandtradesman.com/news157151.html

This came up in my google news feed. I was able to view a full copy but will refrain from posting based on the board policy.

Some highlights:
- Intends to incorporate Fenway station
- Cut-throughs to get to the various portions of the project
- 2.2 acres of parkland along Park Drive, Brookline Avenue and Fullerton Street
- Outdoor plaza at the corner of Fullerton and Brookline
- Renderings!
 
Wow, I thought there was only going to be one building built on the site - the glass one near the tracks. Really cool to see that there are plans for 3 buildings.
 
coleslaw said:
this actually looks really good to me i especially like how the green line station will be more visable. The green roofs should be pretty cool as well.
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I really, really hope they do more to the Fenway station than just adding a roof over the entrance. Based on that rendering it looks like they removed the Park Drive staircase and are forcing people to use the entrance in front of the current BB&B. That's a step in the wrong direction - they should be opening up access from both sides of Park Drive as well as extending the path from the Emerald Necklace into the station. This would form a complete link from the multi-use path to the Emerald Necklace.
 
I would think that the MBTA would not allow them to remove the access from Park Drive.
 
gyro said:
I would think that the MBTA would not allow them to remove the access from Park Drive.
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They got in trouble once for not hurrying up on the stair rebuild after they tore down the original rusted-out stairs. That was something like 2 years of having to use the ramp down the street.

Now, I wouldn't be opposed to claiming those stairs if the other side of Park Dr. got an egress. At least that's a net-gain. But no net-losses on accessibility, please.
 
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