Liberty Mutual Tower | 157 Berkeley Street | Back Bay

Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

Arborway said:
"Couldn't care less"

Sorry, but that's just something that irks me without fail.
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Sorry if I offended you. What I meant to say was I'm not a big advocate of the casting shadows over parks for a couple of hours theory.
My theory is every building built in the city will cast shadows.

I'm not saying the studies should not be presented in every development and looked at very carefully.

And yes I don't think a 1,000 ft tower would be a good idea over the Common casting a permanent shadow for the half the day.

Sorry for the carless. I should have chosen my words carefully
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

While the City of Boston does more studies, Liberty Mutual will expand in New Hampshire.

Maybe Boston should pass a bylaw that no company can build if its CEO earns more than $1 million dollars!
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

"Kairos Shen, the city?s chief planner, said that the BRA neither ignored the recommendations of the Stuart Street study nor shortened its review to benefit Liberty Mutual. He said the BRA used the study?s proposed zoning guidelines by requiring that Liberty Mutual provide public benefits in exchange for a taller building. Those benefits, he said, include the preservation of the Salada building, as well as the planned park, and other street-level improvements.

?This is going to generate a major improvement to the activity levels on Berkeley Street and Columbus Avenue,?? he said, adding that the building will not violate the shadow law because its shadows will not be longer than those cast by other buildings allowed under city rules"

You gotta wonder if Karios Shen actually believes his own bullshit anymore. This guy is such a hypocrite.

So shadows only matter around the Greenway but are justified on the common. LOL
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

It's a wonder nobody has caught on yet. The Aquarium tower also provided public benefits by eliminating an eyesore, opening the RFKG to the waterfront, and improve the Aquarium.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

TheRifleman said:
Sorry for the carless. I should have chosen my words carefully
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You've gone from caring too much to not owning a car.

Make up your mind sir.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

Shadows would hit the Common if the sun sets beyond Miami, and if that happens we don't have to worry about the Common.

Looking at Google maps, it is over 300 feet from St. James Ave (at the NE corner of the site) to the SE corner of the Common.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

Kairos Shen, the city?s chief planner, said that the BRA neither ignored the recommendations of the Stuart Street study nor shortened its review to benefit Liberty Mutual. He said the BRA used the study?s proposed zoning guidelines by requiring that Liberty Mutual provide public benefits in exchange for a taller building. Those benefits, he said, include the preservation of the Salada building, as well as the planned park, and other street-level improvements ...
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This is baloney. They did push this through without the regular rigmarole other developers have to go through. (Actually, it would be a lot better if things did move this quickly, but they don't, usually.)

Case in point is what's going on with the two hotels proposed for 275 Albany Street. The BRA approved the proposal on August 18 - but is now saying that it's not "final" approval, it's a temporary approval. According to an article in last week's Boston Courant, "final" approval won't be given until the Harrison / Albany Corridor Strategic Plan is completed in late 2010 / early 2011, which is one of the reasons construction won't commence until 2012 (and won't be done until 2014).

Basically, they follow the rules when it's convenient to them and ignore them when they don't.

Basically, they're lying fuckers.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

Shen is totally shameless. I understand that he has to keep in Menino's good graces, but this ought to be possible without insulting anyone who is paying attention.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

They've already begun demolition prep. This has to be some kind of Boston development speed record.

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Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

Admirable buildings.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

I won't miss them too much. Hopefully the tower will bring some dynamism to this area, which has always seemed to me like Back Bay's afterthought. There are still some very wonderful but underutilized older buildings right nearby.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

The only one I'll truly miss is the Salvation Army building.... I'm a sucker for just about anything to come from around 1925-50. Plus, even though it wasn't very tall, I always thought it held its corner with aplomb.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

I won't miss them too much. Hopefully the tower will bring some dynamism to this area, which has always seemed to me like Back Bay's afterthought. There are still some very wonderful but underutilized older buildings right nearby.
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They may have felt like the Back Bay's afterthought, but at least they felt like the Back Bay. This new tower feels like...I don't know, but I'm never happy to see Boston's stock of human-scaled 19th century brick buildings erode. It's not like we have an endless stock of these things or that even pale imitations come along very often.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

Long stretches of glass and a generic cafe open 9-5 on weekdays for the employees isn't going to give the area anymore character. Oh well, it's more jobs and toll revenue will be up on the Mass Pike.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

We know the Salvation Army building is from the 1950's. Does anyone know the age of the Benjamin Franklin Smith building? Is their any historic value (beyond aesthetics)?
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

I thought somewhere it said they were built around 1890'S
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

At least we now have something to watch.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

i remember when that area was really pretty shady...back when they had an old greyhound bus station there...
 
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