Midtown Hotel Redevelopment | 220 Huntington Avenue | Back Bay

Smartiro said:
I actually like this approach - it will continue the street wall at roughly the same height as Greenhouse apartments. Hopefully will provide a bit wider sidewalk...
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cjbski said:
Hopefully they make Huntington Ave. less of a concrete jungle and add a green median like on Seaport Blvd.
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I think the Mass Ave Underpass gets in the way of achieving both of these objectives. I have no traffic data at my disposal, but I wonder if it could be eliminated with minimal impact to allow for a surface boulevard there and to make a stronger "gateway" to Back Bay from the S/ SW.
 
cburns said:
I think the Mass Ave Underpass gets in the way of achieving both of these objectives. I have no traffic data at my disposal, but I wonder if it could be eliminated with minimal impact to allow for a surface boulevard there and to make a stronger "gateway" to Back Bay from the S/ SW.
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I actually think the Huntington Ave underpass works for what it is. It does a good job of being out-of-sight and out-of-mind for non-auto modes and largely eliminates what would otherwise probably be a pretty busy intersection. It probably wouldn't be designed that way today if it weren't already there, but I'm okay with what it is. It's also in no way incompatible with a widened sidewalk in front of the Midtown, improved landscaping, and street trees.

Also, as long as the Symphony Towers exist, that intersection won't be able to serve as a true "gateway" to the Back Bay. God I hate those buildings.
 
cjbski said:
Globe article: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/08...midtown-hotel-make-way-an-apartment-building/
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From the article:

" But the move is another show of long-term confidence in Boston’s housing market from a veteran local developer. While development proposals basically stopped for several months at the start of the pandemic, a growing number have landed at the BPDA in recent weeks, a sign that developers believe that by the time these buildings open — probably at least three years from now in the Midtown project’s case — the demand for places to live and work in Boston’s core will have recovered. "

Any further questions from the "urban living will not survive the migration out due to the pandemic" crowd?
 
JumboBuc said:
Also, as long as the Symphony Towers exist, that intersection won't be able to serve as a true "gateway" to the Back Bay. God I hate those buildings.
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Why? They’re good density, affordable, nice height, retail in the base, stately. Sure the design isn’t super elegant or intricate, but they get the job done well.

They’re certainly no Tremont on the Common or Hotel Commonwealth. :sick:
 
This would be a good place for a density bonus in return for more affordable housing. Say, go 12-15 stories in return for 30% affordable. More homes, more integration.
 
Blackbird said:
Why? They’re good density, affordable, nice height, retail in the base, stately. Sure the design isn’t super elegant or intricate, but they get the job done well.

They’re certainly no Tremont on the Common or Hotel Commonwealth. :sick:
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They need a recladding.
 
TomOfBoston said:
They need a recladding.
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Do they, though? Unless there's some structural/functional issues with the cladding, I think the way they look now is acceptably mediocre. Like I said before, they aren't particularly attractive, but they aren't god-awful ugly either. They're just unassuming white boxes with some windows.
 
Blackbird said:
Do they, though? Unless there's some structural/functional issues with the cladding, I think the way they look now is acceptably mediocre. Like I said before, they aren't particularly attractive, but they aren't god-awful ugly either. They're just unassuming white boxes with some windows.
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More like unacceptably mediocre. They just scream "Poor people live here".
 
TomOfBoston said:
They need a recladding.
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Both towers actually were reclad a few years back. Believe it or not, the panels and windows were actually worse than now. I think I remember something about the windows failing because many of them had fogging and discoloration. If I had to guess, I would say maybe ten years ago?
 
TomOfBoston said:
They need a recladding.
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Well, I guess that I was off by about 8 years! :)
bostonrealestatetimes.com

MassHousing Provides $135.5 Million Financing for 404-Unit Symphony Plaza in Boston - Boston Real Estate Times

BOSTON– MassHousing has provided a total of $135.5 million in financing to an affiliate of the non-profit Retirement Housing Foundation (RHF), to enable RHF to launch a major renovation of the 404-unit Symphony Plaza in Boston, and extend affordability at the property for at least 30 years. The...
bostonrealestatetimes.com
 
Java King said:
Well, I guess that I was off by about 8 years! :)
bostonrealestatetimes.com

MassHousing Provides $135.5 Million Financing for 404-Unit Symphony Plaza in Boston - Boston Real Estate Times

BOSTON– MassHousing has provided a total of $135.5 million in financing to an affiliate of the non-profit Retirement Housing Foundation (RHF), to enable RHF to launch a major renovation of the 404-unit Symphony Plaza in Boston, and extend affordability at the property for at least 30 years. The...
bostonrealestatetimes.com
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Was the original cladding considered historically significant so they had to replace it with the same stuff to be historically accurate?
 
Have those towers ever been nominated for Hall of Shame? Some truly terrible architecture...
The sunken corners are neat though. They can stay.
 
Bananarama said:
Have those towers ever been nominated for Hall of Shame? Some truly terrible architecture...
The sunken corners are neat though. They can stay.
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They deserve a Hall of Fame nomination, imo. Despite being homely, they do a lot of good for the city. I’d also argue that the sunken corners are part of the package. Not fair to pick-and-choose.
 
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