Midwood Development Proposed 23-story office tower at the corner of Bromfield and Washington streets

[shmessy]

[Post edit] mods - please merge per DZ's info response below, to https://archboston.com/community/threads/11-21-bromfield-street-dtx-downtown.2330/page-69

I looked for a thread, but don't see one - - if someone knows where, please merge.

What a 417,000-square-foot project at the corner of Bromfield Street could say about the future of downtown - The Boston Globe

The powers-that-be in City Hall face a crucial decision: Let a developer proceed with office plans there, or force it back to the drawing board for housing instead.

www.bostonglobe.com

My head is exploding:

".....The critics largely fell in two camps: those who live in 45 Province, and those who worry in general about more towers casting shadows and wind onto downtown’s historic buildings, such as the Old South Meeting House and Old Corner Bookstore building. Tony Ursillo, a 45 Province resident, argues that the neighborhood should have many more people living there, to give it more of a 24/7 vibrancy, while Revolutionary Spaces president Nat Sheidley expresses concerns that tall towers could chase tourists away from the historic sites...."

The Old Corner Bookstore Building???? Yes, that must be preserved in its historic significance.

Wait.....whuttt?????? Where has Revolutionary Spaces president Nat Sheidley been????????????????? Nate, my man, you've already flunked.

.

 

[DZH22]

I looked for a thread, but don't see one - - if someone knows where, please merge..

It's the same development as this:
https://archboston.com/community/threads/11-21-bromfield-street-dtx-downtown.2330/page-69

Hopefully it doesn't get built in the current iteration. Bring back the 700' residential!

 

[617]

[Post edit] mods - please merge per DZ's info response below, to https://archboston.com/community/threads/11-21-bromfield-street-dtx-downtown.2330/page-69

I looked for a thread, but don't see one - - if someone knows where, please merge.

What a 417,000-square-foot project at the corner of Bromfield Street could say about the future of downtown - The Boston Globe

The powers-that-be in City Hall face a crucial decision: Let a developer proceed with office plans there, or force it back to the drawing board for housing instead.

www.bostonglobe.com

My head is exploding:

".....The critics largely fell in two camps: those who live in 45 Province, and those who worry in general about more towers casting shadows and wind onto downtown’s historic buildings, such as the Old South Meeting House and Old Corner Bookstore building. Tony Ursillo, a 45 Province resident, argues that the neighborhood should have many more people living there, to give it more of a 24/7 vibrancy, while Revolutionary Spaces president Nat Sheidley expresses concerns that tall towers could chase tourists away from the historic sites...."

The Old Corner Bookstore Building???? Yes, that must be preserved in its historic significance.

View attachment 49170

Wait.....whuttt?????? Where has Revolutionary Spaces president Nat Sheidley been????????????????? Nate, my man, you've already flunked.

.

Relax, the midwood development is on the corner of bromfield st. Btw If chipotle has a shadow on it for an extra 8 minutes in December I think we’ll survive.

 

[shmessy]

Relax, the midwood development is on the corner of bromfield st. Btw If chipotle has a shadow on it for an extra 8 minutes in December I think we’ll survive.

I'll insert the sarcasm face after my last sentence before the image since, evidently, the pic of the "historic building" as a Chipotle wasn't obvious enough what a farce the opponents who are clutching their pearls about height there are..

 

[617]

Ahh apologies. Why doesn’t zoning allow for no parking residential if it allows no parking commercial?

 

[DZH22]

Ahh apologies. Why doesn’t zoning allow for no parking residential if it allows no parking commercial?

The tenants in 45 Province freaked out over the height of it, without realizing that the much wider office version will block significantly more of their view. I'd say it serves them right, but still strongly prefer that the office doesn't happen and we end up with a taller/thinner residential.

 

[Justbuildit]

Ahh apologies. Why doesn’t zoning allow for no parking residential if it allows no parking commercial?

Because everyone in planning over the last 60 years has been miserably car-brained. There's been progress on the affordable side of things, but baseline zoning in many places still has parking minimums because people born before WW2 thought the only way to live in the US was to drive everywhere (not sure about this site/DTX more generally). If nothing else it gives cynical opponents something to point to as to why a proposal is "out of scale" or otherwise non-conforming.

 

[real_EthanHunt]

but the 'zoning' process for this would be Article 80 Large Project Review (as with anything over 50KSF). there arent parking minimums on any of the land uses. zoning doesnt have a say in parking for these projects. there are maximums in place, not minimums, and there has been for over 20 years now.

 

[Justbuildit]

Totally right about this being reviewed under Article 80, good catch. The parking issue referenced in the Globe article was the 59-story residential proposal that included parking here (effectively as an amenity) and one that the 45P residents balked at due to what was otherwise a low-traffic area (except, of course, for people parking in their building).

 

[curcuas]

The whole thing is a massive own goal by the city, which is kneecapping a developer who wants to add to downtown. Just like the half assed plan downtown zoning, the inaction here is only contributing to the mess. This is one part of the City where high density should be very much by right.

 

[kmp1284]

For all the folks obsessing over the previously proposed residential tower I’d suggest checking how few sales they’ve actually closed at Winthrop Center and at nearly every other high end residential project to open in the last few years. No one is going to finance
a residential tower here.

 

[bigpicture7]

For all the folks obsessing over the previously proposed residential tower I’d suggest checking how few sales they’ve actually closed at Winthrop Center and at nearly every other high end residential project to open in the last few years. No one is going to finance
a residential tower here.

But isn't the issue even bigger than that? Interest rates are still total shit, and all sorts of development across most sectors is stalled. What large-scale new construction IS getting financed in any sort of meaningful quantities these days? (NOT talking about SFHs) As far as construction actually being initiated any time soon, we are in a holding pattern until economic indicators substantively change and the fed makes big moves. In sum: there is no reason to get excited about anything at the moment. Tune back in later.