Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

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Re: Filene's

TheRifleman said:
Target and Walmart are the same. They are competitors it’s like comparing BJ’s and Cosco. Walmart can also build high end stores to reflect the surroundings of the area. My point is the Mayor continues to rant over Walmart but has no problem with Target taking over Filenes Flagship location for the downtown area. That doesn't make any sense.

Let’s go down the list of destinations spots that are developed in the city of Boston which continue to make our beloved city so special.
This is why the entire market segments you listed above plus TOURISTS, and Suburan Residents flock to each year.

Kenmore Area= Fenway Park
Haymarket= Faneuil Hall
North End—Residential area with some of the best small restaurants in the city
Backbay= Boston Common, Newbury Street, restaurants
North Station=Boston Garden
Greenway=Boston Aquarium
Seaport District +Children’s Muesuem

Beacon Hill Most of the Colleges around these areas.
South End Comm Ave
I’m sure I missed many more.

A tourist or anybody who is not a resident of the city. The only reason to head to the heart of the city is for two reasons.

#1 The jeweler’s buildings
#2 Theater.

Besides that we have nothing of real interest in DTX to really attact anybody to go through the area besides the residents.
.
Target would be a great spot for a prime location in DOWNTOWN MALDEN not the city of Boston. Or maybe put Target somewhere in the city that is not a prime location. That is my point. This is a prime location that should be a destination spot.

I guess TARGET happens to fit Kairos Shens BOSTON DNA chart.

Of course the numbers#'s will work with Target they would probably work with Home Depot. Home Depot could be the anchor tenant for the Congress St garage. The Mayor might get mad and tell the BRA that Lowes fits in better.

This is not a good planning for the city.
The goal for the City of Boston should have been to make this Filenes Development into a destination location for the city. This is my logic.
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Not that I ever questioned it, but thanks for confirming in plain English your complete lack of awareness regarding anything to do with this city. You can't even associate Comm Ave with the correct neighborhood, among other things.
 
Re: Filene's

^^ +1

"Beacon Hill Most of the Colleges around these areas"? What, Suffolk?! Geeze, where to begin:

A) The Fenway neighborhood has by far the largest concentration of colleges in the city (as a matter of fact, largest concentration of colleges/universities in one neighborhood in the whole world).
B) South End Comm Ave? Look at a freaking map.
C) You completely ignore the fact that the Freedom Trail begins downtown (at Boston Common), meanders throughout Downtown, and features several landmarks along the way around Downtown Crossing. It's a huge draw for foot traffic; the problem, though, is that there is a giant gaping hole in the ground that requires an anchor department store/destination.

I'm on team "Target DTX". It's a freaking no-brainer, and I imagine the Target would be a multi-use project including hotel/office/residential space above said store.
 
Re: Filene's

Rifflm--- I have to basically agree with kmp and dshoo

you wrote --- "A tourist or anybody who is not a resident of the city. The only reason to head to the heart of the city is for two reasons.

#1 The jeweler’s buildings
#2 Theater. "

I think you missed a few tens of thousands who work in the Financial District but go home every night by train or car to the the suburbs -- every once in while they need to buy something and if there is a downtown mid-range department store such as Macys or Target - they just might stop to shop

This model has worked ever since people started to commute to Boston from the streeet car suburbs and beyond. While people buy a lot of things on the Internet -- they often still like to put on or pick-up some things before they buy.

By the way -- Walmart and Target are not remotely similar in terms of their demographics, merchandise or store finances
 
Re: Filene's

whighlander said:
By the way -- Walmart and Target are not remotely similar in terms of their demographics, merchandise or store finances
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Every company has their own unique nitch. Cosco and BJ's also don't have the same business model but they are competitors and so is Home Depot and Lowes.

Lurker,
Can you clean up the mess I created with some of your educated posts why Target is bad for this prime location.

Whatever Lurker writes I'm on his side. If I'm wrong then I will eat my words about Target being bad for this specific location.

For the rant about key destination spots in the city. I write my posts very quick and most of the time I just post my thoughts.

Riff.
 
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Re: Filene's

Not to imply that Target it the epitome of refinement, but have you ever been to a Walmart? Entering that store feels like stepping into a scene from Idiocracy.

Is target the ideal tenant for this location? Perhaps not, but it is a realistic improvement. All of your solutions involve a magic wand. It's not as simple as the mayor declaring "This site will house a Bloomingdale's. Make it so!"
 
Re: Filene's

Justin7 said:
Is target the ideal tenant for this location? Perhaps not, but it is a realistic improvement. All of your solutions involve a magic wand. It's not as simple as the mayor declaring "This site will house a Bloomingdale's. Make it so!"
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Maybe the BRA should have planned better for the site. It's not about a magic wand.

The city of Boston is at the mercy of Vornado. If Vornado said McDonalds will fill in the hole their is nothing Menino or the BRA could do. McDonalds will fill in the space at this point.

The city, the BRA, or the Mayor have no say in what go's in this hole. And if they say something Vornado will say lets keep the hole then.
 
Re: Filene's

kmp1284 said:
Not that I ever questioned it, but thanks for confirming in plain English your complete lack of awareness regarding anything to do with this city. You can't even associate Comm Ave with the correct neighborhood, among other things.
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The majority of Comm Ave is owned by BU, BC and other small schools.

What neighborhood are you talking about?
 
Re: Filene's

Which is it Rifleman?

TheRifleman said:
The city of Boston could have tried to recruit anybody for this location. Major retailers, Nordstroms, Bring Back Filenes Basement, completely reinvent the area with working with VORNADO.
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Or

TheRifleman said:
The city of Boston is at the mercy of Vornado. If Vornado said McDonalds will fill in the hole their is nothing Menino or the BRA could do. McDonalds will fill in the space at this point.

The city, the BRA, or the Mayor have no say in what go's in this hole. And if they say something Vornado will say lets keep the hole then.
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Is it the city, or is it Vernado, that's responsible for the so-called clusterfuck?

And by the way, the issue regarding Comm. Ave. is that you placed it in the South End. The issue regarding colleges was that you placed them on Beacon Hill. There was never a question regarding whether any colleges were on Comm. Ave.
 
Re: Filene's

HenryAlan said:
Which is it Rifleman?


Is it the city, or is it Vernado, that's responsible for the so-called clusterfuck?

And by the way, the issue regarding Comm. Ave. is that you placed it in the South End. The issue regarding colleges was that you placed them on Beacon Hill. There was never a question regarding whether any colleges were on Comm. Ave.
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I would have to say BOTH maybe the BRA fault more.
This is all politics. If Vornado wanted to build the building they would.

Vornado wanted Taxpayers percs like the Fan Pier & Liberty Mutual, W-Hotel projects

The BRA needs to understand that not being consistent leads to disasters.

Why should Vornado take chances when you don't have to? See Fallon and Liberty Mutual. NO RISK for those guys. Unlimited amounts of taxpayer rewards. Anybody can be a builder with other people's money.

So how can you blame VORNADO when the city planning agency has no consistency with development process in the city of BOSTON?
 
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Re: Filene's

I agree that Target would be a net plus.

But the City's efforts continue to fail DTX. Once there was a hole, the BRA should have taken this bull by the horns, master planning and rezoning on a grand scale. With added value to property, developers may have been enticed into stepping forward.

Instead the City set up a Bid to clean up the streets and pull down signs. And they're at the phone banks calling individual retailers.

Let's cut Rifleman a little slack.
 
Re: Filene's

TheRifleman said:
The majority of Comm Ave is owned by BU, BC and other small schools.

What neighborhood are you talking about?
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I think he's referring to this quote where it seems like you're saying that Comm Ave runs through the South End:
TheRifleman said:
South End Comm Ave
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Anyway, as part of my business curriculum, I did some research on Target a while back. I get that Target is a similar price level to Walmart, but the two are apples and oranges in terms of clientele and atmosphere. Furthermore, Target has done wonders with some of their urban stores which are actually pretty nice looking. They've got a whole new brand of stores called CityTarget which will carry items much better suited to city living (groceries including produce, furniture for smaller living areas, and no items in general that are too bulky to be carried by customers). They're opening the first one in Chicago. see more on the wiki.

Still, even the regular Target stores adapted for urban environments are decent looking and very functional. I have a hard time imagining that Target would drop the ball at DTX. I certainly wouldn't consider it in the same tier as Walmart; particularly in terms of urban stores.

Target in Minneapolis:
TargetMinneapolis.jpg


Another urban Target store:
TargetExterior.jpg
 
Re: Filene's

^^^^Lrfox, Good illustrations........I personally believe Walmart would follow a similar building path for it's surroundings as TARGET has in those illustrations. But you never know maybe they would stick with the OLD fashion WAL-MART Box store.



Sicilian said:
Let's cut Rifleman a little slack.
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Thanks Sicilian but I can take the beating as long as I deserve it.


I would like my quote responded to

TheRifleman said:
I would have to say BOTH maybe the BRA fault more.
This is all politics. If Vornado wanted to build the building they would.

Vornado wanted Taxpayers percs like the Fan Pier & Liberty Mutual, W-Hotel projects

The BRA needs to understand that not being consistent leads to disasters.

Why should Vornado take chances when you don't have to? See Fallon and Liberty Mutual. NO RISK for those guys. Unlimited amounts of taxpayer rewards. Anybody can be a builder with other people's money.
So how can you blame VORNADO when the city planning agency has no consistency with development process in the city of BOSTON?
Click to expand...
 
Re: Filene's

whighlander said:
That's why we Cognescenti always say TarzJay
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cog NO ceNtY member OlE Unsle say GIANTS drife THRU liquor wherehaus is bienK THE BEST thing here. And. PUTTING THIS DRIVE THRU windows for pickUP in red und orango lines stAtion
 
Re: Filene's

Has it ever been determined that bostonbred is in fact intending to write posts the way he/she does? Or is it for real? God knows I am not perfect with grammar, but really?
 
Re: Filene's

even his screen name is mispelled, there should be two letter 'n's in the middle
 
Re: Filene's

It's hysterical. And occasionally, there's some really clever stuff hidden behind the ironically bad grammar.
 
Re: Filene's

For some reason going to Walmart makes me want to slit my wrists and Target doesn't. I think Walmart would contribute to the somewhat depressed and dreary atmosphere in Downtown Crossing right now rather than help alleviate it.
 
Re: Filene's

I like how the city and Vornado are talking after those signs started appearing.
 
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