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

[HenryAlan]

Re: Filene's

Hypothetically, would you be happier if the Hancock tower was replaced with a 200 ft stump that had a super ground floor? And yes, the Hancock tower is a comparable transportation hub to DTX.

I think about this one a lot, because I walk by it frequently. It is terrible at the street level, in just about every possible way. And yet we all love the Hancock just the same. Things to think about if we compare it to the idea of something similar at MCX:

• The Hancock is on the edge of a neighborhood filled with large buildings that do not engage the street level well; Millenium Place IV will be in a neighborhood that is all about street level engagement
• The Hancock is singularly iconic, standing far above nearby buildings, and until recently, not proximate to any other tall buildings. Milleninum IV would be less iconic, surrounded by several similar height buildings. Even if it is spectacular architecture, it will not stand out enough from the crowd unless it goes significantly taller than 600 feet.
• The Hancock has history on its side, ushering in an era of taller construction throughout the city. This remains to be seen for a new tower in MCX.
• The Hancock reflects Trinity Church and the old Hancock. It gives the city new views of two treasured buildings. Anything in MCX will likely not do this.

So I think that for the location, a Filenes tower does need to place more importance on the street level, but I completely agree that the Hancock offers a counterpoint to the idea that street level is always the most important issue. There are exceptions, but I don't think we should plan for very many of them.

 

[Lrfox]

Re: Filene's

but I completely agree that the Hancock offers a counterpoint to the idea that street level is always the most important issue. There are exceptions, but I don't think we should plan for very many of them.

I completely agree. I would even consider arguing the point that the Hancock would have LESS of an iconic impact if it formed a consistent street wall with the surroundings. Part of what makes it stand out so much is just how different it is from its neighbors. You have all glass surrounded by the rough stone of the Trinity Church, Fairmont Coplet, BPL, and other neighbors. Even that side of 500 Boylston is sort of sandstone looking.

The fact that the Hancock doesn't fluctuate in design from the top to the bottom (you can stand in the "wedge" on the sidewalk) makes it even more imposing and dramatic. If you had a normal streetwall there, the effect would be minimized (or done away with completely).

But as HenryAlan pointed out, that probably wouldn't work in DTX (or most other locations). It just so happens that Copley Square has the right ingredients for it to be successful. It's the exception, not the norm.

 

[Bubbybu]

Re: Filene's

the contrast between the church and hancock is a tourist photo draw

it's great

 

[BeeLine]

Re: Filene's

My vote would be to get Bloomingdales to inhabit the upper floors of the Burham section and have a Harrods style food court for the ground floor. The ground floor could then be opened to the street at several points along Washington and Summer. We could have sidewalk cafes and/or food stalls.

 

[Bubbybu]

Re: Filene's

a more upscale food court would be nice to complement the Corner Mall....I'd love stand a lone restaraunts though...the area is in dire need of them.

 

[DZH22]

Re: Filene's

a more upscale food court would be nice to complement the Corner Mall....I'd love stand a lone restaraunts though...the area is in dire need of them.

There are stand alone restaurants all over the adjacent streets, such as Bromfield, Province, and Temple (wherever fahitas and ritas is) streets. Many of them double as pubs, such as Sidebar and Kennedy's.

 

[Bubbybu]

Re: Filene's

yea I just look at them more as work week lunch places...we need places people are going to want to go to on a friday night or something more tourist friendly...

This doesnt exactly fit the bill but I LOVED Ruggles Pizza when it was still around...and it was great...small and intimate with amazing pizza. It's been 15 years but I can still taste their cheese.

 

[Meadowhawk]

Re: Filene's

a more upscale food court would be nice to complement the Corner Mall....I'd love stand a lone restaraunts though...the area is in dire need of them.

I agree on the upscale food court. I would also like to see the signage out front removed. The outdated orange one is very tired looking. A much more contemporary sign would do wonders.

 

[statler]

Re: Filene's

I like that that sign has gone from contemporary to 80's retro within its lifespan.

 

[Bubbybu]

Re: Filene's

corner mall is a classic, it's definetely the old lounge chair of Boston malls.

Too bad Lafayette place was so unsuccessfull...that was acutally pretty nice for the time. But also suffered from too much cheap food and not enough retail draws.

 

[kz1000ps]

Re: Filene's

I like that that sign has gone from contemporary to 80's retro within its lifespan.

This. I couldn't care less about the actual food court, but seeing those signs brings back memories of video arcades and Pat Benatar.

 

[Meadowhawk]

Re: Filene's

corner mall is a classic, it's definetely the old lounge chair of Boston malls.

Too bad Lafayette place was so unsuccessfull...that was acutally pretty nice for the time. But also suffered from too much cheap food and not enough retail draws.

IMO, Lafayette Place failed when the new one was built out to the sidewalk. A courtyard entrance would have been very nice in that location and much more inviting.

 

[TheRifleman]

Re: Filene's

The new ground floor to Filenes should be some huge open ATRIUM with shops & restaurants....connecting on both sides of the streets.

The only problem what the new guy SEMASS said why didn't the BRA & MBTA plan for a complete Upgrade possibly an overhaul of the DTX station?

It seems the city planning dept is proposing on building a skyscraper on a shitty foundation.

 

[whighlander]

Re: Filene's

Someone identified a few of my perspective key points:
1) we want a tower that is a "beacon" for DTX from a distance -- today you really can't identify it - lost in the edge of the FID (aka the Financial District)
2) we want it to be integrated at the street level with the old-style DTX of shopping and "blue-plate-special" restaurants
3) we want it as well integrated into the T as Filene's basement once was

The solution:
1) "iconic top of the tower" with the tower at the 600 to 650 ft level to the "top" and a spire or something iconic
2) Use the Burnham facade to connect to the street and the 'good ol days" of Filenes and Jordans -- you need a good major tennant such as Target -- not real high end
3) Take advantage of "the hole" to rebuiltd DTX Organge and add the long dreamed of connection to State Orange with a Berlin/ Monreal / Warszwa underground complex and good street level entrances

Do the above and then others can do / re-do the other buildings in between the Common and the FID and there will be a re-gen of DTX -- not Newbury II -- but something unique and desireable

 

[PaulC]

Re: Filene's

I'd like to see Macy's move over to the Filene's site and then have a one franklin size project for the current Macy's site

 

[BostonUrbEx]

Re: Filene's

Just had an idea;

The Filene's will have a sleek tower on top of a what, 3-5 story landscaper-esque block, right? What about putting a restaurant 3 floors over Washington St? With tables lined up along a low glass wall/railing, you get to hear the DTX music, see the energy of the street below. Some of those standing space heaters may be good at times, perhaps one of those canvas/plastic canopies they can toss up if it's going to be a raining/windy day. It would probably only work as a top-notch, romantic, expensive place though, but would be really cool I think!

 

[datadyne007]

Re: Filene's

I'd like to see Maycy's move over to the Filene's site and then have a one franklin size project for the current Macy's site

That bothers me right up to this day. Macy*s occupied the iconic flagship stores of every other company they took over except Filene's Boston. They decided to stay in the dump of a store that were the remains of Jordan Marsh after many many size reductions. Honestly, I'm embarrassed to send people who ask to Macy*s Boston. It is nothing of the grandeur of Macy*s New York or Chicago, even though Boston once had an iconic store and was a shopping mecca.

It is also indeed unfortunate that Filene's never had a grand atrium (IIRC?), unlike Marshall Fields. Burnham must have omitted it because of the considerably smaller floorplates compared to his other monolith projects.

 

[whighlander]

Re: Filene's

That bothers me right up to this day. Macy*s occupied the iconic flagship stores of every other company they took over except Filene's Boston. They decided to stay in the dump of a store that were the remains of Jordan Marsh after many many size reductions. Honestly, I'm embarrassed to send people who ask to Macy*s Boston. It is nothing of the grandeur of Macy*s New York or Chicago, even though Boston once had an iconic store and was a shopping mecca.

It is also indeed unfortunate that Filene's never had a grand atrium (IIRC?), unlike Marshall Fields. Burnham must have omitted it because of the considerably smaller floorplates compared to his other monolith projects.

Data -- you forget that Macy's parent had the choice of the old and antiquated Filenes or the much more modern JM building on Washington St (which in turn replaced a very nice but much older JM) with the remnants of the older JM buildings extending down Summer St to Chancy

the company considered using the JM temporarily while they renovated the Filenes complex but the basemet and other considerations made it prohibitively costly

Today of course that might be a possiblity that Millenium is even now investigating as I'm sure that Lafalyette Corporate center would be happy to expand into the Macy's footprint or someone else or Millenium could buy-out the Macy's footprint and re-do it

 

[tobyjug]

Re: Filene's

It is also indeed unfortunate that Filene's never had a grand atrium (IIRC?), unlike Marshall Fields. Burnham must have omitted it because of the considerably smaller floorplates compared to his other monolith projects.

During the building demo, I had many opportunities to prowl through the remains. Based on the onsite archeology, I believe it once had a top to bottom atrium. There is/was a massive skylight on the roof that was boarded up. It stood right over the escalator network. My theory: during some "modernization, the atrium was replaced with and filled in by the escalator system, which as you may recall, went all the way up.

 

[whighlander]

Re: Filene's

During the building demo, I had many opportunities to prowl through the remains. Based on the onsite archeology, I believe it once had a top to bottom atrium. There is/was a massive skylight on the roof that was boarded up. It stood right over the escalator network. My theory: during some "modernization, the atrium was replaced with and filled in by the escalator system, which as you may recall, went all the way up.

Toby -- wonder if the skylight got covered during WWII and then being dark -- it seemd a good place to put escalators

MIT, BPL, MFA all had windows and / or skylights painted black to keep submarines and bombers from targeting Boston icons