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

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Re: Filene's

Looks to me like they're tearing it down so they can put their drop off zone there. Probably another BRA bright idea. They made Millenium put in a drop off zone for Hayward Place, too.
 
Re: Filene's

I don't remember there being a drop off zone in the previous proposal. Not sure why the city would make that some sort of Millennium-only requirement.
 
Re: Filene's

After Millenium Place I & II the BRA -- in all their genius -- said, "Look at this mess! Blahblahblah! >:( You need a drop off zone! Cars in the street?! Blahblahblah! >:( We'll never let you go without a dropoff zone again! >:("
 
Re: Filene's

There is a drop off zone on Avery St. I'm not sure if it is I or II, but it is a street wall killer. If anything the BRA should forbid them.
 
Re: Filene's

A taxi drop-off area is a necessity for a hotel, but what use is it here?
 
Re: Filene's

I don't know, I kind of like the clusterfuck on School Street around the Parker House.

Then again, I never have to drive through it.
 
Re: Filene's

Valet parking for residents and office tenants.
 
Re: Filene's

Add the Intercontinental Hotel facing RKG to the list of recent BRA-approved drop-off FAILs, possibly worse than Avery Street because of the increasing (and anticipated) number of pedestrians on that walk to Atlantic Wharf and South Station.
 
Re: Filene's

Do you guys really think these cuts outs are pushed on the developers by the BRA? If anything I'm guessing the developers are pushing for them and the BRA is just being weak-willed rather than incompetent.

BTW, according to the PDF there are still community meetings set to go on this project. So I'm not sure how set in stone any of these changes are. It may just be for show though.
 
Re: Filene's

The Intercontinental pickup/dropoff is horrible. At least this one's on Franklin and not Washington or Summer.
 
Re: Filene's

The BRA wants them to allow traffic to flow unimpeded by drop-offs. Are people really unhappy to have to walk past a porte-cochere? If find that this is a pretty lively part of the urban street face. Maybe that is just me.

cca
 
Re: Filene's

I like the IC......But I have to agree they really fucked up on the ground floor to that building.
 
Re: Filene's

^statler

My guess is that the developer wants the drop-off and encounters little pushback.

Regarding process: The approval process for a Notice of Project Change is significantly shorter than the process after the initial filing. As far as I know, NPC's are approved 30-60 days after filing. Usually there is 1 public meeting, maybe more if there is significant community concern (not applicable here). In 15 years, I can't remember ever seeing a significant change to an NPC. The project is already rolling.

If you are concerned about the facade, you might consider attending and testifying at the Boston Landmarks Commission hearing on the NPC. I have great admiration and respect for the BLC and its process -- perhaps Commissioners would consider your points. Call the BLC to find out when the hearing is scheduled.
 
Re: Filene's

After flipping thru the NPC, I was bummed to see that not much is happening with the DTX station. They do commit to a new headhouse at the corner of Washington and Franklin but that only really accesses the Orange and is primarily done to improve the park.
The ass-tastic DTX station concourse is really inadequate for the number of additional trips proposed to be added to transit. The platforms are too narrow, moving between lines is painful and there is just not enough space. If they want to fill 185K sqft of office and all of the associated retail with only 250 public parking places, they will need a much more efficient way to move people. Transit access will be a big selling point for the office space, particularly if there is indoor access via the DTX concourse. Clean, bright, spacious access would also improve the marketability of the former Filene's Basement space.
This is also a great opportunity to excavate and rebuild Summer Street. The area is going to be messed up for months anyway. Additional transportation projects really need to be added here.

Hey, is Westie on vacation or something? I can't believe he hasn't chimed in.
 
Re: Filene's

Semass said:
Hey, is Westie on vacation or something? I can't believe he hasn't chimed in.
Click to expand...

SHHHH!

Sicilian - That's a good idea. I wish I was a bit better at cobbling together words in a coherent manner, but I see what I can pull together.
 
Re: Filene's

The IC's pickup/dropoff feels like the breakdown lane of a highway. I expect given the location that this will be far different. I tend to like the low-speed interactions among cars and pedestrians in confined spaces as creating a liveliness and energy. A lot of primarily pedestrian plazas in Europe will have taxi ranks, pickup/dropoffs etc with cars moving through at snail speeds on cobbled ground.
 
Re: Filene's

Ron Newman said:
A taxi drop-off area is a necessity for a hotel, but what use is it here?
Click to expand...

For taking tourists to and from places. Of course this was more useful when DTX was more lively and before Filene's imploded, Filene's basement went backrupt, and the whole area decayed from the crater left in the heart of the district. With the construction of this tower, it might just bring people back.

Oh and the taxi drop-off area currently exist so it isn't as if they are creating it.
 
Re: Filene's

It exists further up Franklin St where the "Shopper's Park" (ugh) is wider so that it really doesn't interfere with the flow of pedestrian traffic.

The new configuration will be at the pinch point of the building and Franklin St.
 
Re: Filene's

185,000 sf of retail stretched from B1 to possibly L3... do I smell a Nordstrom in the works? The space does not appear to have been subdivided yet, suggesting they may be looking at a department store. ;-)

Target's of course the other option.
 
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