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

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Re: Filene's

Those pics are great

I was just down {well two weeks ago) in the area and took a couple of snaps from Washington St and the corner of Franklin

BUT these latest shots from the top-down are truly spectacular!!

I'm a great believer in preserving a lot of the past (i.e. not just icons but the everyday fabric of the place) -- but -- few things can vie with a good demolition as a human enterprise (to paraphrase George Patton about War)

Westy
 
Re: Filene's

Here's some more photos of the Filene's demolition by tobyjug:

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^That guy gets to play with a jackhammering robot all day? Totally unfair!
 
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Thanks for the photos! I like that you can see 45 Province rising in the background.

I wish I had a jackhammering robot...
 
Re: Filene's

Two Filene's buildings are being demolished here. The better-known one is at Franklin and Washington streets, but another is on Hawley Street, between the two buildings that are being preserved.
 
Re: Filene's

The poor resolution in the photos is caused by the dust from jackhammering and debris removal. Wilford Brimley (photo 2) is remotely operating an excavator, moving the debris nearer to holes cut through the roof of the 1905 (?) building on Franklin and Hawley. Bobcats then push the wreckage through the holes, and the stuff falls several stories. You can hear it crash. Respirators, anyone?
 
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Re: Filene's

toby tell me about it, breathing in downtown crossing was a little ify today. I coulda used one....

I noticed looking in from the washington st side that there was a mural on the wall in the back. Looked pretty interesting, not sure what it was. anybody catch that?
 
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That sounds like it has strong potential to damage the 1905 building.
 
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Suffolk, if I can shoot the mural, I will.
Ron, your point about the 1905 building is an interesting one. Right after New Years, and for about the following 6 weeks, there was a non-stop parade of cement trucks in and out of the Franklin side of the site. Steady flow, cement trucks lined up to go. The workers had jackhammered out the floor of 1905, so at first I figured they were just doing new footings for the structure. Then it got weird... the cement was being poured via some sort of crane and pressure feed into the upper floors of 1905. And this went on for weeks. Not long ago, I saw some supervisory looking types clutching rolls of plans, so I asked "Why all the cement, and why up there?". They explained that not only were they putting in the foundation for a structure, but that they were building cement bracing to support the 1905 curtain walls for when the rest of the 1905 structure is removed.
It sounds like a facadectomy, with foundation and support work preceding any significant interior demolition. That might explain why debris crashing through the 1905 building doesn't matter, but your guess is as good as mine!
 
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I went back to page 2 of this thread and it says 1905. I'll go back and edit.
 
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That's probably where I read it, months ago. Just trying to figure it out for the sake of my own memory.
 
Re: Filene's

Tobyjug, those are awesome pics!!!! Wow!!
 
Re: Filene's

tobyjug said:
Suffolk, if I can shoot the mural, I will.
Ron, your point about the 1905 building is an interesting one. Right after New Years, and for about the following 6 weeks, there was a non-stop parade of cement trucks in and out of the Franklin side of the site. Steady flow, cement trucks lined up to go. The workers had jackhammered out the floor of 1905, so at first I figured they were just doing new footings for the structure. Then it got weird... the cement was being poured via some sort of crane and pressure feed into the upper floors of 1905. And this went on for weeks. Not long ago, I saw some supervisory looking types clutching rolls of plans, so I asked "Why all the cement, and why up there?". They explained that not only were they putting in the foundation for a structure, but that they were building cement bracing to support the 1905 curtain walls for when the rest of the 1905 structure is removed.
It sounds like a facadectomy, with foundation and support work preceding any significant interior demolition. That might explain why debris crashing through the 1905 building doesn't matter, but your guess is as good as mine!
Click to expand...

Facadectomy? If this is true, it' depressing.

BTW, those photos are great. Thanks.
 
Re: Filene's

The "PARK Open 24 Hours" signs are gone from the clocks, and the Filene's logo is back. I guess they've finished filming whatever movie required these.

But speaking of 24 hours, this demolition project seems to be round-the-clock. I saw work going on last night at midnight.
 
Re: Filene's

Murals! Who want murals? I gotcha murals right here! (extra big size goodness)

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Could someone with a decent camera (and zoom lens) get down there and document this before it is destroyed?
 
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yep thats the one... wonder if someone can sneak in there so the pillars don't obstruct the view. What the hell is it anyway? Looks like caveman paintings.
 
Re: Filene's

Anyone know what this was, and why it was painted there? I don't recall ever seeing it in the store.

Several years ago, I took an elevator to an upper floor of Filene's that was not open to the public, and found myself staring at two plaques memorializing Filene's employees who had served in World War I and World War II. I hope someone saved them.
 
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