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

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Not that a render is the end all be all, but so far everything matches up.

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CSTH said:
What is that, a fucking gas station?

I now officially hate this project. What a joke.
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Hah ... awesome overreaction.

I agree. If you look at the elevation of the manholes ...some other surface is going to come up and flush everything out. That is the substrate for pavers (likely) or concrete (less likely).

cca
 
But is still going to be auto-centric.

This is a good project taken as a whole but the entire corner of Franklin & Hawley is a massive downgrade from what was there previously.
 
statler said:
But is still going to be auto-centric.

This is a good project taken as a whole but the entire corner of Franklin & Hawley is a massive downgrade from what was there previously.
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A hole in the ground with a chain link fence around it? (You have to go back many years for it to be more than that). I remember the period prior to the Menino hole, but recall it being dirty with broken bricks patched with asphalt - a classic rendition of "undermaintained heyday of yore."

Yes they are faced with the challenge of integrating auto pick-up/drop-off area, but they do a decent job including a small plaza that will engage the public. I'm not 100% sold on the staircase subway headhouse, especially since I don't see signage indicating it is a subway entrance from the Washington St. side. But there's promise in this design and I am going to withhold judgement until it's done.
 
bigpicture7 said:
I'm not 100% sold on the staircase subway headhouse, especially since I don't see signage indicating it is a subway entrance from the Washington St. side.
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Good point. Maybe they could do a giant T roundel on the risers like:

ad-stair-risers.jpg
 
I am, of course, talking about this piece of urban art that was unceremoniously razed so that some rich folks wouldn't have to get wet when they got out of their cars.

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statler said:
I am, of course, talking about this piece of urban art that was unceremoniously razed so that some rich folks wouldn't have to get wet when they got out of their cars (but you knew that).
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My apologies - I do very much remember that, and did not make the connection to what you were referring to. I thought we were discussing the area around the subway entrance. Your point is well taken.
 
Sorry. That was an over the top reaction on my part. I wasn't clear in my original post.
 
bigpicture7 said:
A hole in the ground with a chain link fence around it? (You have to go back many years for it to be more than that). I remember the period prior to the Menino hole, but recall it being dirty with broken bricks patched with asphalt - a classic rendition of "undermaintained heyday of yore."

Yes they are faced with the challenge of integrating auto pick-up/drop-off area, but they do a decent job including a small plaza that will engage the public. I'm not 100% sold on the staircase subway headhouse, especially since I don't see signage indicating it is a subway entrance from the Washington St. side. But there's promise in this design and I am going to withhold judgement until it's done.
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How are you not sold its the subway headhouse? It is 100 billion percent the subway headhouse. No questions asked. Look at the elevator pic above, it already has what looks to be the red line signage on it, not sure why seeing that this used to go to the orange line but it should have been connected to the red line as well, so Im guessing what that means. That elevator leads to the DTX subway it is the original structure. Not to mention the stairs are built directly on top of the old orange line entrance. They demolished the old portal and built this directly over it. Its even in the site plan that thats what its for. There are also pictures on this thread showing them demolishing the old head house and the stairs were built directly over the hole. There is no question what this is. At all. Hypothetically its not...even though it is...what would you propose that this could be other than that. Why would they knock down the old one, leave the hole in the ground, build a new structure over it, and then decide not to use it. Where do you think this could possibly lead to? Im telling you 100% no questions asked this is exactly what this is. Its outline in the project site plan as well if you care to read it.
 
stick n move said:
How are you not sold its the subway headhouse? It is 100 billion percent the subway headhouse. No questions asked. Look at the elevator pic above, it already has what looks to be the red line signage on it, not sure why seeing that this used to go to the orange line but it should have been connected to the red line as well, so Im guessing what that means. That elevator leads to the DTX subway it is the original structure. Not to mention the stairs are built directly on top of the old orange line entrance. They demolished the old portal and built this directly over it. Its even in the site plan that thats what its for. There are also pictures on this thread showing them demolishing the old head house and the stairs were built directly over the hole. There is no question what this is. At all. Hypothetically its not...even though it is...what would you propose that this could be other than that. Why would they knock down the old one, leave the hole in the ground, build a new structure over it, and then decide not to use it. Where do you think this could possibly lead to? Im telling you 100% no questions asked this is exactly what this is. Its outline in the project site plan as well if you care to read it.
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He's saying he's not sold on the design of the stairs/headhouse not the fact that it is or isn't the headhouse. Breathe.
 
datadyne007 said:
He's saying he's not sold on the design of the stairs/headhouse not the fact that it is or isn't the headhouse. Breathe.
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Exactly. Yes, I personally know it's the headhouse!

I am curious as to what this will look like from the Wash St. side when it's done (I just walked by it Sunday and it looks odd from Wash. St. at this point in construction - but clear it is a headhouse when walking along Franklin).
 
Oooh my apologies I thought after the hatred coming in all of a sudden that there were more shots being taken. Sorry bout that.
 
statler said:
But is still going to be auto-centric.

This is a good project taken as a whole but the entire corner of Franklin & Hawley is a massive downgrade from what was there previously.
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Statler -- Not from the standpoint of a pedestrian -- sure prior to the "Dig Hole" there was a nice old building with some nice details

But at the street -- Franklin was a through street all the way to Washinton with a R turn that did allow cars or certainly cabs and delivery trucks

Now from Hawley on to Washington there will be mininal traffic unless somebody in MT is throwing a Big Party
 
whighlander said:
Statler -- Not from the standpoint of a pedestrian -- sure prior to the "Dig Hole" there was a nice old building with some nice details
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Which is where my complaint lays. Full stop.

And I've walked up Franklin to Filene's hundreds of times without much trouble. I don't see the curb cut really making the situation all that much better.
 
statler said:
Which is where my complaint lays. Full stop.

And I've walked up Franklin to Filene's hundreds of times without much trouble. I don't see the curb cut really making the situation all that much better.
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You're also correct that what was the area that comprised Shoppers Park has now been turned over to vehicles, no matter how "limited access" BTD will claim and regardless of the surface treatment. The reality is that there are cars driving where cars previously couldn't go. I personally don't believe that this fact requires a crazy overreaction condemning the whole project, but it is important to consider it when thinking about the public pedestrian realm.
 
datadyne007 said:
I personally don't believe that this fact requires a crazy overreaction condemning the whole project, but it is important to consider it when thinking about the public pedestrian realm.
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I'll concede that a crazy overreaction is not required; but I'll continue to insist that it should be considered a perfectly valid option :rolleyes:
 
whighlander said:
Statler -- Not from the standpoint of a pedestrian -- sure prior to the "Dig Hole" there was a nice old building with some nice details

But at the street -- Franklin was a through street all the way to Washinton with a R turn that did allow cars or certainly cabs and delivery trucks

Now from Hawley on to Washington there will be mininal traffic unless somebody in MT is throwing a Big Party
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It is sad that "minimal traffic" is the best we are doing in the only pedestrian zone in Boston. The city is a joke in that regard. Drivers are flipping out over the idea of Newbury becoming pedestrian only for a few hours on one sunday.
 
My favorite part is how the head-house directs transit customers straight into a parking lot of idling luxury vehicles. So beautiful.
 
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