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

Status
Not open for further replies.
Re: Filene's

cden4 said:
Downtown Crossing could be a great shopping district, but it needs a better mix of stores. Most importantly, I think it could use a toy store, electronics store, and a grocery store. I really wish Filenes had stayed and Macy's had gone. Fillenes had lots of useful "regular" stuff, not this designer fashion crap.
Click to expand...

Downtown Crossing could be the affordable alternative to Newbury St. It has some bright spots - TJ Maxx, Marshall's, DSW, Borders - that see a lot of traffic all week long. A housewares store that's an alternative to Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel would be nice, especially given the push to make this a residential neighborhood. People need places to shop for everyday items - don't get me started on the lack of grocery stores.

A neighborhood has no sense of cohesion without local places to buy food, etc. If they want to really bring some life back to this area, they could open a Trader Joe's - maybe close the tiny one on Boylston - put it where Barnes & Noble used to be.
 
Re: Filene's

One thing I don't understand from the new design is that the Globe article says that floors 1-9 will be hotel and the rest will be commercial office space. Where will the 250,000 square feet of retail go? Surely that can all be ground floor retail. 250,000 square feet is a lot of retail space, no?
 
Re: Filene's

The Globe is wrong. Retail is 1-4, Hotel is 5-8, Office is 9 up. Also, Filene's Basement B1-B3 under the Burnham Building.
 
Re: Filene's

Only under the Burnham building? Before it closed, Filene's Basement occupied B1 and B2 of the entire block.
 
project change meeting 1/8/09

Project change meeting

One Franklin
Filene?s Redevelopment
January 8th, 2009
Boston City Hall
Boston Redevelopment Authority, Board Room, 9th Fl
The Project Proponent: Vornado Realty Trust and Gale International, LLC
Project Description: The Project will include the preservation of and renovations
to the existing eight-(8) story Filene?s building at the corner of Washington and
Summer Streets, preservation of the street facades and a portion of the building
volume and mass of the eight-(8) story Jones McDuffee and Stratton building
at the corner of Hawley and Franklin and the development of a new tower
containing up to thirty-three (33) stories for mixed use at a height of approximately
four hundred and fifty (450?) feet. The Project as currently envisioned will be used
for the following: multi tenant retail, including the retention of Filene?s Basement;
office; hotel (with up to 280 rooms and an approximately 125-seat restaurant);
health club and spa; underground parking and accessory uses.
Close of Comment Period: January 28, 2009
mail: Jay Rourke, Boston Redevelopment Authority
One City Hall Square, 9th Fl, Boston, MA 02201
fax: 617.742.7783
phone: 617.918.4317
email: jay.rourke.bra@cityofboston.gov
Theresa Donovan,
Assistant Secretary
Notice of
Project
Change
Click to expand...
 
Re: Filene's

Arch101 said:
The Globe is wrong. Retail is 1-4, Hotel is 5-8, Office is 9 up. Also, Filene's Basement B1-B3 under the Burnham Building.
Click to expand...

280 hotel rooms on just 4 floors? 70 rooms per floor? Is that even possible?
 
Re: Filene's

BosDevelop said:
280 hotel rooms on just 4 floors? 70 rooms per floor? Is that even possible?
Click to expand...

Actually, the count was at 250 before the redesign. I'm betting the Hotel is picking up some real estate because the elevator banks for the condos are now deleted. There will certainly be more lobby space divided between the Hotel and Office without the residential Lobby and all it's supporting rooms.
 
Re: Filene's

Ron Newman said:
Only under the Burnham building? Before it closed, Filene's Basement occupied B1 and B2 of the entire block.
Click to expand...

Well, the half of the block on Franklin Street is gone now, and the new Tower that will sit there will have only parking in it's basement. The original scheme had 5 underground floors for parking but I'm assuming the redesign will have only 3. This will save $$$ and they won't need it without the residential units.
The new Filene's Basement store drawings have been done for a year and provide a new store on B1-B3 under Burnham. There is a much smaller footprint B4 under Burnham which was supposed to be some support offices for FB.
 
Re: Filene's

Silent Blight, Holy Blight

L1110234.jpg
 
Re: Filene's

we can imagine that the snow is the foundation and they are rearing to go
 
Re: Filene's

33 storys, 450 feet...could be worse.

It also could be better. glad its still over 30 storys, although now it becomes just another tower, as opposed to somthing that would have helped make an impact.
:(
 
Re: Filene's

Although it still irks me that the height was cut, this is a better design. But the true test now is whether this proposal will end being the perfect compliment to 33 Arch (similar height, color, proximity) OR whether a larger plateau effect will take place (again, due to similar height, color, proximity).

I would like to see some more detailed renderings from different angles.
 
Re: Filene's

I think it's only 45' shorter than the original proposal. If that's the case, then it's amazing that 45' helps make the project favorable to complete. 33 Arch St is 477' right?
 
Re: Filene's

I was downtown this weekend shopping and there is no way that the Filenes building being ripped in half is safe just sitting their without being worked on. The air quality is a disaster at DTX area. I felt like I was breathing asbestos walking around the area.

I would like to know the environmental situation that this is causing?
 
Re: Filene's

All the asbestos in the Burnham Building has been removed. In fact, it took far longer and cost far more than was expected. (there was a LOT) The Burnham building now contains lots of steel and iron, some wood, some rat poop, a mountain of terra cotta and little else. Do not fear.
A beautiful temporary partition was designed to close in the Burnham building so that rehabilitation could take place concurrent with Tower construction. However, since Suffolk has been pulled out, it is doubtful it will be built this winter.
 
Re: Filene's

TheRifleman said:
I was downtown this weekend shopping and there is no way that the Filenes building being ripped in half is safe just sitting their without being worked on. The air quality is a disaster at DTX area. I felt like I was breathing asbestos walking around the area.

I would like to know the environmental situation that this is causing?
Click to expand...

Is this guy kidding? Where were you around DTX at the end of last winter/beg of spring?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Back
Top