Millennium Tower (Filene's) -Discussion and Photo Thread

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

DZH22 said:
There also isn't any reason to stop between there and Post Office Square. I park on Federal Street all the time and the whole stretch of Franklin between there to MT is pretty much totally dead. It's not like we lost anything there of merit. (besides, again, the awesome brick façade)
Click to expand...

Some of us work near here every day, and walking across Franklin on Arch is often an awkward dance because of vehicles not knowing what to do here, or dicking around, or pulling illegal maneuvers. It shouldn't be a staging area or parking lot, and the signage for vehicles coming up Franklin should be more clear.
 
Re: Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

datadyne007 said:
These are not mutually exclusive.
Click to expand...

No, but look at the surrounding streets. Hawley has nothing going on. Arch and Devonshire have nothing going on besides Elephant and Castle. Federal has nothing going on. We need to fix the main attraction (Washington) before worrying about its spokes. Washington is underutilized as a destination street and the whole area suffers because of it.

Even just fixating on this, right across the street is a parking garage. This little block is meant to pass through on your way to Washington. It's an afterthought and has been for the last decade+.


Coyote137 said:
Some of us work near here every day, and walking across Franklin on Arch is often an awkward dance because of vehicles not knowing what to do here, or dicking around, or pulling illegal maneuvers. It shouldn't be a staging area or parking lot, and the signage for vehicles coming up Franklin should be more clear.
Click to expand...

This is why sidewalks were created. Walk on those. There was one single sidewalk the entire time this complex was under construction, and it still exists.
 
Re: Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

DZH22 said:
Even just fixating on this, right across the street is a parking garage. This little block is meant to pass through on your way to Washington. It's an afterthought and has been for the last decade+.
Click to expand...

This is not true. Filene's was there along that entire street wall and there were planters, trees & benches in the extra wide sidewalk that was Shoppers Park. Just because Filene's got torn down doesn't mean that the urban space shouldn't be reactivated.

And this isn't about plastering the Franklin St streetwall with retail. Retail is only one way to activate an urban space. Shade trees, planters & benches can absolutely add vitality to a space & would be a welcome addition to this particular area that is currently a sea of woonerf'ed space devoted to cars.

DZH22 said:
This is why sidewalks were created. Walk on those. There was one single sidewalk the entire time this complex was under construction, and it still exists.
Click to expand...
Why can't you make any comparisons or set precedents based on what was there before 2006?
 
Re: Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

BKNA said:
its not a good look, literally and figuratively/politically.
its also supposed be kept clear for fire access to Washington St (which is why the planters by the T head house were removed).
Click to expand...

Absolutely agree, nothing looks worse in a subdivision than five or six cars/pick-up trucks parked helter skelter on the front lawn where they don't belong. The same can be said for vehicles parked in front and around urban buildings where vehicles shouldn't be, like Data's pic shows. The vehicles scattered around City Hall Plaza near City Hall, and also around the State Service Center (along with that freaking chain-link fencing) just look like trash! I get the valet thing but those valet guys need to move the cars to their proper holding area.
 
Re: Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

atlantaden said:
Absolutely agree, nothing looks worse in a subdivision than five or six cars/pick-up trucks parked helter skelter on the front lawn where they don't belong. The same can be said for vehicles parked in front and around urban buildings where vehicles shouldn't be, like Data's pic shows. The vehicles scattered around City Hall Plaza near City Hall, and also around the State Service Center (along with that freaking chain-link fencing) just look like trash! I get the valet thing but those valet guys need to move the cars to their proper holding area.
Click to expand...

One more: at the Custom House Tower where cars are often parked on both McKinley Square and on the "plaza" adjacent to Central Street.
 
Re: Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

DZH22 said:
No, but look at the surrounding streets. Hawley has nothing going on. Arch and Devonshire have nothing going on besides Elephant and Castle. Federal has nothing going on. We need to fix the main attraction (Washington) before worrying about its spokes. Washington is underutilized as a destination street and the whole area suffers because of it.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry but these gross generalizations are really misleading and snobbish frankly.

1.) Hawley St.--all 200 yards of it--has a preposterous amount of economic lifeblood pumping through it all day long. Delivery trucks for Roche Bros., Primark, Cafe Nero. Commuters entering & exiting 101 Arch & 33 Arch garages. It just doesn't happen to have any "authentically urban" gastropubs or anything else to be infatuated by. Guess what: you still need garages and loading docks to make a city hum.

2.) Ditto for Federal. Sure, it has no charming quaint cafes or anything like that... but why bother, when there are so many along Washington St. now? Federal St. is jam-packed with huge office tenants that patronize the restaurants, etc. along Washington St. and that complementary aspect is just fine.

3.) How is Washington St. underutilized? That must be news to the tens of thousands of pedestrians flowing along it all day long. Yes it has uneven patches, hit-or-miss now. Well, welcome to the Amazon era. What downtown mixed-use commercial district isn't pockmarked with glaring retail vacancies in the age of Amazon? And, of course, it's revival of the past five years, in aggregate, is major, with the restored theaters, new restaurants, etc.

4.) Arch & Devonshire has nothing going on: really? That must be news to the Merchant, which opened a few years back. That also must be news to Cafe de Boston, that big new gym at 1 Federal that spills over to Devonshire, Guru restaurant, Boston Wine Exchange, Potbelly, etc...

Again, of course things are uneven, with glaring vacancies here-and-there. But this whole "nothing going on" is just ridiculously prejudiced in favor of a very narrow notion of what constitutes vitality and vibrancy. Not everything can be the South End on the Beehive block of Tremont. And. that's. just. fine.
 
Re: Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

DBM said:
I'm sorry but these gross generalizations are really misleading and snobbish frankly.

1.) Hawley St.--all 200 yards of it--has a preposterous amount of economic lifeblood pumping through it all day long. Delivery trucks for Roche Bros., Primark, Cafe Nero. Commuters entering & exiting 101 Arch & 33 Arch garages. It just doesn't happen to have any "authentically urban" gastropubs or anything else to be infatuated by. Guess what: you still need garages and loading docks to make a city hum.

2.) Ditto for Federal. Sure, it has no charming quaint cafes or anything like that... but why bother, when there are so many along Washington St. now? Federal St. is jam-packed with huge office tenants that patronize the restaurants, etc. along Washington St. and that complementary aspect is just fine.

3.) How is Washington St. underutilized? That must be news to the tens of thousands of pedestrians flowing along it all day long. Yes it has uneven patches, hit-or-miss now. Well, welcome to the Amazon era. What downtown mixed-use commercial district isn't pockmarked with glaring retail vacancies in the age of Amazon? And, of course, it's revival of the past five years, in aggregate, is major, with the restored theaters, new restaurants, etc.

4.) Arch & Devonshire has nothing going on: really? That must be news to the Merchant, which opened a few years back. That also must be news to Cafe de Boston, that big new gym at 1 Federal that spills over to Devonshire, Guru restaurant, Boston Wine Exchange, Potbelly, etc...

Again, of course things are uneven, with glaring vacancies here-and-there. But this whole "nothing going on" is just ridiculously prejudiced in favor of a very narrow notion of what constitutes vitality and vibrancy. Not everything can be the South End on the Beehive block of Tremont. And. that's. just. fine.
Click to expand...
This is a very good post. Thank you.

The Merchant alone could benefit from a narrowing of Franklin (it's obscenely wide before Hawley) by means of having a great outdoor seating area on an extended sidewalk. The sushi place next door would enjoy the same capacity bump. Both places fill up regularly, especially in the warm afternoons & evenings.
 
Re: Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

rszu0QH.jpg
 
Re: Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

I'm pissed the previous developer was forced to keep it at the cost of at least a million dollars. The floor heights seriously hamstrung the Elkus design team in that corner of the complex. So many complicated design issues would have been avoided had that design team been able to "clean sheet" that corner behind a faux-historic exterior. Millennium was lucky to be able to lose it.
 
Re: Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

DBM said:
I'm sorry but these gross generalizations are really misleading and snobbish frankly.

1.) Hawley St.--all 200 yards of it--has a preposterous amount of economic lifeblood pumping through it all day long. Delivery trucks for Roche Bros., Primark, Cafe Nero. Commuters entering & exiting 101 Arch & 33 Arch garages. It just doesn't happen to have any "authentically urban" gastropubs or anything else to be infatuated by. Guess what: you still need garages and loading docks to make a city hum.

2.) Ditto for Federal. Sure, it has no charming quaint cafes or anything like that... but why bother, when there are so many along Washington St. now? Federal St. is jam-packed with huge office tenants that patronize the restaurants, etc. along Washington St. and that complementary aspect is just fine.

3.) How is Washington St. underutilized? That must be news to the tens of thousands of pedestrians flowing along it all day long. Yes it has uneven patches, hit-or-miss now. Well, welcome to the Amazon era. What downtown mixed-use commercial district isn't pockmarked with glaring retail vacancies in the age of Amazon? And, of course, it's revival of the past five years, in aggregate, is major, with the restored theaters, new restaurants, etc.

4.) Arch & Devonshire has nothing going on: really? That must be news to the Merchant, which opened a few years back. That also must be news to Cafe de Boston, that big new gym at 1 Federal that spills over to Devonshire, Guru restaurant, Boston Wine Exchange, Potbelly, etc...

Again, of course things are uneven, with glaring vacancies here-and-there. But this whole "nothing going on" is just ridiculously prejudiced in favor of a very narrow notion of what constitutes vitality and vibrancy. Not everything can be the South End on the Beehive block of Tremont. And. that's. just. fine.
Click to expand...

Excellent post. Thank you. You put into words exactly my thoughts, but in a manor more succinctly and free of frustration-driven curse words than I would have used. :)
 
Re: Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

DZH22 said:
No, but look at the surrounding streets. Hawley has nothing going on. Arch and Devonshire have nothing going on besides Elephant and Castle. Federal has nothing going on. We need to fix the main attraction (Washington) before worrying about its spokes. Washington is underutilized as a destination street and the whole area suffers because of it.

Even just fixating on this, right across the street is a parking garage. This little block is meant to pass through on your way to Washington. It's an afterthought and has been for the last decade+.




This is why sidewalks were created. Walk on those. There was one single sidewalk the entire time this complex was under construction, and it still exists.
Click to expand...

Apparently you didn't read what I wrote. When did I say I wasn't walking on the sidewalk? Also, do you know what it means to cross a street? Or are you always only in your car?

There are many other businesses on all of those streets you mention. There are also many human beings walking on those streets - I suggest visiting them to gather actual information.
 
Re: Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

Coyote137 said:
Also, do you know what it means to cross a street? Or are you always only in your car?
Click to expand...

Do I know what it means to cross a street? Yes, I look both ways, like I was taught and had hammered home consistently around the ages of 3-5. I haven't been hit by a car for 35 years now and counting! (at least that's what the sign says that I proudly update daily)

Just the other day I parked on the Cambridge side of the river, crossed the Mass Ave Bridge, and ended up all the way out at Ink Block before looping back. I had to cross lots of streets and still managed to update my sign at the end of the night. Victorious for another day!

In the case of Millennium Tower, it has probably been about a week and a half since I walked right by where you are talking about and didn't get hit by a car. Maybe things have gotten much more dangerous since then? Or maybe you were never taught to look both ways before crossing? I would highly recommend it. It also helps if you put the phone away. Quite the lost art in 2017.
 
Re: Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

DZH22 said:
Do I know what it means to cross a street? Yes, I look both ways, like I was taught and had hammered home consistently around the ages of 3-5. I haven't been hit by a car for 35 years now and counting! (at least that's what the sign says that I proudly update daily)

Just the other day I parked on the Cambridge side of the river, crossed the Mass Ave Bridge, and ended up all the way out at Ink Block before looping back. I had to cross lots of streets and still managed to update my sign at the end of the night. Victorious for another day!

In the case of Millennium Tower, it has probably been about a week and a half since I walked right by where you are talking about and didn't get hit by a car. Maybe things have gotten much more dangerous since then? Or maybe you were never taught to look both ways before crossing? I would highly recommend it. It also helps if you put the phone away. Quite the lost art in 2017.
Click to expand...

When did I say I got hit by a car? How was that straw man worth multiple paragraphs?

Getting hit by a car is now the standard for whether a street is designed well...huh. I'll have to pass that up the chain.
 
Re: Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

Coyote137 said:
When did I say I got hit by a car? How was that straw man worth multiple paragraphs?
Click to expand...

You didn't, but you asked me if I "know what it means to cross a street." The answer is yes, you walk from one side to the other, and if you don't get hit by anything (such as a car), it's a successful crossing.

I feel like "straw man" is a term that is really overused and beaten into the ground by some of you. If you don't want a stupidly simple answer, don't ask stupid questions.
 
Re: Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

DZH22 said:
You didn't, but you asked me if I "know what it means to cross a street." The answer is yes, you walk from one side to the other, and if you don't get hit by anything (such as a car), it's a successful crossing.

I feel like "straw man" is a term that is really overused and beaten into the ground by some of you. If you don't want a stupidly simple answer, don't ask stupid questions.
Click to expand...

Well you sound really nice, and I imagine we'd have a great time getting a beer together. I'm sure I do ask stupid questions, but I'm also hopeful you'll find it in your heart to forgive my idiocy.

In any event, the intersection in question is less than ideal, could stand to be more pedestrian-friendly, and there should not be so many cars parked in front of MT.
 
Re: Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

I obviously haven't seen it in person so I can't say how bad it truly is but an abundance of cars out front could be construed as a good thing in that there are actual residents coming and going. We all feared that this was going to be a barely utilized parking lot for overseas wealth.
 
Re: Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

kmp1284 said:
We all feared that this was going to be a barely utilized parking lot for overseas wealth.
Click to expand...

Speak for yourself
 
Re: Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

Coyote137 said:
...

In any event, the intersection in question is less than ideal, could stand to be more pedestrian-friendly, and there should not be so many cars parked in front of MT.
Click to expand...

It's one thing if the cars parked in front of MT have nothing to do with MT or its residents, but another thing altogether if they do. Because as far as I understand it, the area in front of Franklin St. that you speak of has been designed and is being used for MT. I believe the building is valet-only. Residents and guests can not self-park into the garage and must call down to have their cars brought out as well. I imagine there are also various vehicles bringing services, deliveries, etc. to the building that are being temporarily parked there as well.

The fact that there are "so many cars parked" there could just be indication that the space is indeed needed and is being used as intended.

That may irk you as a pedestrian, but with all due respect, you don't live there. Aesthetics of the vehicle pile up aside, the street is still public and nothing prevents anyone from using it on foot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top