New FBI Headquarters | Everett Avenue | Chelsea

[gooseberry]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

If this site is the one between the railroad tracks and the Wyndam Hotel, then it's not too far from the Chelsea commuter rail stop.

 

[riffgo]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

It's bad because government should be encouraging urbanization.

 

[Sicilian]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

Is Pappas actually looking to redevelop his landholdings between D Street and the channel? In all the South Boston/Waterfront development news, you rarely hear about his parcels.

Given the debacle along the waterfront, I think his parcels offer the best hope for a real residential neighborhood to develop (also providing continuity to residential Southie).

Last I remember, USPS was looking to relocate to the Reserve Channel, on Pappas parcel(s). No news on that recently. If I remember correctly, there is a fully approved unbuilt residential development along D Street, closer to W 1st Street.

Apparently the BCEC has decided that expansion over the Haul Road into Fort Point is too costly, for now. Maybe that implies they will be spreading in the other direction, toward the area east of D Street along the Reserve Channel.

Regarding the FBI:

This may be an example of the Boston process doing what it is meant to do. If this were Houston, Fort Point would already be changing the signs to Fort Fed and it would actually look like a fort. It is a good thing that this facility will not be built there.

Agree.

 

[belmont square]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

It's bad because government should be encouraging urbanization.

But isn't this encouraging urbanization? The location in Chelsea is more urban than South Boston Waterfront locations are where the FBI could have gone.

 

[porter]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

I've seen mockups for what this building would have looked like were it built along Summer St on the Pappas leasehold. It was simply awful, exactly as you would imagine.

Another plot on Pappas's land will presumably be for the new USPS GMF, an equally bad building but it will at least not front on Summer St, leaving that space for future midrise office development. Someone suggested that a residential area should be developed on the Pappas land. I don't think the general goal of Pappas or Massport is to convert this to a livable neighborhood any time soon; the industrial usage for the site will remain because of the proximity to the Industrial Park, Conley Terminal, and the two haul roads. It seems when this area was masterplanned, D street was envisioned as the connector to South Boston, E street was envisioned as a third haul road, and only the land north of summer street would be developed.

 

[EdFindlay]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

Rt. 1 north is roughly two blocks away. Rt. 1 south is a block and a half away. Revere Beach Parkway is three blocks away. Commuter Rail is two blocks away. 111 is four blocks away. 112 is right there. They have a blank slate with nothing around on three sides with the fourth side being an active railroad line. It's an oddly shaped plot of land, but that works to their advantage as they can put parking farther from the builiding core.

By the way, right across the street(but far enough to meet their standards) will be hotels- one the existing Wyndham and one a new Residence Inn: http://www.chelsearecord.com/2011/06/30/marriott-corporation-pays-city-for-land/

And according to some thirdhand rumors Mumbles was pissed to the point that he's trying to do anything and everthing to get them to put the building back in Boston, which is why they haven't started building the complex yet despite having a slab of land ready to go.

 

[BostonUrbEx]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

If Boston annexes Chelsea, then everyone wins.

 

[EdFindlay]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

If Boston annexes Chelsea, then everyone wins.

It would still be in Chelsea even if the Chelsea city government went the way of the dodo...either he gets it or he cries foul all the way to Obama and back.

 

[Ron Newman]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

Annexing Chelsea to Boston got some consideration twenty years ago when Chelsea fell into financial difficulty and had its local government temporarily taken over by the state. But the idea didn't go much of anywhere.

 

[Mayor Menino's Crohn's]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

If Boston annexes Chelsea, then everyone wins.

Let Chelsea stay Chelsea...I'd rather have Boston annex Dedham

 

[nico]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

^what would be the advantage of annexing Dedham (2,355 residents/mile) over Chelsea (19,543 residents/mile) ? Does Boston need more suburban minded residents?

 

[statler]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. It's one thing if you are thinking that Boston could somehow urbanize Dedham, but...West Roxbury.

 

[EdFindlay]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

^what would be the advantage of annexing Dedham (2,355 residents/mile) over Chelsea (19,543 residents/mile) ? Does Boston need more suburban minded residents?

That and the headache it would cause the county and the state since Dedham has most of the Norfolk County government functions based out of the town...

 

[Mayor Menino's Crohn's]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

^what would be the advantage of annexing Dedham (2,355 residents/mile) over Chelsea (19,543 residents/mile) ? Does Boston need more suburban minded residents?

More suburban minded residents are what Boston needs the most at this point...It worked for West Roxbury...right? Besides I could honestly see Dedham becoming the next West Roxbury and/or Hyde Park...that's what they're starting to do the last time I drove through Dedham Square...Chelsea would just create more headaches than needed...and there's already enough violence in Dorchester

 

[EdFindlay]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

More suburban minded residents are what Boston needs the most at this point...It worked for West Roxbury...right? Besides I could honestly see Dedham becoming the next West Roxbury and/or Hyde Park...that's what they're starting to do the last time I drove through Dedham Square...Chelsea would just create more headaches than needed...and there's already enough violence in Dorchester

Violence? Really? Going down that road?

If Dedham wanted to they would and could become part of the city- but they don't want to. They want to remain the urban enclave of their own and be the focal point of Norfolk County.

 

[Mayor Menino's Crohn's]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

Violence? Really? Going down that road?

To be fair, while you're point on Dedham is well taken (I gotcha going), if Boston annexed Chelsea because of the FBI HQ, it still wouldn't be beneficial to the city. Even if they totally gentrify Chelsea, you still won't be seeing hipsters in that area. I was in Hyde Park recently, and they're really trying to make that area similar to Brighton (to some extent). You can literally see the gentrification line.

 

[statler]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

More suburban minded residents are what Boston needs the most at this point...It worked for West Roxbury...right?

Do you read this forum at all? Making Boston more like West Roxbury is pretty much the last thing most people here want.

 

[nico]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

By what definition is Dedham urban?
Just don't see how it would benefit Boston to spread any further south or southwest than it is now.

 

[Ron Newman]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

Going back to topic, this decision is probably good for both Chelsea and Boston.

 

[nico]

Re: FBI moving to Chelsea

agreed