Northeastern University - Institutional Master Plan

The EXP lot has been mostly cleared, including a trailer that’s been on there for months. Wouldn’t be surprised if they break ground very soon. Wasn't my intent, but you can also see some of the preventative fencing they've installed to the 10th floor of the Renaissance Parking Garage. Same thing is being added to the top floor of the Columbus Garage.
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EDIT: Went up to the 7th floor of the parking garage to take a picture and an officer said we weren’t allowed to be up there. Asked us for ID and everything. Really was skeptical that I was up there for pictures. Thankfully, I took this picture so he didn’t get much more annoyed. I know given the incident the situation from December that they have to make changes, but I read everywhere that only 9 and 10 were closed so we were sure to go a few floors lower to avoid conflict and be respectful. Not to mention there was no signage whatsoever that said anything against it. Would’ve appreciated a slightly less aggressive tone (especially considering if I was actually someone up there considering jumping, such a brash tone would be one of the last things I want to hear in a moment like that), but we obviously left nonetheless. Just a warning for those in the future as construction ramps up.

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Zash said:
The EXP lot has been mostly cleared, including a trailer that’s been on there for months. Wouldn’t be surprised if they break ground very soon.
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EDIT: Went up to the 7th floor to take a picture and an officer said we weren’t allowed to be up there. Asked us for ID and everything. Really was skeptical that I was up there for pictures. Thankfully, I took this picture so he didn’t get all annoyed. I know given the incident the situation from December that they have to make changes, but I read everywhere that only 9 and 10 were closed so we were sure to go a few floors lower to avoid conflict and be respectful. Not to mention there was no signage whatsoever that said anything against it. Would’ve appreciated a slightly less aggressive tone, but we obviously left nonetheless. Just a warning for those in the future.

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The trailers across Columbus, I wonder if they are the construction headquarters for the EXP contractors?
 
TomOfBoston said:
The trailers across Columbus, I wonder if they are the construction headquarters for the EXP contractors?
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That trailer has been there a while, no? But I wouldn't be surprised if it was for EXP and/or 840 Columbus Ave. I know there was a lot of Skanska (the same company behind ISEC) shipping crates previously on the EXP lot in addition to the aformentioned trailer (which might've had Skanska branding on it as well, can't quite remember), so they could've relocated their base of operations across the streets.

EDIT: Doing some very brief detective work on Google StreetView shows a sign on that trailer that says "JMA Field Office." Assuming that stands for John Moriarty & Associates. They've worked on the Atlantic Wharf, 111 Huntington, Boylston West, and the NewBalance HQ. If you look at the picture from the garage, however, that "JMA Field Office" sign is noticeably absent.
 
Zash said:
That trailer has been there a while, no? But I wouldn't be surprised if it was for EXP and/or 840 Columbus Ave. I know there was a lot of Skanska (the same company behind ISEC) shipping crates previously on the EXP lot in addition to the aformentioned trailer (which might've had Skanska branding on it as well, can't quite remember), so they could've relocated their base of operations across the streets.

EDIT: Doing some very brief detective work on Google StreetView shows a sign on that trailer that says "JMA Field Office." Assuming that stands for John Moriarty & Associates. They've worked on the Atlantic Wharf, 111 Huntington, Boylston West, and the NewBalance HQ. If you look at the picture from the garage, however, that "JMA Field Office" sign is noticeably absent.
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My understanding is that the Skanska team for the bridge was working out of that trailer. I think it is/will be transitioned to JMA when work begins.
 
Some detail pictures of the Northeastern University Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering Complex. They seem like simple details, but these are very good workmanship details. How many aluminum sill plates do you see not properly set level or oil canning, wavy/ uneven caulk joints between panels or even the research that went into the Accessible push button kiosk at each door. These are really well thought out and there was follow thru during construction. The impression form work used in the concrete work is top notch as well, no honeycombs, form seams are invisible and the control joints are tooled very well. I bet it will age well.
 

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This 2017 picture from reverend_paco took at Carter playground is great. It appears to be the foundation under an engine house turn-table from 1917. I couldn't get the map junction link to work.


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Not directly IMP related per se, but here's a list of the other units Northeastern is leasing out to social distance on-campus students as much as possible. Essentially, they've just expanded their footprint in all of the LPs they already use and are taking over the entirety of the Midtown Hotel until at least December. There's also a portion of Symphony Hall that the university will be using as a dining pick-up place and study space for students.

There's also a whole operation of essentially rebasing the NU.in program from universities across the globe to the Westin Copley hotel.

 
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Zash said:
Not directly IMP related per se, but here's a list of the other units Northeastern is leasing out to social distance on-campus students as much as possible. Essentially, they've just expanded their footprint in all of the LPs they already use and are taking over the entirety of the Midtown Hotel until at least December. There's also a portion of Symphony Hall that the university will be using as a dining pick-up place and study space for students.

There's also a whole operation of essentially rebasing the NU.in program from universities across the globe to the Westin Copley hotel.

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My reddit posts spread quickly... If anyone's curious other universities also have similar documents for the fall detailing the extra properties they are using:

COVID-19 related guidance for institutions | Boston Planning & Development Agency

Planning and development review for Boston's renowned higher-education, healthcare, and non-profit institutions.
www.bostonplans.org www.bostonplans.org
 
In case anyone was curious, there’s been some small construction developments on Northeastern’s campus in addition to EXP breaking ground.

Chicken Lou’s is being demolished. Also, a volleyball court in West Village and the green space in the science quad are being paved over with concrete. The assumption is that there will be tents placed here for students to have access to outdoor dining.

Note: I don’t take credit for the pictures here.
 

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Zash said:
In case anyone was curious, there’s been some small construction developments on Northeastern’s campus in addition to EXP breaking ground.

Chicken Lou’s is being demolished. Also, a volleyball court in West Village and the green space in the science quad are being paved over with concrete. The assumption is that there will be tents placed here for students to have access to outdoor dining.

Note: I don’t take credit for the pictures here.
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Is that concrete or gravel?
 
What's it going to take for Northeastern to put something like a stone dust path underneath its arcade of pin oaks along Ruggles St?
It seems to me that with a little help from the T (headhouse on Ruggles that actually fully-serves the Ruggles St end of the platforms) and from Wentworth (to complete a tie in to Huntington Ave), you'd get a great bike-ped access to the whole area (and to Longwood too)
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Arlington said:
What's it going to take for Northeastern to put something like a stone dust path underneath its arcade of pin oaks along Ruggles St?
It seems to me that with a little help from the T (headhouse on Ruggles that actually fully-serves the Ruggles St end of the platforms) and from Wentworth (to complete a tie in to Huntington Ave), you'd get a great bike-ped access to the whole area (and to Longwood too)
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Idk, but it'd be neat if the Alice Taylor apartments could get a 21st century upgrade like the Whittier Street apartments across Tremont. I remember (from my time at Northeastern) Albert Street being perhaps THE worst-paved road in the city. Sounds like the apartments themselves have been recently renovated, though, so I guess they'll retain that 1951 aesthetic for a while. :\
 
^ Speaking of the Ruggles St neighbors, are half the the Alice Taylor apartments "re done" (to get their peaked roofs, instead of flat) or were half always flat roofed and half always peak roofed?
 
Arlington said:
^ Speaking of the Ruggles St neighbors, are half the the Alice Taylor apartments "re done" (to get their peaked roofs, instead of flat) or were half always flat roofed and half always peak roofed?
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Per google maps, it's been that was since at least 2009:

2009
2018

You can see the peaked, wood(vinyl?)/brick hybrids on the left and the flat, all-brick buildings on the right.
Looking at it in google streetview reinforces for me how anti-urban the apartment complex is. Hopefully it doesn't stay like this for another 70 years..
 
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Arlington said:
^ Speaking of the Ruggles St neighbors, are half the the Alice Taylor apartments "re done" (to get their peaked roofs, instead of flat) or were half always flat roofed and half always peak roofed?
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They were all flat roofed when built and until their look was "softened" in a rehab before 2009. Source: My memories of the area.
 
Arlington said:
What's it going to take for Northeastern to put something like a stone dust path underneath its arcade of pin oaks along Ruggles St?
It seems to me that with a little help from the T (headhouse on Ruggles that actually fully-serves the Ruggles St end of the platforms) and from Wentworth (to complete a tie in to Huntington Ave), you'd get a great bike-ped access to the whole area (and to Longwood too)
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Rumour has it the city will push for this as part of the mitigation for 840 Columbus should that project continue to move forward.
 
Blackbird said:
Looking at it in google streetview reinforces for me how anti-urban the apartment complex is. Hopefully it doesn't stay like this for another 70 years..
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This stretch of Ruggles is pretty anti-urban on both sides. For some reason there's a 20' setback to West Village with some great trees, but it's just sort of dead space? No paths weaving between or places to sit and hang out (walking down between the 2 rows would be beautiful but it's just...grass?). And then everything south is overfilled with parking and access roads.
 
Bananarama said:
This stretch of Ruggles is pretty anti-urban on both sides. For some reason there's a 20' setback to West Village with some great trees, but it's just sort of dead space? No paths weaving between or places to sit and hang out (walking down between the 2 rows would be beautiful but it's just...grass?). And then everything south is overfilled with parking and access roads.
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It's an MBTA owned right of way, kept clear for an eventual rapit transit urban ring that never came. That's why Ruggles St has the setbacks it does, and why it looks so wrong. The current plan for the area is a multituse path instead. https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.n.../1522780697/BTD_Rox-Fen_Poster.jpg?1522780697
 
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