One Kenmore Square | 560 Commonwealth Avenue | Kenmore Square

Re: Crossroads at Kenmore | 560 Commonwealth Ave | Kenmore Square

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I attended the meeting. Only one building - they move the Citizen's Bank building forward into the square to create a cross street behind it that changes traffic patterns around the square (managing volumes and throughput to keep volumes and traffic times the same as before) while greatly improving pedestrian crossing and bicycle movements. The amount of public space just about doubles in their proposal and accessibility to it is improved immensely.
The Studio Gang designed building is quite impressive with a major riff on a streetwall of bay windows - tapering down from the top, where it is mostly cladding (of some yet undecided upon material but mineral/earth tone) at the top and all glass at the base.
I'm hugely excited about this and can't wait for the presentation materials to come online.
 
Re: Crossroads at Kenmore | 560 Commonwealth Ave | Kenmore Square

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From the Studio Gang

https://www.bostonglobe.com/busines...uare-moving/Rahy9Zz7sWuP5OAryY8I5H/story.html

Drawings show a flatiron-shaped tower — designed by prominent Chicago architecture firm Studio Gang — soaring nearly 300 feet above the square, with a spacious plaza at its base that replaces what is now largely asphalt. Most significantly, Korff wants to cut a new street behind the hotel that would connect Commonwealth Avenue and Beacon Street and allow much of the traffic that now passes through the five-way intersection to be diverted around it.

...making the building taller but also locating it closer to the center of the square while steering Beacon Street into a sort of dogleg behind it. The result would shorten crosswalks, make room for protected bike lanes, and trade asphalt for almost a half-acre of new sidewalk. It also would put a striking triangular tower, which Korff hopes to fill with a four-star hotel, as a bookend on the square’s western edge.
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Re: Crossroads at Kenmore | 560 Commonwealth Ave | Kenmore Square

Looks like the building has been moved onto Comm Ave. to preserve the views of the condo building behind it
 
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Re: Crossroads at Kenmore | 560 Commonwealth Ave | Kenmore Square

They should make it taller... heh
 
Re: Crossroads at Kenmore | 560 Commonwealth Ave | Kenmore Square

BostonObserver said:
Looks like the building has been moved onto Comm Ave.
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It has. The proposal seems to be to use the connector road behind the tower (basically where the Citizens Bank is now) to convert Beacon and Commonwealth into a one-way pair into the square. The tower itself would be on the EB lanes of Commonwealth with the pedestrian square sharing its edge with the GL portal.

At least that's how I read it. Hopefully we'll get all the slides soon (thanks for going, Randomgear!)
 
Re: Crossroads at Kenmore | 560 Commonwealth Ave | Kenmore Square

Equilibria said:
It has. The proposal seems to be to use the connector road behind the tower (basically where the Citizens Bank is now) to convert Beacon and Commonwealth into a one-way pair into the square. The tower itself would be on the EB lanes of Commonwealth with the pedestrian square sharing its edge with the GL portal.

At least that's how I read it. Hopefully we'll get all the slides soon (thanks for going, Randomgear!)
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I am willing to bet that this revised layout, in part, relates to a proposed compromise with residents of the co-op tower right next to this. Without pulling the new tower into Comm and creating space between, all of those folks would have had this building right up against their windows.

I get all the "this makes Kenmore better overall" narrative, but I am hesitant to believe the change was driven purely by that.
 
Re: Crossroads at Kenmore | 560 Commonwealth Ave | Kenmore Square

Why did they get rid of the second building, and is the first really taller? That would put it over 300' since it was originally ~296' to the top of the crown.
 
Re: Crossroads at Kenmore | 560 Commonwealth Ave | Kenmore Square

DZH22 said:
Why did they get rid of the second building, and is the first really taller? That would put it over 300' since it was originally ~296' to the top of the crown.
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I don't think they got rid of it - it's a different developer. This meeting/slide deck dealt only with Korff's building.
 
Re: Crossroads at Kenmore | 560 Commonwealth Ave | Kenmore Square

It looks great, but it’s hard to take seriously any suggestion that that little cut through road could handle traffic going thru the square. If to traverse Kenmore you have to do a left right left, just the turning and coordination of those separate lights adds much more time than a single linear distance. Very difficult to time lights to make that scheme flow.
 
Re: Crossroads at Kenmore | 560 Commonwealth Ave | Kenmore Square

I'm very confused about the new traffic pattern they're proposing. Can someone ELI5?
 
Re: Crossroads at Kenmore | 560 Commonwealth Ave | Kenmore Square

That's incredibly helpful. Thanks.

It's also a brilliant idea.
 
Re: Crossroads at Kenmore | 560 Commonwealth Ave | Kenmore Square

Wow, that's drastic.
 
Re: Crossroads at Kenmore | 560 Commonwealth Ave | Kenmore Square

stellarfun said:
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Hell. Yes.

Wow. This, the pike air rights, bu development right up commonwealth ave from this not even shown in the renders, and the rest of the development going on in Fenway is incredible. Were actually getting a nice little cluster out here with the Pierce right down the road as well. I love this. All of this really extends the city westward, after this Kenmore/Fenway cluster you have the BU cluster, future Allston yards cluster, then Boston Landing. Amazing. Build!!!
 
Re: Crossroads at Kenmore | 560 Commonwealth Ave | Kenmore Square

Westbound traffic, to continue on Beacon, gets routed to Comm, then left on new street, then right on Beacon.

Westbound traffic headed thru square trying to take left onto Brookline Ave now goes Comm, new street, Beacon, Brookline.

Eastbound traffic on Comm has to go right on new street, left on Beacon.
 
Re: Crossroads at Kenmore | 560 Commonwealth Ave | Kenmore Square

FK4 said:
Westbound traffic headed thru square trying to take left onto Brookline Ave now goes Comm, new street, Beacon, Brookline.
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It looks like there is still a left turn for cars heading west on to Brookline Ave. The turn lane is to the left of the bike lane.
 
Re: Crossroads at Kenmore | 560 Commonwealth Ave | Kenmore Square

Big cycling improvements, too. Kenmore has never been a good place for any cyclists who aren't fairly comfortable moving in and out of vehicular lanes, this will make it accessible to a far greater range of skill and comfort levels.
 
Re: Crossroads at Kenmore | 560 Commonwealth Ave | Kenmore Square

The tower is lovely.

I have very grave misgivings about the traffic plan, rooted in three interrelated elements:

  • The "psychographic" of the New England motorist;
  • The functionality of this system of intersections in a severe weather event;
  • Boston's historic mismanagement of traffic-control systems.

As always, data (i.e. traffic counts) without context and narrative isn't really actionable. I understand and endorse the imperative of making Kenmore safer for pedestrians and cyclists, but I'm not sure this approach can succeed here.
 
Re: Crossroads at Kenmore | 560 Commonwealth Ave | Kenmore Square

Beton Brut said:
The tower is lovely.

I have very grave misgivings about the traffic plan, rooted in three interrelated elements:

  • The "psychographic" of the New England motorist;
  • The functionality of this system of intersections in a severe weather event;
  • Boston's historic mismanagement of traffic-control systems.

As always, data (i.e. traffic counts) without context and narrative isn't really actionable. I understand and endorse the imperative of making Kenmore safer for pedestrians and cyclists, but I'm not sure this approach can succeed here.
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How would this be harder to plow? You actually eliminate most median curbs and narrow barrels - it's all wide, straight roads with uninterrupted pavement.
 
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