Parcel 25 | Kneeland St | Chinatown

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reverend_paco

reverend_paco

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This is back.

State is unbundling the easiest parcel and putting it up for sale:

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MassDOT is looking to lease a one acre plot of state-owned land along Kneeland Street to a developer to build a mix of housing and commercial space. Known as Parcel 25, the site is just a stone’s throw away from South Station amidst highway on-ramps that connect the Leather District, Mass Pike and Central Artery.
Developers will be allowed to build up to 27 stories on the property, and must make at least 20% of the building’s housing units affordable, according to state officials. They say they hope to select a bidder for the site by the end of 2020.
Parcel 25 is the third state property in Downtown Boston to hit the auction block in the past two months. In late September, Governor Baker announced his intention to sell the Hynes Convention Center as part of a plan to finance the expansion of the Boston Convention and Expo Center. Earlier this month, the administration unveiled plans to sell the Hurley Building, a state office complex between Beacon Hill and Government Center.
This is not the first time the state has tried to spur private development on Parcel 25. The plot was part of a swath of land offered to developers in 2012 and 2016. Those plans, which included the adjacent decommissioned Veolia power plant and a handful of other government-owned parcels, failed to attract any viable proposals.
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Why is the height limited to 27 stories? Seriously, this is a windswept stretch of road along highways and the state should do whatever it takes to override ridiculous zoning limits here and just let the developer build whatever height they want. Especially if they're demanding 20% affordable units.

I do have to also agree with the concerns of the locals quoted in this article, that by chopping off the easiest-to-develop parcel, the state is basically making it impossible to ever get anyone to build on the others. On the other hand, I'm no engineer or architect, so I don't know, but looking at this area on a map development of any of the other parcels seems extraordinarily difficult, much more so than what seems like relatively simple parcels over the Pike that themselves have shown to be impossible to develop.
 
FK4 said:
Why is the height limited to 27 stories? Seriously, this is a windswept stretch of road along highways and the state should do whatever it takes to override ridiculous zoning limits here and just let the developer build whatever height they want. Especially if they're demanding 20% affordable units.
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Take it up with the FAA.
 
DZH22 said:
Take it up with the FAA.
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Is that actually the FAA limit here, though? This is right on the edge. And, surely even if it's in the 300 ft zone, it must be only a few feet over the line, and I would think the state could argue with the FAA on this one for an exception.
Logan%20Flight%20Paths.png
 
Looks like its in between 325 and 350, which comes close to 27 stories.
 
Found some old renders for the site back from 2012. Not sure if I'm just the only one seeing these for the first time...but interesting what could go here:

www.hacin.com

Parcel 25 · Hacin + Associates

The proposed project at ‘Parcel 25’ was designed for a city-sponsored development competition in collaboration with ICON Architecture and Mikyoung Kim Design. The project objectives...
www.hacin.com www.hacin.com
 
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The mythical South Station tower is pretty much the last place you can build tall, moving south from the Financial District. Then you hit the FAA safety buffers for Runway 9/27 aborted takeoffs and landings.
 
JeffDowntown said:
The mythical South Station tower is pretty much the last place you can build tall, moving south from the Financial District. Then you hit the FAA safety buffers for Runway 9/27 aborted takeoffs and landings.
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There's that garage across from 1 Lincoln where they only proposed a 380'.
 
Parcel 25 has been determined for 300' top.
27 stories will be pushing it.
125 Lincoln is on the other side of the FAA dividing line.
 
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FK4 said:
Why is the height limited to 27 stories? Seriously, this is a windswept stretch of road along highways and the state should do whatever it takes to override ridiculous zoning limits here and just let the developer build whatever height they want. Especially if they're demanding 20% affordable units.

I do have to also agree with the concerns of the locals quoted in this article, that by chopping off the easiest-to-develop parcel, the state is basically making it impossible to ever get anyone to build on the others. On the other hand, I'm no engineer or architect, so I don't know, but looking at this area on a map development of any of the other parcels seems extraordinarily difficult, much more so than what seems like relatively simple parcels over the Pike that themselves have shown to be impossible to develop.
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This is an air rights parcel, so its much harder. Luckily it has about 50% solid ground so that helps a lot. If this gets built thats great news. Parcel 26 next door is on flat ground, so its much easier to build. Then depending on how its broken up you have room for 2 more parcels on solid ground too next to these.

web_Kneeland.jpg


web_Kneeland-2.jpg


web_Highway-2.jpg


Axon-Diagram-2-01-1880x992.jpg




dman10089 said:
Found some old renders for the site back from 2012. Not sure if I'm just the only one seeing these for the first time...but interesting what could go here:

www.hacin.com

Parcel 25 · Hacin + Associates

The proposed project at ‘Parcel 25’ was designed for a city-sponsored development competition in collaboration with ICON Architecture and Mikyoung Kim Design. The project objectives...
www.hacin.com www.hacin.com
Click to expand...
 
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...MassDOT is trying again to break the Kneeland Street Curse — this time by selling them one at a time, starting with the smaller piece, known as Parcel 25. On Wednesday, the agency put out a request for information to get advice from the development community that could shape the upcoming bidding process. Although the property officially hits the market in the spring, the calls are already starting to come in.
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https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/02...near-south-station-finally-hits-market-again/
 
I'm sure there are issues involved with any site, but this one in particular seems to have just the right recipe to turn developers' stomachs. The DOT offices sticking around means the builder would likely need to offer office and garage space at a peppercorn rent or build around the existing structure.
 
HarvardP said:
I'm sure there are issues involved with any site, but this one in particular seems to have just the right recipe to turn developers' stomachs. The DOT offices sticking around means the builder would likely need to offer office and garage space at a peppercorn rent or build around the existing structure.
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Parcel 25 is a strip of land... the offices are on the other parcel along with the steam plant.
 
Ok, right, it is broken up into two parcels now. I think 25 alone will be a tough sell.
 
HarvardP said:
Ok, right, it is broken up into two parcels now. I think 25 alone will be a tough sell.
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I actually think Parcel 25 alone is the easier parcel to sell.

Decent size for a downtown parcel.
Limited amount of air rights encumbrance.
No steam plant to deal with.
No public park to deal with.
No existing MassDOT building to deal with.
No thru-access to Parcel 27 to deal with.
 
This is back out to bid.


The invitation to bid will call for developers to transform 1.3 acres at MassDOT’s Parcel 25, a site bound by Kneeland, Lincoln and Albany streets immediately adjacent to the Interstate 93 on-ramp outside Chinatown. The state-owned acreage includes some 32,000 square feet of terra firma — that is, physical land — and 24,600 square feet of air rights above highway ramps.

A smaller third parcel at the corner of Kneeland and Lincoln streets, owned by the city of Boston and spanning nearly 5,000 square feet, could also be included in the project.

[...]

A development at the site could reach up to 300 feet, per federal aviation guidelines, but would require a zoning change. Bids are due to MassDOT on Thursday, April 15, and the state expects to select a developer in June.
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goldenretrievers said:
it would be nice if they could deck 93 with a park and go tall on the solid ground

(anything that buries the highways would be great, as opposed to the trellis design)
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dallas did a great job with doing this building the Klyde Warren park over central. pretty sure it was paid for entirely through private donations though, lot of money to raise!
 
goldenretrievers said:
it would be nice if they could deck 93 with a park and go tall on the solid ground

(anything that buries the highways would be great, as opposed to the trellis design)
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Yes, the trellis they propose is functionally identical to just ignoring that part of the parcel - doesn't help with air quality, noise, or providing new space for parks, dog walking, buildings, etc.

I realize this is more of a solution looking for a problem, but this parcel connects under the South Station Connector viaduct to the triangular parcel to the south. It would be neat if the developer could put something small there, + a new sidewalk on the south side of SSC Rd., connected to the pedestrian walkway on Albany, and could be connected for pedestrian or service use under the bridge to Parcel 25. I'm thinking adding extra rooms to a hotel, perhaps, with street-level retail or cafe. Normally I'd say it's a garbage location to build something, but something more substantial at Parcel 25 + the direct connection to the One Greenway Park across Albany could make it a nice space for a shop, gym, other amenity of a larger development.
 
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