Rose Kennedy Greenway

No better place to put this, so sorry in advance:

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/r...investor-in-retail-properties-buys-prize.html

Honestly, I'm not sure I see a need for "transformation" on that lot. It seems pretty good right now. I guess you could replace the billboard and match the height of the adjacent buildings to repair a bit of the Central Artery exposure, but that might be considered a feature these days.
 
After going through a revolving door of failed businesses in that spot ever since Martignetti's closed (RIP, sweet prince), it'd be a shame if a new project displaced Bread and Butter. It's one of the few things (other than the Citizens Bank ATM which I won't count), that's been successful. 4-5 floors of cantilever would be great though.
 
The one and two story tax-payers need to all be redeveloped. You don't need a 10 story glass box here but something larger designed contextually would be a wonderful gateway into the North End.
 
Don't agree with these rather asinine pedestrian paths along conspicuous highway ramps?
Then, please:
Send comments by February 11th to: John Romano, MassDOT
e‐mail: john.romano@state.ma.us
US Mail: Mass Department of Transportation
c/o John Romano
10 Park Plaza, Suite 4160 Boston, Mass. 02116
 
Can you elaborate? I'm seeing a bunch of options, not picturing it too well though.
 
PaulC said:
January 8, 2015 meeting presentation:

http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/getattachment/3a9ad113-dff9-45dd-a47f-be57d63a85c2
Click to expand...

What's striking to me in that presentation is the wall effect of their raised paths and cover. They've made no attempt at all to make that high edge attractive - it will just look like a concrete retaining wall along the streets and will likely be stained and ugly within a few years. Given that the whole point of the Big Dig was to open up the artery alignment, closing it off again is a curious choice.

Honestly, figure out how to put up a building or leave it.
 
They should be building the Boston Museum over these! Still not sure how the ball got dropped on that one!
 
A museum or YMCA were never going to be able to afford the cost of building on such difficult parcels. Only a skyscraper could justify the cost and the only place where one would even be tolerated is parcel 18.

Parcel 6 seems to be the hardest to work with and I like what they are proposing because it deals with the problematic pedestrian connections at North Washington St and that hill feature is going to be very popular.
 
Matthew said:
Can you elaborate? I'm seeing a bunch of options, not picturing it too well though.
Click to expand...

Yes, sorry. It mostly concerns Parcel 12 - that's the ramp in full view of Quincy Market with the curved wall alongside the ramp, unkempt grass and off-and-on photography installation. Just briefly on the others:

Parcel 18 (Rowes Wharf) is surprisingly rather OK despite the ramps, because of a clearly defined public room that just somehow works. The ideas in the document here won't change anything radically but they may help enclose the space still further. That's good.

Parcel 6 (Sudbury, New Chardon) is a lost cause. The proposal in the document makes some sort of plaza and pedestrian pathway across new ramp ceilings. Maybe there's a better idea out there for this one, but I'm not sure.

Okay, back to Parcel 12. The document here proposes a mini High Line (groaaaan) to weave pedestrians diagonally up and over the ramp. But I have a much better idea in this case which I think warrants study: remove the ramp. Specifically, remove the southbound offramp to Clinton@Surface - the ramp that makes the parcel completely unbuildable. Remove that ramp and you now have a very solid rectangle footprint for a building, which would be very important in this location to pull the urbanism of Quincy Market out towards the North End.

Why do I believe this offramp is unnecessary? Because consider where southbound artery traffic is coming from. If they're coming south on 93, they can use the Leverett Connector and Merrimac/Congress Streets to get to this general area. And, if coming from the west on Storrow, they can access this part of downtown through either the Cambridge Street exit or through Leverett Circle to Merrimac/Congress Streets. The point is that in both cases the traffic would be redirected to another nearby exit.
 
Why not build a skyscraper and a museum. Museum on lower floors, skyscraper above. Developer gets to build a big skyscraper in exchange for museum space. Financing problem solved. Everyone's happy. Win-win. Seems pretty simple to me.
 
nepatz11 said:
Why not build a skyscraper and a museum. Museum on lower floors, skyscraper above. Developer gets to build a big skyscraper in exchange for museum space. Financing problem solved. Everyone's happy. Win-win. Seems pretty simple to me.
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Where the hell have you been for the last 5 years. They couldn't build anything without taxpayers incentives but you want them to incorporate a Museum in their developments.

Half of Menino developments over the last 5-7 years are all taxpayers incentive deals to enrich him and his business associates. God bless his soul.
Basically Menino did nothing to entice the developers to help enrich the city he only thought what he was getting out of the real estate deals.

But they couldn't budget for one development on the Greenway.
I actually would have liked to see the Greenhouse on the Greenway.

Govt does not work for the taxpayers anymore----The taxpayers work for the Govt.
 
nepatz11 said:
Why not build a skyscraper and a museum. Museum on lower floors, skyscraper above. Developer gets to build a big skyscraper in exchange for museum space. Financing problem solved. Everyone's happy. Win-win. Seems pretty simple to me.
Click to expand...

Skyscraper is not happening unless you provide independent support

The Big Dig specifically provided for some support for structures such as the proposed Boston Museum and the Garden Underglass -- but these were short lightweight structures

Even the proposed Y with it swimming pool was still only a 5 or so story structure

If you want to build high to pay for the Museum you then have to be prepared to drill deep to bedrock and build an immense truss to support your building on a bridge essentially flying above the Big Dig
 
TheRifleman said:
Where the hell have you been for the last 5 years. They couldn't build anything without taxpayers incentives but you want them to incorporate a Museum in their developments.

Half of Menino developments over the last 5-7 years are all taxpayers incentive deals to enrich him and his business associates. God bless his soul.
Basically Menino did nothing to entice the developers to help enrich the city he only thought what he was getting out of the real estate deals.

But they couldn't budget for one development on the Greenway.
I actually would have liked to see the Greenhouse on the Greenway.

Govt does not work for the taxpayers anymore----The taxpayers work for the Govt.
Click to expand...

Riff -- where have you been for the past couple of hundred years

The only government which works for the taxpayers is one which has limited objectives and hence a limited appetite for taxpayers dollars

I would have prefered that the Greenway been scaled back and provisions made in the project to sell the land over the Big Dig with private investors building on the majority of the parcels -- much as was done 150 years ago with the Big Fill -- aka the Back Bay

But -- that didn't happen and now the best we can do is develop lots alongside the Greenway including selling most of those owned by the taxpayers such as the municipal parking lot @ Cross & Fulton
 
Greenhouse on greenway also would have been great, especially this time of year
 
^ That's a cool idea. Some sort of botanical garden would be a win!
 
3 institutional buildings were promised as part of the sell for greenway approval. Way beyond time to deliver on the promise. If the non-profits can't deliver (and they have amply proven they can't) then get private developers in there who can make something happen. Enough chain jerking.
 
Brad Plaid said:
3 institutional buildings were promised as part of the sell for greenway approval. Way beyond time to deliver on the promise. If the non-profits can't deliver (and they have amply proven they can't) then get private developers in there who can make something happen. Enough chain jerking.
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Nah---They would rather keep sticking the bill on the taxpayers.

Why not ask Ex-Chairman Liberty Mutual Ted Kelly to chip some money since he was making 50 Million a year at Liberty Mutual. Nah... instead our leaders -- Deval Patrick and Mayor Menino okay'd a 46.7 Million dollar tax incentive to help build the new Liberty Mutual building because Mr. Kelley was one of the key democrat contributors in the state to help supporting these criminals .

Then you have our Senator Liz Warren telling us the system is rigged. NO SHIT by your own party.
 
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