Rose Kennedy Greenway

[Bos77]

I walk past it every morning and hold my nose. It looks like hot garbage. An object lesson on how few fucks were given at the BRA/BCDC during the Menino era.

The choice was do nothing and let what had been interior party wall exposed for 50 years crumble on to the sidewalk, or let a developer try to make it work..

Perfect no, but the money was spent places you cannot see to save the building. More a lesson on the few fucks given in the 1950s to build the Central Artery.

 

[itchy]

Its crazy that in a roundabout way the central artery was the best thing that ever could have happened to this area. It would have been cool having the tight buildings that were here, but we have lots of those, what we dont have lots of are downtown parks that wrap around the whole area from one end to the other and opening up the area to light and trees.

I'd take the old buildings destroyed for the Central Artery over the Greenway in a heartbeat, personally.

 

[Beton Brut]

The choice was do nothing and let what had been interior party wall exposed for 50 years crumble on to the sidewalk, or let a developer try to make it work.

I think we can all agree that gutting downtown in the post-war era to build an elevated highway turned out to be a poor decision. Having stated the obvious, I'm certain that there was a wide spectrum of options between "making it work" and "letting it crumble onto the sidewalk."

Modern interventions into old buildings are tricky and expensive. Herzog & de Meuron have become adept at this sort of thing. Their CaixaForum in Madrid is a good example of taking an historic "husk" of a brick building and truly reimagining it. I'm not necessarily suggesting that this exact solution could have been used in this spot, but I think most folks would agree there's a higher degree of design visible in H&dM's project than what we ended up with. Given the prominence of this building on the Greenway, the City should have demanded something more compelling than sliding doors and Juliet balconies.

I'd take the old buildings destroyed for the Central Artery over the Greenway in a heartbeat, personally.

+1

 

[statler]

I'd take the old buildings destroyed for the Central Artery over the Greenway in a heartbeat, personally.

+2

 

[stick n move]

https://flic.kr/p/29ubRbJ

 

[HenryAlan]

I'd take the old buildings destroyed for the Central Artery over the Greenway in a heartbeat, personally.

Realistically, I don't think many of those buildings would have survived anyway. Look at the neighborhoods that line the Greenway. For the most part, they are filled with newer buildings that over time replaced the same sort of smaller scale, varied texture ripped at all at once by the Expressway. So to me, the comparison is having the Greenway, vs. having a bunch of Harbor Towers, International Place, and Congress St. garages. I'll take the Greenway.

 

[Beton Brut]

Look what our old friend DowntownDave has found...

This, I imagine?

From Inventing the Charles River, pg. 340. The book talks about this idea (all buildings) being mentioned and discussed in the Globe amongst other possibilities. They've even gotten rid of that crummy Cross st. parking lot in the image.

 

[stick n move]

Realistically, I don't think many of those buildings would have survived anyway. Look at the neighborhoods that line the Greenway. For the most part, they are filled with newer buildings that over time replaced the same sort of smaller scale, varied texture ripped at all at once by the Expressway. So to me, the comparison is having the Greenway, vs. having a bunch of Harbor Towers, International Place, and Congress St. garages. I'll take the Greenway.

Plus urban renewal probably would have thrown some turds in there too. Who knows west end on the waterfront could have happened..

 

[Brad Plaid]

Still waiting for the 3 buildings (YMCA, Boston museum, and the Horticulture winter garden) promised as amenities. Since all those non-profits turned out to be can't-do give those parcels to for-profits that can-do. No-build should not be an option.

Yikes that rendering of historicist infill! What a disaster of suburban-grade, comic book dreck that would have been.

 

[Beton Brut]

No-build should not be an option.

No doubt. The idea of handing over sites with a geotechnical degree-of-difficulty this high to non-profits with dubious finances was never anything short of preposterous. Sell them off to private developers with a provision to mow the lawns, prune the trees, and keep a fresh coat of paint on the benches...

...suburban-grade, comic book dreck that would have been.

I always read this rendering as a massing study with a contextual carrot of naysayers who wanted open space. A thoughtful mix of styles from hard modernism to critical regionalism, with a focus on time-honored urban conventions should have won the day. What we have instead has seasonal utility only, and unlike a proper park, there can never be enough (physical and psychological) separation from the adjacent traffic sewer.

 

[JSic]

Realistically, I don't think many of those buildings would have survived anyway. Look at the neighborhoods that line the Greenway. For the most part, they are filled with newer buildings that over time replaced the same sort of smaller scale, varied texture ripped at all at once by the Expressway. So to me, the comparison is having the Greenway, vs. having a bunch of Harbor Towers, International Place, and Congress St. garages. I'll take the Greenway.

Exactly what I was thinking. There was no saving most of those old buildings in any case. At least the expressway eventually went away. Otherwise, we would have been stuck with more 1 Federal Streets and cement brutalist crap that is much harder to lose.

 

[TheRifleman]

I think the Rose Kennedy Greenway Park is one of the most amazing strips running through the inner city throughout the country.

 

[stick n move]

Agreed. The high line is amazing, but we too have a park running from one side of downtown to the other. I remember being like wow itd be great to have a high line, then I realized we do.

 

[Beton Brut]

I think the Rose Kennedy Greenway Park is one of the most amazing strips running through the inner city throughout the country.

I'm glad you like it. What do you think would improve it?

I remember being like wow it'd be great to have a high line, then I realized we do.

Well, not exactly. But imagine if we'd have chosen to preserve even a portion of the Washington Street EL, as it passed through the South End?

 

[stick n move]

We do as in we have a park that runs across downtown. I think if we kept the el and converted it it still would be just as dreary on the street underneath as with rails. The 95 trench was dug either way so I think its better we moved it into there. Also theres some pretty reasonable expansion opportunities in the future.

I like "the embankment" going up in Jersey city.

 

[Charlie_mta]

Something like this would be a freaking amazing cover over the RKG on/off ramps.

 

[CSTH]

Something like this would be a freaking amazing cover over the RKG on/off ramps.

Only if you can put some windows and small footprint retail on the street level,....

 

[Beton Brut]

^ This.

 

[DowntownDave]

My Cunning Plan here make such a structure atop the ramp parcel by the Dock Square garage and install the Holocaust memorial on it, with a museum or such facing the streets. With the monument relocated, the square parcel bounded by Congress and Union streets could be repurposed for a granite retro Boston development:

"We're just thinking of poor Mr. Blackstone! He must be spinning in his grave at the sight of those monstrosities across the street from his block!"

Who could possible oppose that?

 

[CSTH]

I've long though they should bend the SB ramp out to surface under the Dock Square garage...