Rose Kennedy Greenway

"The best solution would have been to build the surface road as a boulevard with a small green tree-lined median strip and wide sidewalks and then sell the rest to developers to stitch back together the city that was ripped apart {literally in the case of a couple of wharf buildings for road construction dating back to the twenties and of course the Big Tear-down for the Expressway in the 1950's } "

This would be difficult with Boston's One Way Streets. In addition I would imagine the on/off ramps to I-93 were positioned in certain places for a reason. I would imagine a boulevard would have been difficult to position around the on/off ramps.
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There are no ramps in the "Wharf District", the long stretch of empty blocks between High street on the south and Clinton Street on the north. The surface artery above the Central Artery could very easily have been configured as a two-way boulevard rather than the current pair of one-way streets separated by the proposed Wharf district parks. The two-way boulevard could have been positioned on one side of the corridor or the other.

A two-way boulevard would have broken up the corridor effect, and combined with select construction of new commercial/residential building on parts of the blocks, could have reknit that part of the city to the waterfront.
 
Greenway board pressing nonprofits to finish projects
By Thomas C. Palmer Jr., Globe Staff | September 7, 2006

The nonprofit institutions designated to build cultural facilities on the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway in downtown Boston soon will be required to show progress by a newly emboldened board that monitors the project.

The increased pressure from the Greenway Conservancy is a bit of muscle-flexing by a civic board that as yet has little direct authority over development of the project, but that for months has been trying to find footing as the future steward of Boston's most promising new downtown parks.

And the conservancy's initiative to spur on long-delayed civic facilities such as a history museum, arts center, youth facility -- even a glass-enclosed winter garden -- comes as the Greenway's manager, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, signaled a willingness to share decision-making.

The conservancy's board chairman, Peter Meade, yesterday said he had met with most of the institutions and neighborhood groups involved and told them the board wants the projects -- all long-delayed as the Big Dig's completion date was pushed back years -- to move along quickly.

``We need to set some standards, benchmarks, and timetables that are clear and understood by everyone," Meade said.

He was referring to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the YMCA of Greater Boston, the New Center for Arts and Culture, and the Boston Museum Project. All four have had plans to build on portions of the Greenway, and all are in different stages of planning, decision-making, or difficulty. Some are probably years from starting construction.

The YMCA's president, John M. Ferrell, yesterday said that he agreed with Meade's insistence his organization's project be required to meet various milestones. Anne D. Emerson, president of the museum project, said Meade informed her of the timetables issues, but she did not comment further. Officials at the other institutions could not be reached.

Meade suggested the conservancy will develop timetables for the individual projects this year.

``I totally agree with him," Mayor Thomas M. Menino said. ``We've gone through the misery of the Big Dig. Now it's time for the city to enjoy the benefits of the Greenway."

For years the Turnpike Authority, which managed the Big Dig project, maintained tight control over development of the parks and intermittent development blocks that will sprout up in the space where the elevated Central Artery once stood. But following the July 10 death of a motorist in a tunnel under collapsing ceiling panels, Governor Mitt Romney pledged a new era at the authority, and pushed out the chairman, Matthew J. Amorello, and installed his transportation secretary, John Cogliano. At the first board meeting held without Amorello, on Aug. 16, the Turnpike Authority asked the conservancy to assess the status of each block on the Greenway.

Meade said a preliminary report will be filed late next week, and a final report in October.

Meade said he did not know when the Greenway would be completed, but he said it will not be done until the cultural institutions are finished. ``Just having the park pieces done does not in our eyes mean completion of the Greenway," he said.

Thomas C. Palmer Jr. can be reached at tpalmer@globe.com.

? Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company.

http://www.boston.com/business/arti...way_board_pressing_groups_to_finish_projects/
 
The good news hidden in this article is that the YMCA is back. They had earlier dropped out.
 
When will someone do something about those depressing exposed brick end walls? Hopefully what is done will be better than the State Street Block's treatment. Ugh.
 
Does anybody know what is going in the space in front on the Aquarium? The area between the garage and the building with Legal Seafoods? I assume it will be part of the Greenway but I don't remember seeing it on any of the renderings. They are doing a ton of construction there now.

Sort of off topic, the new paint job on the garage looks good. Lipstick on pig to be sure, but it suits the pig.
And thank god they finally finished Long Wharf. I was beginning to think that chain link was permanent. The pressured treated 'boardwalk' is dull and it will look like shit in a few years, but it looks nice now. Hopefully they have plans to replace that asphalt they put down on the roadway.
 
Pembroke RE is building a park. It will look pretty cool- attached to garage with Arbor style walk way, like Christopher Columbus Park.
 
"common ground"

Common Ground: A look at the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway today

Public Forums:
September 26, 5:30?7:30 pm
October 17, 5:30?7:30 pm
Walk: October 1

The BSA and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy are collaborating on a series of public programs about the Greenway?what it looks like now, what it will look like when it is complete, and what will be designed for public use.

On September 26, the BSA hosts a public forum at Faneuil Hall to discuss the current state of the Greenway and next summer?s projected final results. In order to enrich the public?s knowledge on what the Greenway looks like now, the BSA and the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority host a walking tour on October 1. Architects will serve as docents along the way to address questions about the physical aspects of the Greenway.

Following the public walking tour of the Greenway will be another forum at Faneuil Hall on October 17, moderated by Mary Richardson of WCVB-TV Channel 5?s ?Chronicle.? This forum explores ideas for programs on the Greenway, including performing artists, small concerts, installations, and a variety of other cultural activities and educational programs, citing other cities? parks as examples. Both forums are 5:30?7:30 pm and are free and open to the public.

The BSA is partnering with The Boston Globe and Channel 5 WCVB-TV to present the ideas developed in these programs to the public.

For questions on Common Ground, write Alexandra Lee at alee@architects.org.
 
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:shock: Wow, that looks really good. ANd for some reason I really like the way it looks with the rain.
 
Overall, the area still looks like a wide open highway corridor, even with the elevated structure gone. Hopefully when the few buildings that are proposed get inserted, and the trees grow larger over the years, it won't look like such a huge gap through the city of Boston.

3rd picture: The Government Center garage has got to go.

I still think a light rail line linking South Station and North Station along this corridor would be a good idea.
 
Charlie_mta said:
I still think a light rail line linking South Station and North Station along this corridor would be a good idea.
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It's a natural.
 
ablarc said:
Charlie_mta said:
I still think a light rail line linking South Station and North Station along this corridor would be a good idea.
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It's a natural.
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I went to San Francisco this summer and they have proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that this is what's needed. The F trolley is used by tourists and locals. But I have a feeling that as long as Menino is mayor this won't happen. From what I've read he seems to be against trolleys.
 
I've thought about this a lot. I'd say convert the Silver Line Waterfront to light rail (washington street can become a branch of the green line or something else) and extend it down the greenway. The surface stops between N and S Stations could even be free for an extra touch. And maybe one day when the industrial wasteland north of N Station gets turned into something amazing (I was thinking the Olympics :lol: ), it could cross the Charles River and continue on....


EDIT: In the first picture, the Harbor Towers actually don't look too bad. Maybe a new paint job would help them out. Two bright red towers would certaintly make the waterfront less dreary :D .
 
ablarc posted a long thread way back in the Skyscraper guy's forums which outlined the route from the SB Waterfront, along the Greenway to the Navy Yard which I still think is the ideal route. Any way you could repost that?
 
Where would an above ground rail be placed? I'm guessing if it's not already in their plans (most likely not, we would have heard of it), it would be pretty hard to put in there. Especially if they already did the architecture of the buildings going on the greenway.

Then again, plans are changed dozens of times...
 
vanshnookenraggen said:
:shock: Wow, that looks really good. ANd for some reason I really like the way it looks with the rain.
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agreed on both accounts. :p
 
Re: "common ground"

JS38 said:
Common Ground: A look at the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway today

Public Forums:
September 26, 5:30?7:30 pm
October 17, 5:30?7:30 pm
Walk: October 1

The BSA and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy are collaborating on a series of public programs about the Greenway?what it looks like now, what it will look like when it is complete, and what will be designed for public use.

On September 26, the BSA hosts a public forum at Faneuil Hall to discuss the current state of the Greenway and next summer?s projected final results. In order to enrich the public?s knowledge on what the Greenway looks like now, the BSA and the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority host a walking tour on October 1. Architects will serve as docents along the way to address questions about the physical aspects of the Greenway.

Following the public walking tour of the Greenway will be another forum at Faneuil Hall on October 17, moderated by Mary Richardson of WCVB-TV Channel 5?s ?Chronicle.? This forum explores ideas for programs on the Greenway, including performing artists, small concerts, installations, and a variety of other cultural activities and educational programs, citing other cities? parks as examples. Both forums are 5:30?7:30 pm and are free and open to the public.

The BSA is partnering with The Boston Globe and Channel 5 WCVB-TV to present the ideas developed in these programs to the public.

For questions on Common Ground, write Alexandra Lee at alee@architects.org.
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Don't forget, the first of three Greenway public meetings is tonight at 5:30 at Faneuil Hall! Anyone going? This is a joint event between the BSA and the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy.
 
North South Rail Link

Much as we all wish it would happen, the North / South Rail Link is as likely as Grace Ross being our next Governor.
 
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