Seaport Neighborhood - Infill and Discussion

Re: South Boston Seaport

Smart growth without the rapid transit.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Sounds great overall, but by shared amenities do they mean, like, showers and toilets?
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

BostonUrbEx said:
Smart growth without the rapid transit.
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The Silver Line. Like it or not this is rapid transit and this is the kind of development needed to make the Silver Line pertinent.

Hacin's firm designed Berkeley Investments' FP3 condominiums, and is currently designing the first residential building at Seaport Square.
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So there is hope.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Whatever it is, Kairos Shen agrees.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Maybe with enough development, more pressure will build to replace the Silver Line with light rail. We can always dream. This idea seems pretty good -- it should bring some life to the district, which will lead to more of that organic type growth we all crave.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

A) I don't think the Silver Line tunnel was constructed to support an upgrade to light rail. That's my recollection.

B) Pressure for office/hotel/commercial expansion from BCEC and financial district is moving the Seaport closer to a destination zone than a residential neighborhood. I would contend that without a critical mass of residents the Seaport will never have the "organic" growth described. As a reminder, Fan Pier's 21 acres was approved for only 675 residential units, half of the minimum recommendation of the Boston Society of Architects during the approval process. Seaport Square claimed to support 2500 residential units yet available space for those units is not projected to be available based on phasing. I think Phase 1 of Seaport Square is approximately 125 units and BCEC expansion is pressing for office/commercial/hotel/destination on USPS properties envisioned for residential in BRA plans.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

I can't find a source but I'm pretty sure the silver line tunnels were built with future upgrades in mind. The clearances are more than generous for future LRV use.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

People always confuse the Silver Line tunnels with the Ted Williams. The SL tunnel can be converted (though with the cheap construction job it will probably all have to be replaced).
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

blade_bltz said:
Sounds great overall, but by shared amenities do they mean, like, showers and toilets?
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Im guessing more like modern college dorm. A suite has two bedrooms, a small shared area with kitchen, and a bathroom. Then downstairs, theres a larger shared area, with kitchenette, couches, table tennis etc.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

today
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later in the day
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Re: South Boston Seaport

TheRifleman said:
Seaport Square Developers To Take Risk, Go Small
By Paul McMorrow

Banker & Tradesman Staff Writer
Today

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The developers of Seaport Square, a 6-million-square-foot development on the South Boston waterfront, said they will be the first developers in Boston to test new models of workforce housing that shrink unit sizes and rely on shared amenities, transportation and public spaces.

Speaking yesterday at a City Hall symposium on bringing new, affordable housing models to South Boston, John Hynes, CEO of Boston Global Investors, said a shortage of affordable housing in Boston's urban core was hampering corporate growth.

"The answer is smaller units," Hynes said. "It's exactly what we believe the market wants. We need more affordable housing, retail and green space; you don't need a lot of cars. The risk is, it hasn't been done yet. You're going to have to convince your lenders and investors you have something worth investing in."

"Somebody has to go first," added John Buza, a managing director at Morgan Stanley, an equity partner in Seaport Square. "We're willing to be the first, and see if it works."

In January, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announced plans to re-brand the South Boston waterfront as an innovation district. Menino said he wants to fill the neighborhood's warehouses and parking lots with technology companies, creative firms and business incubators, and with housing developments that keep those firms' workers in the city.

The City Hall symposium brought together architects with South Boston landowners to discuss how new European housing models might be applied along the waterfront.

"We can build more office towers and condos, but it would be anywhere else in America," Menino said. "This is the largest piece undeveloped land on the East Coast, and it has to be innovative. I hope out of this discussion will come new proposals and new ideas."
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I'm sorry, brainchildren of Boston developments and innovations, but this isn't a new concept. This is what we call SRO (single room occupancy). It's been tested before and it has worked many times before except that many of them have been converted into condos. The fact that you guys are just finding out about these ideas and calling them innovative shows how uninform you are of urban life.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Just got this notice:
Please be advised that there will be a community meeting regarding the Waterside Place Project on Wednesday, July 14, 2010, 6:30 ? 8:00PM, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Room 102 A, 415 Summer Street, South Boston. The Core Development Group LLC, the Project Proponent, filed a Notice of Project Change on June 30, 2010 for a phased approach to the Waterside Place Project. Phase I, which will be located along Congress Street, is approximately 372,300 square feet and will contain approximately 235 residential rental units, up to 275 parking spaces, approximately 69,000 square feet of retail, including a grocer and pharmacy, and approximately 13,000 square feet of office/flex space for entrepreneurial and developing companies.

The 30-day public comment period ends on Friday, July 30, 2010.

Please mail comments to: KRISTIN KARA
BOSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
ONE CITY HALL SQUARE, 9TH FLOOR
BOSTON, MA 02201

or fax to: 617-742-7783

or email to: kristin.kara.bra@cityofboston.gov



Kristin Kara
Senior Project Manager
Boston Redevelopment Authority
One City Hall Square
Boston, MA 02201
Phone: 617-918-4263
Fax: 617-742-7783
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Re: South Boston Seaport

waterside place. Lol thought the recession would have killed that monstrosity.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

It's more like co-housing than it is like single-room occupancy.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

HenryAlan said:
Maybe with enough development, more pressure will build to replace the Silver Line with light rail. We can always dream. This idea seems pretty good -- it should bring some life to the district, which will lead to more of that organic type growth we all crave.
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All the Silver Line needs is truly dedicated bus lanes. Light rail is a waste of money.

Menino said. "This is the largest piece of undeveloped land on the East Coast"
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Mumbles makes such ridiculous comments and the press doesn't even call him on it anymore.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

I toured the TQ site while in Belfast last year and wasn't that impressed. Alot of the buildings that are planned are landscrapers and the vast majority are <12 stories. And if I recall correctly, most of the buildings are insular focused (block through buildings with small interior courtyards).

That said, judging from the renderings you posted it's better architecture than Fan Pier.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Gotta love the (I assume) Libeskind building -- it looks like a friggin' iceberg. Gee wiz, that's a hoot!

landmark01.jpg
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

*tear.

But honestly, those models/renders don't look that much different from the Fan Pier master plan.
 
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