Seaport Neighborhood - Infill and Discussion

Re: South Boston Seaport

3 levels of below grade parking is what they are doing. This has always been the plan. And, like I was saying earlier, this is why they can and have broken ground without a full build out plan for above. The garage doesn't really change. They drove the 70 foot sheet piles (as it says on TK&A's website) to protect against sea water.

Russia Wharf went down 5 stories if I remember correctly as well. Impossible is nothing as Adidas used to say.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Did they drive any anchor piles? -- that whole place is just loose fill from the 19th and early 20th Centrury piled on top of mudflats

The builidings that used to be there, mostly warehouses with not much vertical extent, probably had just slab foundations or shallow basements with peripheral footings
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

^Agreed -- they've certainly turned the Riverwalk into a city asset, unlike the Greenway.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Justin7 said:
The Riverwalk atmosphere is pretty great, honestly.
Click to expand...

Haha, I've never been but we had some friends over this weekend, San Antonio natives (four of them) and the subject of the riverwalk came up. It sounds like its their Faneuil Hall/Union Street, and they had nothing for disdain for it. They talked about the nastiness of the water, the low quality "texmex" food along there, the tourist trinket shops, etc. They said your typical San Antonian (is that right?) has zero interaction with the Riverwalk.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

I'm always curious to see if anyone has been to both San Antonio's riverwalk and Providence's, and how they compare. (but now we're getting way off topic for this thread)
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Pierce said:
Haha, I've never been but we had some friends over this weekend, San Antonio natives (four of them) and the subject of the riverwalk came up. It sounds like its their Faneuil Hall/Union Street, and they had nothing for disdain for it. They talked about the nastiness of the water, the low quality "texmex" food along there, the tourist trinket shops, etc. They said your typical San Antonian (is that right?) has zero interaction with the Riverwalk.
Click to expand...

The food is poor, admittedly, which is why I was careful to specify atmosphere. While I can't speak for the natives, the Riverwalk has very little interaction with the city itself, which in my opinion is a good thing (for the walk). I did not attempt to drink the water nor did I see anyone swimming, but there were no offensive smells. There is water and lights, stone bridges, and lots of outdoor dining right on the water. There are no cars. It is pleasant. The rest of the San Antonio felt like your typical southern "city" wasteland.

Just google it and click on images.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Pierce said:
Haha, I've never been but we had some friends over this weekend, San Antonio natives (four of them) and the subject of the riverwalk came up. It sounds like its their Faneuil Hall/Union Street, and they had nothing for disdain for it. They talked about the nastiness of the water, the low quality "texmex" food along there, the tourist trinket shops, etc. They said your typical San Antonian (is that right?) has zero interaction with the Riverwalk.
Click to expand...

The river walk in San Antonio is a tourist trap and nothing special. San Antonio is good for a 2 day trip, not a whole lot to see or do. That's the case for any city in Texas.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Justin7 said:
The food is poor, admittedly, which is why I was careful to specify atmosphere. While I can't speak for the natives, the Riverwalk has very little interaction with the city itself, which in my opinion is a good thing (for the walk). I did not attempt to drink the water nor did I see anyone swimming, but there were no offensive smells. There is water and lights, stone bridges, and lots of outdoor dining right on the water. There are no cars. It is pleasant. The rest of the San Antonio felt like your typical southern "city" wasteland.

Just google it and click on images.
Click to expand...

the google images are nice, but i could see how the fact that it is cut off from the real public space of the city could render it instantly into feeling like a mall.

Compare this with, say, the way the Ljubljanica River moves through the fabric of Ljubljana. Most if it is more grade separated from the water than San Antonio, but they are public thoroughfares that the cafes and businesses are on.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

From what I recall the river is more of a creek when it passes through San Antonio -- it's just gotten started -- much like the Charles near Elm Bank in Wellesley

A lot more authentic and interesting and a having a link with Boston as pertaining to their role in the Texas War of Independence are the Missions such as Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña (also Mission Concepcion) established in 1716 as Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de los Hainais in East Texas.

from he wikipdia "The mission was moved in 1731 to San Antonio. Founded by Franciscan friars, this is the best preserved of the Texas missions.

The Battle of Concepción [Lexington?] was fought here on October 28, 1835 between Mexican troops under Colonel Domingo Ugartechea and Texian insurgents led by James Bowie and James Fannin. The 30-minute engagement, is described as "the first major engagement of the Texas Revolution" by historian J.R. Edmondson.[1]

Located at 807 Mission Road, Concepcion was designated a National Historic Landmark on April 15, 1970 and is part of San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.[2] Restoration of the mission's interior was completed in March 2010 after six months of work. Regular church services are still held every Sunday"
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Sicilian said:
Boston Herald confirms move to Seaport.

Company iPads will be located in Innovation District.
Click to expand...

A bit more than a couple of Ipads

he Herald, which will be moving its headquarters after more than 50 years at the corner of Herald Street and Harrison Avenue in the South End, has signed a 10-year lease for new office space at the Seaport Center at 451 D St.

“The move from the Herald’s home in the South End for the last 53 years is somewhat bittersweet, but the amenities and efficiencies we’ll enjoy at the Seaport Center will be substantial,” said Purcell.

The Center was acquired by the Beal Cos. and Rockpoint Group in April 2006. The nine-story, 460,000-square-foot complex is also home to Hub offices of JP Morgan Chase, Verizon and job-search Web site Monster.

“The Beal Cos. is thrilled to have the Boston Herald join us at Seaport Center,” said Steve Faber, senior vice president at the Beal Cos. “We think it’s not only great for the building, but great for the Seaport District as a whole and further demonstrates the potential for the area.”

The Herald will be leasing 51,000 square feet — the west half of the building’s fifth and sixth floors — bringing the Seaport Center’s occupancy up to 92 percent
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

I was joking because they called it "Seaport District" in their announcement.

Maybe they will have the presses operating in the Seaport District and the iPads in the Innovation District. That way the cafeteria can be on the South Boston Waterfront.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

By the way with Herald New Media - there are no presses

Anyway -- I'll bet that there'll be more business at Remmys
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

What is this "iPad" joke even about?
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

The district name varies in the headlines depending on the land use.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

re; babson in the ID -- exerpts from the Herald Business pages:

Hub mayor welcomes Babson to Innovation District
By Thomas Grillo
Thursday, September 15, 2011 - Updated 19 hours ago
http://bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1366120

Mayor Thomas M. Menino welcomed Babson College to the Hub’s Seaport District today as the top-ranked business school for educating entrepreneurs opened a satellite campus on Summer Street.

“There’s no doubt that you are blazing a trail for other universities,” Menino said. “When we announced Babson was coming, I got three phone calls from other universities. And I told them we have the space, follow Babson....Babson will use the 3,700-square-foot space for classrooms and offices.

Leonard Schlesinger, Babson’s president, praised Menino for his vision of the Innovation District, saying he expects the area to be transformed into “one of the most incredible areas for young people for technology development, for entrepreneur development and innovation in the U.S. and the world.”
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Something like this should have been built on the SBW - I always thought the parcels where the horrid Seaport Lane buildings stand would have been great for a new regional performing arts center...

SAFDIE'S SHELLS

Cultural center breathes life into downtown Kansas City.

KAUFFMAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS IN KANSAS CITY, MO.

TIMOTHY HURSLEY
On September 16, the Safdie-designed Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts (KCPA), a 285,000-square-foot, $326 million complex that will be the home of the Kansas City Symphony, Lyric Opera, and Kansas City Ballet had its grand opening performance by world-renowned tenor Placido Domingo in the 1,800-seat Muriel Kauffman Theatre. On September 17, the opening festivities continued with violinist Itzhak Perlman in the 1,600-seat Helzberg Hall.

Top-flight performers signal the ambitions for the project and for the city as a whole. Originally conceived as three separate halls for each performance ensemble, the project reverted to two spaces due to budgetary constraints. Nonetheless, the two large shells mark the important debut of the Symphony in Helzberg Hall and the Opera and Ballet in the Muriel Kauffman Theatre. A cable stayed grand foyer and lobby enclosed by etched glass connect the Hall and Theatre with a grand terrace facing south towards the emerging Crossroads Arts District. Moshe Safdie of Safdie Architects explained, “We wanted to reverse the assumption that the lobby should be facing north towards downtown. The site almost demanded it.”


LEFT TO RIGHT: THE KAUFFMAN CENTER BACKS UP TO A NEW PARK BUILT OVER UNDERGROUND PARKING; THE CABLE-STAYED GLASS FOYER IS A VAST NEW PUBLIC GATHERING PLACE; INSIDE THE THEATER SPACE.

Central Avenue dead-ends at the KCPA exactly where the space between the two performance halls creates the cavernous north entrance. This dramatic back end serves as the gateway for the Bartle Hall Convention Center and the rest of the downtown central business district.

In 2002, Julia Kauffman, daughter of Ewing Kauffman of the Kauffman Foundation and Marion Laboratories, began courting Safdie and eventually asked him to visit the site of the future cultural center. Said Safdie, “It was a relationship that cemented itself.”

Since construction began in 2006, the communities around the KCPA have been getting ready with new shops, restaurants, and infrastructure. To increase pedestrian access from downtown, the Missouri Department of Transportation allocated $4.9 million to completely reconstruct the Broadway Bridge across Interstate 670. Directly adjacent to the KCPA, a Kansas City-funded $47 million 1,000-car underground parking garage has also been built. Jan Marcason, 4th District Kansas City Councilwoman, explained, “The Center was a catalyst for the City to make many improvements and connections to surrounding neighborhoods.”

Set at the foreground of the downtown Kansas City skyline, the KCPA plays a supporting role with its taller neighbors. Its sloping curves emerging from a hilltop vantage-point both embrace and accentuate Downtown Kansas City. “Its location shifts the center of the upper and lower city,” Safdie said. Downtown Kansas City sits atop the bluffs at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers.

Marcason said, “This has brought worldwide attention to Kansas City as a center for arts, and we have used it as a focal point to showcase our many cultural institutions.”

Gunnar Hand
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Love it.

In fact a number of performing arts venues could have been integrated with as high of a density of office, residential and hotel already approved or planned, just as Leows Common is integrated into the Millenium tower.

Indoor facilities could be concentrated inland with a number of outdoor performance venues at the water's edge.

And what a great complement to the existing ICA and Fort Point artists community.

QUICK STORY

During the Fan Pier planning process, the City convened a group they called Friends of Fan Pier. The task was to identify civic and cultural spaces within the Fan Pier project and help find users for those spaces. The Friends of Fan Pier included the usual players on the waterfront (Harbor Island Alliance, Childrens Museum, Save the Harbor, etc.). When the process was over, the findings were presented.

Guess what. Each of those "civic/cultural" organizations found space for THEMSELVES on Fan Pier. The Childrens Museum even suggested how great it would be to have a satellite museum on Fan Pier.

It was like Dick Cheney looking for a Vice President.

So much for a world-class performing arts and cultural non-profit search committee.
 
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