Seaport Neighborhood - Infill and Discussion

[HenryAlan]

Re: Innovation District

Why is everyone so hung up on this? I've taken the Silver Line dozens of times, and have been satisfied with its consistency (same can't be said for any other lines of the T) and effectiveness of bringing me to Logan or acting as a shuttle to South Station. Also, most of the ID (Fort Point and the parking lot section, at least) is located within a 10 minute walk from South Station's Red Line stop. In my eyes the ID is MUCH more accessible than Kendall.

I agree that the Silver Line is good at what it does, but the purpose is too narrowly focused, that being a transit line to the airport. If you live or work in the SPID, it is essentially a glorified shuttle. Not that I support the Phase 3 tunnel, but the waterfront service is really an example of an incomplete transit line. It needs to go further into the heart of the city. Rail vs. rubber tire arguments are in my opinion misplaced. The real issue is that the line is too short, with too limited a service area, rendering it insufficiently useful.

 

[TheRifleman]

Re: Innovation District

The Innovation District.... What innovation?

City Planning for the future. The city planning should be focusing their energy & Resources on
#1 Downtown Boston
#2 Govt Center (selloff the property to a private developer and downsize the govt offices)
#3 Congress & Harbor Garages (will reenergize the Greenway)
#4 North Station (needs lofts and small businesses to redefine the area's character)
#4 2012 Plan to upgrade the entire MBTA Infrastructure throughout the entire city & state
This is the core of the city. Then build towards the Innovation district

It seems like the BRA & City Planners are all over the place in planning. The City core is a mess but they want to promote the Innovation district which is evolving into a 128 suburban office park for the rich and also lacks capacity of constant foot traffic and a real efficient T service compared to Downtown Boston. Fallon could have built these square blocks on 128.

It's ashamed that the Seaport District has evolved into what is going on. The vision, the dream of this area is so far from expectations to what is going on there now. A complete Botched Development going on. THE INNOVATION DISTRICT.

More like……. THE CIRCUS DISTRICT.....
Don't forget the fact that the taxpayers are paying for Fan Pier foundation.
Owe don't forget about the proposed 400squarefoot studios....starting at 1500 hundred a month. I'm not sure if I like this or not.

 

[whighlander]

Re: Innovation District

400SF is extremely tiny.........if this was NYC somebody would be looking for a roommate.

Riff if this was Hong Kong -- there would be two families sharing it

if if was a Tokyo businessman' hotel there woukd be 20 to 40 sleeping in 400 sq ft -- some "hotels" feature "bunk tubes" 5 feet long X 3 foot wide stacked 2 high -- of course you share a common bathroom

On a nuclear attack submarine they still "hot rack" with 2 guys time sharing one 3' x 6' double decker bunk (each has a drawer and a locker for personal stuff)

in Lexington today people are buying 1200 sq ft ranches and capes and knocking them down so that on the same lot they can build 4, 5, 7, even 8,000 sq ft. McMansions with 4 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms

It's all relative depending on the "job" and the infrastructure

In the SPID for young unmaried professionals -- all you need is a "rack" and perhaps a shared common dining facility as you will probably be working 60 to 80 hours per week for the first few years

Once they start to become established they need more space (tradiotnal one bedroom) and of course when they get married and have a family they might need 2 oe 3 bedrooms, parks and schools, supermarkets

Over the next 20 years the "Greater SPID" -- from Fort Point Channel to Reserve Channel and harbor to Dorchester Ave needs to be treated as a complete entity with developers providing al the above and the ciy making sure that the streets and parks are in place and well maintained

 

[BostonObserver]

Re: Innovation District

City Planning for the future. The city planning should be focusing their energy & Resources on
#1 Downtown Boston
#2 Govt Center (selloff the property to a private developer and downsize the govt offices)
#3 Congress & Harbor Garages (will reenergize the Greenway)
#4 North Station (needs lofts and small businesses to redefine the area's character)
#4 2012 Plan to upgrade the entire MBTA Infrastructure throughout the entire city & state
This is the core of the city. Then build towards the Innovation district

It seems like the BRA & City Planners are all over the place in planning. The City core is a mess but they want to promote the Innovation district which is evolving into a 128 suburban office park for the rich and also lacks capacity of constant foot traffic and a real efficient T service compared to Downtown Boston. Fallon could have built these square blocks on 128.

It's ashamed that the Seaport District has evolved into what is going on. The vision, the dream of this area is so far from expectations to what is going on there now. A complete Botched Development going on. THE INNOVATION DISTRICT.

More like……. THE CIRCUS DISTRICT.....
Don't forget the fact that the taxpayers are paying for Fan Pier foundation.
Owe don't forget about the proposed 400squarefoot studios....starting at 1500 hundred a month. I'm not sure if I like this or not.

The city should be doing all of the above and at the same time. If we wait on the inovation district it wil be in North Carolina and other places. There has always been talk of a 40 year build out in the seaport. What companies are being pushed out for the inovtion district? None. Why not build for the companies that are expanding.

This may not be a well written response but you rant. Try composing your thoughts.

 

[whighlander]

Re: Innovation District

Why is everyone so hung up on this? I've taken the Silver Line dozens of times, and have been satisfied with its consistency (same can't be said for any other lines of the T) and effectiveness of bringing me to Logan or acting as a shuttle to South Station. Also, most of the ID (Fort Point and the parking lot section, at least) is located within a 10 minute walk from South Station's Red Line stop. In my eyes the ID is MUCH more accessible than Kendall.

Parker -- accessible to what?

Cambridge Center, Kendall, the Knowledge Striip, East Cambridge -- aka collectively known as the COKU (Center of the Knowledge Universe) is where it is because of accessibility to MIT

The SPID is where it is -- in part because MIT is a direct shot from it via Silver Line to Soth Station and then 3 stops on the Red Line

 

[TheRifleman]

Re: Innovation District

The city should be doing all of the above and at the same time. If we wait on the inovation district it wil be in North Carolina and other places. There has always been talk of a 40 year build out in the seaport. What companies are being pushed out for the inovtion district? None. Why not build for the companies that are expanding.

This may not be a well written response but you rant. Try composing your thoughts.

I just did. The city Planners have no clue. All the energy resources are focused on the Innovation district. They want to build it up without having a solid foundation for the area to really progress. What do I mean about solid foundation so the area progresses.

Downtown already has the foundation. The MBTA, Orangeline, Greenline, Redline, Blue and Sliverline all run through downtown.
Transporation is KEY to making the flow of an area very accessible and convient and successful. Downtown already has the foundation, The Innovation District doesn't.

Yes......Vornado & the BRA are a problem. But lets start working with Vornado on what they plan on building in this area.
(There must be something in the contract about unfinished construction in the city of Boston that the city could charge double or triple on cleanup fees or sometype of extra tax?) Your telling me Roth, Hynes had everything covered before the economy blewup. The city needs to convince Roth it's at his best interest to build at this point since the economy is heading upward before we head into another downtrend.

That is my point. A really successful area in the city depends on how good transporation grid is to the area.

Always build a great foundation.

The Seaport Area should with a great transporation grid could have been unlimited potential for the city of Boston. A backbay by the Sea.....with 4 5Towers over 800ft.....and so on.

The only innovation district I know is Harvard, Kendall, Porter, Allston......Anything near Harvard and MIT.

 

[whighlander]

Re: Innovation District

The Innovation District.... What innovation?

The City core is a mess but they want to promote the Innovation district which is evolving into a 128 suburban office park for the rich and also lacks capacity of constant foot traffic and a real efficient T service compared to Downtown Boston. Fallon could have built these square blocks on 128.

It's ashamed that the Seaport District has evolved into what is going on. The vision, the dream of this area is so far from expectations to what is going on there now. A complete Botched Development going on. THE INNOVATION DISTRICT.

Riff -- you were doing ok for a while then you went back to the black powder and the barrel strated fouling again.

If you go back 40 years there was nothing where Kendall, Cambridge Center is now located except for the Volpe Center Building

even 20 years ago there was not much at the corner of Vassar and Main -- which is today the Hub of the Hub of the Knowledge World

Now the association of the major players in the Kendall / MIT / Cambridge Cemter are working with MIT on Version 2.0 with much more of an urban fabric feel:
http://www.kendallsquareinitiative.org/
"MIT has formally filed a rezoning petition for properties it owns near the Kendall Square MBTA station, reflecting a commitment to invigorate the street level experience and support the continued evolution of the area’s innovation cluster."

and

http://www.kendallsq.com/
Welcome to the Kendall Square Association!

Kendall Square is the commercial area centering around the Kendall Square MBTA station, extending along the MIT campus to the South, to the Charles River to the East, and to the edges of the residential neighborhoods to the North and West. This area is roughly within a 10 minute walking circle around the MBTA's Kendall Square station.

Board Members
Kelley Brown, Senior Planner, Department of Facilities, MIT
Bill Gartner, Senior Vice President, BioMed Realty Trust
Bob Simha, Executive Manager, University Residential Communities
Ann Stanesa, Associate Director for Public Affairs, Genzyme
Eric Quadrino, Owner, MexiCali Burrito Co.
Brian Murray, Senior Director Global Facilities, Akamai
Sarah Gallop, Co-Director, Government and Community Relations, MIT
James Kappel, General Manager, Cambridge Center Marriott
Joseph Tulimieri, Executive Director, Cambridge Redevelopment Authority
Tim Rowe, CEO, Cambridge Innovation Center
Michael Cantalupa, Senior Vice President, Boston Properties
Martin Mullins, Vice President, Whitehead Institute
Sara Spalding, Senior Director, Microsoft
Alan Fein, Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, Broad Institute
Tom Andrews, Sr. Vice President, Alexandria Real Estate Equities
Michael Owu, Director, Real Estate, MIT Investment Management Company
Steve Vinter, Site Director, Google
Christopher Barr, Research Operations Senior Manager, Amgen
Jeffrey Lockwood, Director, External Communications, Novartis
Ed Dondero, Director of Real Estate and Planning, Biogen Idec
Travis McCready, Executive Director, Kendall Square Association


This kind of association of SPID members will no-doubt be forthcoming as soon as Vertex's buildings stop rising and start getting outfitted

 

[JohnAKeith]

Re: Innovation District

Good conversation.

Re: transportation. Going to the airport by way of the Silver Line? So slow and it's not as if it's actually a BRT - it's on the street most of the time. And, it doesn't go where people are going - it's close to Liberty Wharf but a good long haul from the Convention Center, regardless of the station named after it.

 

[Ron Newman]

Re: Innovation District

A "long haul" from the Convention Center to WTC station? Google Maps says 0.2 miles and I think that's overstating it. It's a longer walk from Hynes station to that Convention Center's entrance.

 

[HenryAlan]

Re: Innovation District

The Silver Line to airport is arguably a true BRT implementation. It is almost entirely either in its own tunnel or on expressway. There are two exceptions to this, the infamous light at Silver Line Way, and then the actual airport terminal access roads. As for the first, I think we would all like to see that corrected, but it is not enough in and of itself to contradict the BRT designation. And once it's at the airport, I would agree that it shifts to a surface shuttle type of service, but that's pretty much what it should do at that point. If you are coming from the South on the Red Line, or if you are coming via a South Station terminating commuter line, the Silver Line is a better way to go than the Blue Line.

As I said earlier, it's pretty good at what it does, it just doesn't do enough.

 

[Sicilian]

Re: Innovation District

This kind of association of SPID members will no-doubt be forthcoming as soon as Vertex's buildings stop rising and start getting outfitted

Based on what evidence?

Look at the institutions and corporate partners spearheading Kendall Square development. I dare say some of the players making a difference actually own their land and have a stake in investment -- they are not leasing.

Then look at the history of the planners, stakeholders and property owners driving South Boston Waterfront development, largely through leases.

Is it possible to suggest these two districts on a similar path?

 

[TheRifleman]

Re: Innovation District

This may not be a well written response but you rant. Try composing your thoughts.

This was a good claim about my blog. I just write what I think and rant my thoughts without actually composing my thoughts in good order.

We'll that is what the planners are doing in Boston.
The planning for the city is awful.

Just look at the projects proposed and that are active.
#1 Tommy's Tower.....No Go
#2 Columbus Ave.....A mess.. People are Jail
#3 SST.............Who Knows.
#4 Harbor Garage........City doesn't like Developer
#5 Congress Garage.....City didn't like developer then project is having trouble with financier
#6 Liberty Mutual..........Had to give them 46.5 Million in tax breaks to build somthing.
#7 Fan Pier..........Another 71 Million in tax breaks.
#8 Filenes.........Pretty much has destroyed the downtown Retail.
#9 W-Hotel ........Got Built but had to file bankruptcy and almost stiff the city of Boston 10.5 Million dollars

I see a terrible trend here in city planning.........
Do you think the city officials are worried about TRAFFIC, Congestion, vibrancy.

Does anybody really love or are amazed at anything being built in Boston anymore?
My personal thoughts NO!!!!!!.......

The Area that I feel that has progressed the most from the BIG DIG (Greenway)......is the North End and the park near Joe's Bar and Grill. That area is coming into it's own.

 

[itchy]

Re: Innovation District

http://www.kendallsq.com/
Welcome to the Kendall Square Association!

Board Members
Kelley Brown, Senior Planner, Department of Facilities, MIT
Bill Gartner, Senior Vice President, BioMed Realty Trust
Bob Simha, Executive Manager, University Residential Communities
Ann Stanesa, Associate Director for Public Affairs, Genzyme
Eric Quadrino, Owner, MexiCali Burrito Co.
Brian Murray, Senior Director Global Facilities, Akamai
Sarah Gallop, Co-Director, Government and Community Relations, MIT
James Kappel, General Manager, Cambridge Center Marriott
Joseph Tulimieri, Executive Director, Cambridge Redevelopment Authority
Tim Rowe, CEO, Cambridge Innovation Center
Michael Cantalupa, Senior Vice President, Boston Properties
Martin Mullins, Vice President, Whitehead Institute
Sara Spalding, Senior Director, Microsoft
Alan Fein, Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, Broad Institute
Tom Andrews, Sr. Vice President, Alexandria Real Estate Equities
Michael Owu, Director, Real Estate, MIT Investment Management Company
Steve Vinter, Site Director, Google
Christopher Barr, Research Operations Senior Manager, Amgen
Jeffrey Lockwood, Director, External Communications, Novartis
Ed Dondero, Director of Real Estate and Planning, Biogen Idec
Travis McCready, Executive Director, Kendall Square Association

Microsoft, Google, Novartis, MIT, Amgen, Biogen ... and burritos ...

How the hell did the burrito guy wind up on that board?

 

[JohnAKeith]

Re: Innovation District

Huhhhhh???

Doesn't the bus end up on the regular road when it goes through the Ted Williams tunnel? Did I forget something?

 

[Justin7]

Re: Innovation District

Burrito is the next Apple.

 

[HenryAlan]

Re: Innovation District

Huhhhhh???

Doesn't the bus end up on the regular road when it goes through the Ted Williams tunnel? Did I forget something?

Yeah, thAt's the section I meant when I said express way. How is that not rapid?

 

[BostonUrbEx]

Re: Innovation District

Yeah, thAt's the section I meant when I said express way. How is that not rapid?

I believe he's referring to surface road run around in getting from the dedicated way TO the expressway. The surface run around is a massive blow, and there should have been a direct feed into the Ted, or at least ramps making it easier.

 

[HenryAlan]

Re: Innovation District

But that's a brief interruption, not enough to knock the A out from between the B and the T. The Silver Line has some issues, but they aren't about rubber tires or a brief bit of street running.

 

[JohnAKeith]

Re: Innovation District

Ugh. Don't mean to drag this out, but after the stop light on D Street, it enters a tunnel (eventually) and joins Ted Williams Tunnel traffic all the way from there under the Boston Harbor until it splits off above ground inside Logan Airport.

Is this accurate?

 

[Pierce]

Re: Innovation District

the head-smacking moment of the Airport Silver Line run for me comes when upon exiting the busway, the driver has to put the bus in park, exit, walk to the end of the bus to retract the electrical connections, walk back to the front, reboard, start the gas engine, put it in drive and proceed to the tunnel.

We may as well give the drivers a coal shovel and an engineer's cap.