Seaport Neighborhood - Infill and Discussion

Re: South Boston Seaport

Street level looks pretty good - I think it's handsome. My only issue is: what the heck is on the other side of Seaport Blvd. in the third render? Anyone know what city they photoshopped that from? It kind of looks like Dewey Square a little.

Also, this is really different from the previous massing models. Is it typical to reveal the actual design once ground has already been broken? Is this what happens in places where development actually moves at a reasonable pace?
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

That's High Street across the Fort Point Channel. The tall white "honeycomb" building is 99 High Street. The scale is definitely off but at least they're still in the right city. :)
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

In the first render, looking past the fugly glass cube towards the water, one sees a beige stump right on the waterfront. Hopefully this is not a working design for the future building there (I believe that is planned for residential?) The last thing this area needs given the hotel/residential monstrosities behind Liberty Wharf and 1MPD is another grayish commieblock on the water. "Gulag on the Channel" is what the next residential development to look like this should be named.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

I suspect those buildings in the background on Fan Pier are just placeholders for future development, not accurate even in their massing.

What struck me was the width of the street that leads to the water -- 4 lanes to nowhere? Wouldn't wider sidewalks with room for tables, etc. make sense there?

Also noted the multiple levels of above grade indoor parking on the architect's website. Wondering if that was necessary, or just more cost cutting.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Sicilian said:
Also noted the multiple levels of above grade indoor parking on the architect's website. Wondering if that was necessary, or just more cost cutting.
Click to expand...
I wondered about that, too. But then, how do you do subterranean parking above the harbor? I'm not very knowledgeable about this type of issue, but it seems like below grade parking would be extremely difficult at this location.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Sicilian said:
What struck me was the width of the street that leads to the water -- 4 lanes to nowhere? Wouldn't wider sidewalks with room for tables, etc. make sense there?
Click to expand...

This is absolutely true, although may be only in the illustration. There is probably a BRA document that gives specs for each of these new streets - I'm happy to check if anyone has a link.

If you think about it, the entire seaport is a dead end except for Summer Street. Seaport Blvd and Congress St have no reason to be as wide as they are. The part of Seaport Blvd by the WTC with the fenced median (pedestrian no cross, cars only!) is especially vexing.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Rowe's Wharf has 7 levels of underground / underwater parking

What needs to be done is slurry walls and then mining out from the bottom building up to the surface -- It is expensive to do

I don't see anything wrong with above ground parking -- particularly if it is a "Pez Dispenser" style where the cars are stored and handled roboticly
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

I was looking for detailed master plans for Fan Pier to find the answer to the question about the street width here. I came across something interesting from decades ago:
http://www.archive.org/details/developmentplanp00hbca

Including:

fanpiermasterplan1986.png


fanpiermasterplan1986b.png

(canal emphasis added)

So...
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

That plan is ancient.

The master planning documents including street width that pertain to current approvals are:

Seaport Public Realm Plan (SBWBRP)
South Boston Municipal Harbor Plan (SBMHP)
Pritzker's Fan Pier filings (Fan Pier PDA, PNF, ENF, etc.)

If I have time I'll find links. They can be googled and at minimum the PRP and MHP are on the BRA website.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Yes, I realize that plan was decades old. But, if only.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

No complaints here. Would have made for a nice tourist trap and nice place for locals as well.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Sicilian said:
Also noted the multiple levels of above grade indoor parking on the architect's website. Wondering if that was necessary, or just more cost cutting.
Click to expand...

The rendering shows 3 levels of underground parking. If you look to the right of the rendering, you can see a street above them. The background is just very misleading.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

labatud12 said:
The rendering shows 3 levels of underground parking. If you look to the right of the rendering, you can see a street above them. The background is just very misleading.
Click to expand...

If you're right about the parking being below grade, that rendering is REALLY screwed up.

Even if you are correct, the rendering shows the prime corner and streetwalls of this building are wasted with corporate lobby -- another massive mistake when your goal is to see a wildly successful pedestrian environment develop outside, as it should on the Fan Pier.

Someone tell me why the BRA has been approving so many projects downtown that have massive vanity lobbies instead of presenting retail opportunities. Buildings with lobbies just suck the lifeblood out of a street when you walk by. MAJOR PET PEEVE.
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Because what we call "lifeblood" the BRA calls "sidewalk congestion issues"
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

Nice thing about modern buildings with open steel frames -- you can add and remove windows, walls, doors pretty much as you please

So if you wanted to add a shop or restarurant to a corner "vanity lobby" -- you can always do so

Think of the recreations of the 2 corners of the Hynes for 'Towne Stove and Spirits' and the soon to be re_Capitalized Grille
 
Re: South Boston Seaport

whighlander said:
Nice thing about modern buildings with open steel frames -- you can add and remove windows, walls, doors pretty much as you please

So if you wanted to add a shop or restarurant to a corner "vanity lobby" -- you can always do so

Think of the recreations of the 2 corners of the Hynes for 'Towne Stove and Spirits' and the soon to be re_Capitalized Grille
Click to expand...

One Boston Place as well.
 
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