Seaport Square (Formerly McCourt Seaport Parcels)

This news kind of got lost

Boston Globe 11/1http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/11/14/city_rebuild_northern_ave_span/4/2008

Meanwhile, the Seaport Square building, to be developed by Boston Residential Group and Gale International, will be six stories, with 34 luxury condominiums above two floors of retail shops and underground parking. Its approval advances waterfront development that has been otherwise stalled by the frozen credit markets and weak economy. "We're hoping to get the Boston Residential project going as soon as possible, which would mean within the next six to nine months," said John B. Hynes III, Gale International's chief executive
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Any news here? How dependent is this on the Filene's project?
 
This thread is as good a place as any to post this editorial from today's (Thursday's) Boston Globe.

Anyone taking my bet that the Globe isn't going to endorse the Mayor in next week's preliminary election?

(Props to the Globe for being so brazen as to call the neighborhood the "Seaport District" and not "South Boston Waterfront". Yay!

On the waterfront, big dreams and acres of open pavement
September 17, 2009

NINE YEARS AGO, Mayor Menino announced what he called ?probably the most exciting development that will happen in Boston in our lifetime?? - completion of the master plan for a new residential neighborhood and hundreds of thousands of square feet of office space comprising a key component of Boston?s new Seaport District. Even then, in 2000, it had been a long voyage, replete with recalcitrant developers, demanding environmentalists, and cranky neighbors in South Boston. And yet, after many storms, Menino had seemingly guided the overloaded ship into harbor. ?I?m into this one,?? he had said in 1997. ?I look at this as what I leave the city.??

But now, 11 years after that vow and nine years after the master plan, Menino?s vision hasn?t come to fruition. The mayor was right to hold out for an overall game plan for the entire Seaport District, right to demand a mix of residential and office space, and right to call for a signature public building. He was even right, against many skeptics, to insist that a big new convention center would pay off for Boston.

And yet this vital area still looks like a missed opportunity for Menino. Deep into the city?s fourth century, the Seaport District offers a rare test - a vast expanse of developable land where a mayor can bring Boston?s future into being. Under Menino, though, the new district has evolved at a glacial pace.

While some important components, like the convention center and the impressive new Institute of Contemporary Art, are in place, the residential neighborhood hasn?t emerged. Nor has much of a viable business district. There are many excuses to be made, from seesawing economic conditions to a bad mix of developers to the need to proceed cautiously and avoid mistakes. But voters would be justified in wondering if the city?s leadership, with all the zoning power at its control, could have done better. A mayor often chided for his lack of vision but praised for his pragmatism has gotten it the other way around on the Seaport. The vision was right but Menino hasn?t succeeded in getting enough shovels in the ground.

Many of the delays stem from the mayor?s inability to bring the owners of the Fan Pier area together with those controlling the adjacent parking lots. Menino initially pinned his hopes on the good faith of Fan Pier owner Nicholas J. Pritzker of Chicago, while parking-lot magnate Frank McCourt sought other allies for his own plans. Years were lost amid the bitterness and squabbling between the two groups. Eventually, McCourt sold his parking lots to help finance his purchase of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and John Hynes III took control of those lots. The Pritzker lands were sold and eventually came under the control of developer Joe Fallon, who is building an office tower. Next-door property controlled by developer Steve Karp remains vacant except for the aging restaurant Anthony?s Pier 4 and the new ICA.

Only the mayor can get such a plethora of developers moving in unison. But critics contend that Menino has thrown up roadblocks in the good economic times, and failed to keep the planning process moving through the bad times. Meanwhile, a half-mile up the waterfront, land controlled by Massport has been extensively developed, with the Seaport Hotel, four office buildings, and a housing development across from the old Jimmy?s Harborside restaurant.

Menino, who once suggested moving City Hall to the waterfront, still muses about things he wants added to the Seaport plans - perhaps a graduate school of some sort, and a new public school - but he no longer has the force of a strong economy behind him. He was instrumental in clearing away obstacles to the new ICA and the convention center, but it?s hard to envision much more progress in the near term.

That?s a shame, and a blight on the city and Menino?s legacy. On a late-summer night this week, with the sun dying in a blaze of colors like a fauvist landscape at the ICA, the potential of the Seaport was vividly apparent - the cityscape on one side, the harbor on the other. But in between were mostly eyesores: chain-link fences surrounding endless parking lots, concrete barriers, weed-strewn lots, big windy bridges to nowhere.

Watching over it all was the venerable Our Lady of Good Voyage chapel. It?s been a rough passage for Menino and the Seaport District.
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I saw this on Universal Hub last week, I assume Da' Mayah's latest great idea would go on these parcels. While more residential is needed here, Menino is once again misguided. Is this just too foolish to even discuss?

http://www.universalhub.com/node/28749
 
Justin7 said:
Any news here? How dependent is this on the Filene's project?
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This does not depend on Filene's project. Hynes could walk away from that he only has 1-5% vested interest in that project. The problem with him walking away would be his reputation.
I think he might struggle with this one unless he has plenty of capital for this project.
 
Seaport Square backers move forward

...

Changes to the proposal, which still would result in about 6.5 million square feet of new space, include:

? Increasing the number of proposed buildings to 23 from 19 as several big buildings are scrapped in favor of clusters of smaller buildings.

? Cutting heights on buildings along the side of the project adjacent to existing Fort Point Channel structures so they blend together better.

? Redesigning some buildings adjacent to Fan Pier so the two new neighborhoods mesh better.

? Changing one block to commercial and residential use from office space.

? Moving an entertainment complex for the benefit of Fan Pier occupants.

The public comment period runs through mid-February.

http://boston.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2009/11/30/daily31.html


Sounds good!
 
I cant find the updated file...
 
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? Increasing the number of proposed buildings to 23 from 19 as several big buildings are scrapped in favor of clusters of smaller buildings.
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dancing_banana.gif
 
Changes seem generally positive from an urban planning POV. Waiting for the other shoe to drop . . .

One change that I don't love:
Redesigning some buildings adjacent to Fan Pier so the two new neighborhoods mesh better.
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Does this mean more precast concrete facades?
 
Sounds like some really awesome, welcome changes. Not often that projects get better after being revised in this city.
 
Seaport Square from the beginning has been an ambitious project with lots of potential. Overall this is likely a step in the right direction - all along this should have been considered an extension of Fort Point eastwards rather than a stretching of Fan Pier southwards (not the exact compass directions but you get the picture).

The weak link is therefore the grassy "Seaport Square" itself, which is open space right across the street from the Fan Pier's open space. A desert.

There's some nice, well thought-out open space in this proposal that I hope stays, including the residential square that, if done right, could be very picturesque.
 
I'm not really into the YIMBY thing (in reference to another thread), but it would be great if aB started doing press releases to applaud this kind of thing. I can't imagine it being all that difficult to get something on boston.com.
 
Wow, usually changes in projects go the complete opposite way. I'm really happy to hear they're changing this up to make it more urban. Now let's just get some renders and some positive news about financing...
 
I'm really sick of every new residential building being "luxury." To me it would make sense that the units would rent fairly quickly if they rents were aimed at accommodating not only the wealthy, instead of building new luxury condos that sit on the market for years.
 
^^^ I think, although I'm not that knowledged, that one of the main reasons only luxury condo/apts are being built is the spiraling-out-of-control construction costs. For developer to make a profit they can only afford to build units that will cost a lot to live in.
 
Any residential density on the Seaport at this point would be a plus. I'd guess luxury housing could lessen pressure on remaining stock if the market for residential turns around.

But the discussion of housing type may be moot.

The latest plans are likely nothing more than a press-release and some renderings, perhaps to keep the developments in the news. Plans will shift as the market changes and phasing will likely favor a predominance of office space and hotels over residential.

That is, of course, if past is prologue.
 
mdd said:
I'm really sick of every new residential building being "luxury." To me it would make sense that the units would rent fairly quickly if they rents were aimed at accommodating not only the wealthy, instead of building new luxury condos that sit on the market for years.
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As Sicilian hinted at, when new luxury developments are built, supply goes up and previous generations of luxury housing eventually go down in price to affordable levels.
 
I saw this picture from Athens Greece on another site and thought it would be a great way to cover the ramps in the seaport.

5803.jpg
 
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