Seaport Square (Formerly McCourt Seaport Parcels)

AmericanFolkLegend said:
I'm curious as to how the pedestrian plaza will work out. The Herald article mentioned that the Barking Crab and the hotel would share loading and waste facilities. I don't know how you do that without the "pedestrian plaza" playing a part.
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I assume that deliveries would take place on the plaza itself.
 
AmericanFolkLegend said:
I'm curious as to how the pedestrian plaza will work out. The Herald article mentioned that the Barking Crab and the hotel would share loading and waste facilities. I don't know how you do that without the "pedestrian plaza" playing a part.
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AFL -- the model is Washington Street area -- during the day a pedestrian plaza - after everything closes late at night trucks come and bring and remove stuff
 
Didn't have my camera for yesterdays walk, but they have the Innovation Center fenced off with a backhoe on site digging and breaking up parking lot.....
 
BeeLine said:
This looks to be the offical announcement/groundbreaking.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business...vRCcvPfjGIsA5AdbM/story.html?p1=Well_BG_Links
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OK! THIS is the important takeaway:

----------------
".....It will be operated by the Cambridge Innovation Center, an organization that supports start-up companies in Kendall Square.......

......In some ways, the arrangement is a recognition that Boston and Cambridge - often seen as competitors for the region’s top companies - can benefit from each other’s growth and success. Both have thriving business communities whose companies will use the new center to collaborate on research and new business ventures.

“When Mayor Menino reached out to us, we thought, ‘Wow, this is going to make the region better,’ ’’ said Tim Rowe, chief executive of the Cambridge Innovation Center. “This is something that could be transformative.’’

Aides to the mayor and others said the facility will complement the Cambridge Innovation Center, which provides office space for 450 start-up companies in a building in Kendall Square....."
-----------------------------

Boston and Cambridge working as a TEAM and not backbiting for business is a sea change compared to what has seemed earlier. What Tim Rowe said in the piece is right on. That fact IS transformative. Let's see the Innovation District get companies to move there from San Diego or Kansas City, not just Cambridge.

I am a huge Menino critic, and this may not have been his idea, but reaching out to Cambridge and working in tandem on this is a BIG deal.
 
^^^^
Shmessy, You're pipe dreaming.......Cambridge & Innovation District working as a tandem.

Listen if the Innovation District was well planned with a good foundation the SEAPORT could have evolved into anything successful overtime with any of these groups.

**Entertainment District....This would have brought the city unlimited Revenue
**Innovation District.......,
**Upper-Class District.....
**SEAPORT DISTRICT…….

A good foundation---Would mean a solid transportation MBTA GRID....Which would support better foot traffic for the area than rather CAR & TRUCK traffic afor the area. Quick access from one point of the city to another without getting into a car, truck or waiting for BUS.

Mark this POST.......The economy is in another bubble call it the Social Media bubble or whatever. But when this bubble pops it will be ugly. The precious innovation district will be KAPUT!!!!!!!!.....
Without a MBTA GRID it never will succeed.

Fan Pier Development SUCKS!!!!!!!!....
#1 there is no reason for tourists or outsiders to ever go down to the Innovation district.
#2 the innovation district will only focus on the workers, Housing workers and upper management

Cambridge Ma is very unique and is pretty much run by HARVARD & MIT the most powerful Universities in the world with billions of dollars.
Harvard, Kendall, Inman, Davis, Porter, MIT are well positioned by easy access from the REDLINE.

Billions of dollars are running through Cambridge, Somerville and Allston yearly.
Sorry but the Innovation Distract has NO SHOT IN HELL of succeeding…….They missed the opportunity.

Harvard & MIT will continue to push out to Allston & Somerville even possible Malden. The only thing pushing SPID moving on is the taxpayers.
 
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Yes. But then again, as much as you harp on the lack of good planning up front.... that does not negate success. Not to say the area will or will not succeed, and good up front planning would have should have been step one. Many successful areas that exist today were either begun poorly, or without the current use in mind.
 
Is MBTA grid the new football stadium? Should we drink?
 
SeamusMcFly said:
Yes. But then again, as much as you harp on the lack of good planning up front.... that does not negate success. Not to say the area will or will not succeed, and good up front planning would have should have been step one. Many successful areas that exist today were either begun poorly, or without the current use in mind.
Click to expand...

True........Cambridge was dump but it still had the Redline running through the area which made it an easy commute to everywhere.

The Innovation district will be built with buildings and people will be walking around. Overtime will it evolve into something....... successful? I doubt it. I think we might see some serious congestion of automobile traffic coming in & out of the area...Which will be a negative affect for the Greenway.

Will the innovation district become a similar Cambridge......Not in my lifetime, that area is missing two key components called Harvard & MIT.

This probably was the last great development area close to the city to make a serious statement for Boston. The Seaport District.

I just see corporations flocking back to the city to stay near the MBTA grid to make life an easier commute for its employees. Having Cars getting in & out of the city in this area will SUCK.

What I'm seeing with my eyes right now is an area evolving
Remys
average bars &restaurants on the water with plenty of parking right now
route128 box buildings
high end condo buildings with Boats
courthouse

And they will continue to pump as much tax-dollars in this area as they can which will even force more shitty developments.
I think the best thing going for the area is the Childrens Musuem
The poor planning for the Seaport District will also affect the Greenway with Gridlock Automobile Traffic around it
 
TheRifleman said:
^^^^
Shmessy, You're pipe dreaming.......Cambridge & Innovation District working as a tandem.

Listen if the Innovation District was well planned with a good foundation the SEAPORT could have evolved into anything successful overtime with any of these groups.

**Entertainment District....This would have brought the city unlimited Revenue
**Innovation District.......,
**Upper-Class District.....
**SEAPORT DISTRICT…….

A good foundation---Would mean a solid transportation MBTA GRID....Which would support better foot traffic for the area than rather CAR & TRUCK traffic afor the area. Quick access from one point of the city to another without getting into a car, truck or waiting for BUS.

Mark this POST.......The economy is in another bubble call it the Social Media bubble or whatever. But when this bubble pops it will be ugly. The precious innovation district will be KAPUT!!!!!!!!.....
Without a MBTA GRID it never will succeed.

Fan Pier Development SUCKS!!!!!!!!....
#1 there is no reason for tourists or outsiders to ever go down to the Innovation district.
#2 the innovation district will only focus on the workers, Housing workers and upper management

Cambridge Ma is very unique and is pretty much run by HARVARD & MIT the most powerful Universities in the world with billions of dollars.
Harvard, Kendall, Inman, Davis, Porter, MIT are well positioned by easy access from the REDLINE.

Billions of dollars are running through Cambridge, Somerville and Allston yearly.
Sorry but the Innovation Distract has NO SHOT IN HELL of succeeding…….They missed the opportunity.

Harvard & MIT will continue to push out to Allston & Somerville even possible Malden. The only thing pushing SPID moving on is the taxpayers.
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South Station and Broadway are each within an 8-10 min walk of Fort Point and Fan Pier/Seaport Square. I get the arguments about the Silver Line, but I think a lot of people overlook the fact that the SPID (major development areas) is essentially on the red line.
 
I don't get the Silver Line arguments. Between South Station and WTC, it is a subway. Yes, it's buses, but it's below ground and a dedicated line. Between Courthouse Station, and WTC station, plus an additional one halfway between in the future, Fan Pier and Seaport Square into the Massport lots will be very well covered. The BCEC, Waterside, and D Street developments are underserved, even though WTC station isn't far away. A tunnel from WTC station to BCEC could help.

TheRifleman said:
True........Cambridge was dump but it still had the Redline running through the area which made it an easy commute to everywhere.

The Innovation district will be built with buildings and people will be walking around. Overtime will it evolve into something....... successful? I doubt it. I think we might see some serious congestion of automobile traffic coming in & out of the area...Which will be a negative affect for the Greenway.

Will the innovation district become a similar Cambridge......Not in my lifetime, that area is missing two key components called Harvard & MIT.

This probably was the last great development area close to the city to make a serious statement for Boston. The Seaport District.

I just see corporations flocking back to the city to stay near the MBTA grid to make life an easier commute for its employees. Having Cars getting in & out of the city in this area will SUCK.

What I'm seeing with my eyes right now is an area evolving
Remys
average bars &restaurants on the water with plenty of parking right now
route128 box buildings
high end condo buildings with Boats
courthouse

And they will continue to pump as much tax-dollars in this area as they can which will even force more shitty developments.
I think the best thing going for the area is the Childrens Musuem
The poor planning for the Seaport District will also affect the Greenway with Gridlock Automobile Traffic around it
Click to expand...

You indicate the Children's Musem as a positive, but in addition the Tea Party is almost done and back on the map, plus everyone seems to love the ICA. That's 3 cultural draws so far. High End restaurants abound right now, but yes that suits the office clientele as well as conventioners. I'm still hoping for the lower cost food, but that wil follow and fill in as residents move in.

Tourists? What is a tourist? An out of towner? There are hundreds and thousands of them when the BCEC is full. When operating at or near capacity that dumps a lot of people into the area. From traveling to conventions, I know I prefer to stay close to the hall and hotel, and want everything within easy reach. Right now this isn't the case, which is why you don't see these folks. Head over to the No Name on a big convention day, and it's mobbed for 2 hours. 2,000 more hotel rooms like they want, and you will see foot traffic at local places.

Add to this the increased working population as well as new residents, and you get a neighborhood.... Again, not saying it'll all work out, but it's hardly the doom and gloom you predict. You just seem to want instant gratification in an area notoriously slow in growing and developing. Not in your lifetime? Maybe, I don't know how old you are, but it's built for the long haul not for the moment in time.

Traffic is a reality and will increase. We are a bit spoiled right now with how easy it is to get into the area and drive the Seaport streets relatively traffic free. It's also peoples own fault, as there should not be a huge need at full build out to drive much during peak hours. Taxis to and from businesses and the BCEC sure. I already drive in early and leave late when I decide to drive because I know the hours. Others will learn too. And traffic adversely affecting the greenway????? How does traffic adversely affect a 6 lane highway? Unless people start driving their cars on the walking paths as a shortcut, I don't see the impact on the parks themselves, besides it maybe making more people walk to easy to reach destinations, and increasing foot traffic on the greenway, which is what it lacks.
 
SeamusMcFly said:
I don't get the Silver Line arguments. Between South Station and WTC, it is a subway. Yes, it's buses, but it's below ground and a dedicated line. Between Courthouse Station, and WTC station, plus an additional one halfway between in the future, Fan Pier and Seaport Square into the Massport lots will be very well covered. The BCEC, Waterside, and D Street developments are underserved, even though WTC station isn't far away. A tunnel from WTC station to BCEC could help.
Click to expand...

To me a major problem is the Silver Line's lack of connectivity - it's essentially a stub line that forces a transfer at South Station and typically gets there within the time it would take to walk. Even a light rail upgrade wouldn't solve this. What's really needed is connectivity to the Back Bay, which only a proper GL (or, somehow, OL) extension could achieve. I've proposed an Essex Street surface corridor route for GL trains between Boylston and South Station, continuing into the SL tunnel.
 
Shepard said:
To me a major problem is the Silver Line's lack of connectivity - it's essentially a stub line that forces a transfer at South Station and typically gets there within the time it would take to walk. Even a light rail upgrade wouldn't solve this. What's really needed is connectivity to the Back Bay, which only a proper GL (or, somehow, OL) extension could achieve. I've proposed an Essex Street surface corridor route for GL trains between Boylston and South Station, continuing into the SL tunnel.
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Riff, Shep -- a lot of the connectivity can be solved by just making South Station, Courthouse and Silver Line way into hubs:

South Station:
1) connect to Red Line, CR, Amtrak, Buses
2) via underground Silver Line to Courthouse, World Trade, Silver Line Way (tunnel under D Street), then above ground to Airport
3) eventually connects to water taxi on Fort Point Channel with connections throughout the harbor

Courthouse Station:
1) via underground Silver Line to World Trade, Silver Line Way (tunnel under D Street), then above ground to Airport
2) connects to new branches toward Fort Point area and everything between channel and BCEC -- all electric some underground

Silver Line Way (after digging under D Street):
1) via underground Silver Line to Courthouse, World Trade, and Airport
2) connects to new branches to Marine Industrial Park, Black Falcon Cruise terminal, South Boston -- initially CNG-diesel eventually electric

there's your transit grid -- although eventually it would be nice to see another Red Line branch heading to UMass and the Globe area
 
TheRifleman said:
^^^^
Shmessy, You're pipe dreaming.......Cambridge & Innovation District working as a tandem.

Listen if the Innovation District was well planned with a good foundation the SEAPORT could have evolved into anything successful overtime with any of these groups.

**Entertainment District....This would have brought the city unlimited Revenue
**Innovation District.......,
**Upper-Class District.....
**SEAPORT DISTRICT…….

A good foundation---Would mean a solid transportation MBTA GRID....Which would support better foot traffic for the area than rather CAR & TRUCK traffic afor the area. Quick access from one point of the city to another without getting into a car, truck or waiting for BUS.

Mark this POST.......The economy is in another bubble call it the Social Media bubble or whatever. But when this bubble pops it will be ugly. The precious innovation district will be KAPUT!!!!!!!!.....
Without a MBTA GRID it never will succeed.

Fan Pier Development SUCKS!!!!!!!!....
#1 there is no reason for tourists or outsiders to ever go down to the Innovation district.
#2 the innovation district will only focus on the workers, Housing workers and upper management

Cambridge Ma is very unique and is pretty much run by HARVARD & MIT the most powerful Universities in the world with billions of dollars.
Harvard, Kendall, Inman, Davis, Porter, MIT are well positioned by easy access from the REDLINE.

Billions of dollars are running through Cambridge, Somerville and Allston yearly.
Sorry but the Innovation Distract has NO SHOT IN HELL of succeeding…….They missed the opportunity.

Harvard & MIT will continue to push out to Allston & Somerville even possible Malden. The only thing pushing SPID moving on is the taxpayers.
Click to expand...

Wow. Talk about bizarre voyages.....

All I said is that this was an unexpected and good development that Boston and Cambridge are cooperating and working together regarding this new innovation center rather than trying to poach each other's businesses.

A step in the right direction and one I did not expect from Menino.

How that kickstarted your rant is beyond me.
 
I walked into and out of the Seaport just last week to go to dinner at Legal Harborside. Didn't really seem that difficult to me, but I guess I'm missing something.
 
Shepard said:
To me a major problem is the Silver Line's lack of connectivity - it's essentially a stub line that forces a transfer at South Station and typically gets there within the time it would take to walk. Even a light rail upgrade wouldn't solve this. What's really needed is connectivity to the Back Bay, which only a proper GL (or, somehow, OL) extension could achieve. I've proposed an Essex Street surface corridor route for GL trains between Boylston and South Station, continuing into the SL tunnel.
Click to expand...

This is my view, too. It serves a very small part of the city, meaning that almost every trip requires a transfer. Transfers are not a problem in and of themselves, but no line should be 90% plus oriented to transfers.

Interesting suggestion about the Orange Line. I have tended to only think of light rail, but in some ways, an Orange Line extension might be easier than Green Line. The reason is that the tunnel can be placed under the existing ROW connecting Back Bay with South Station. There are no utilities to clear, and it could be done with only short term interruptions to a single track, rather than all of them, as the case would be for a roadway cut and cover. Getting there would be easy enough, but then how does the line service the airport? I guess light rail is really the only option, since it will allow airport bound buses to still share the tunnel.
 
If any form of rail comes through the tunnels, I don't think buses should share them. The buses go so slow in the tunnels anyway that the utility of avoiding street-running is lost. Instead of the SL Airport as currently conceived, there should simply be a surface BRT line from South Station to the Airport terminals - dedicated bus lanes down Summer Street stopping once at the BCEC and then straight into the TWT. So that would be in addition to the integrated rail service using the current tunnels.
 
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