Shreve, Crump & Low Redevelopment | 334-364 Boylston Street | Back Bay

[statler]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

I still hate to see these two buildings demolished.

Technically, it will be four buildings:

 

[Ron Newman]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

Yes, I know, but I doubt that many people care about the other two. I would not miss them.

 

[statler]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

Yeah, but aside from losing two nice buildings, we are also losing four discreet lots in favor of one megalot. That's almost as big of a loss for the city.

 

[itchy]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

So the rationale that Druker presents for tearing down Shreve's and the WEIU is that doing so allows "more space and parking?" Firstly: So would tearing down the Old State House -- or, for that matter, tearing down International Place and building a supertall. That doesn't mean it's necessary, especially with recession and ~30 million sq. ft. of office space (8% of the NYC's total) coming online in the next 10 years.

Secondly: It offers more (underground) PARKING? Are you kidding me? Is that really the urban planning priority of the day?

I'm sick of this garbage.

Why should one man -- and in Druker's case one so clearly tasteless and just plain dumb (just read his comments about "I don't know how much rent goes for, but this will be the most expensivest building ever") -- decide the fate of the city?

Why should Mayor-for-Life McMumbles bestow his little cherries of zoning beneficence on his favorites?

This is rotten and it stinks all the way to the top. I'll try to exhaust a few more channels with the State House, city, and media, but if people continue to ignore the case or pretend it isn't happening, I'm ready to start a massive campaign to oust Tom "Boss Tweed" Menino.

That joker has been mayor since I was in elementary school, and what good has he done for Boston? Yes, the city's more expensive than it was in the early 1990s, but that's due to fundamental, national demographic shifts and market changes. In fact, under his watch the population and economy have hardly made gains. Yet he continues to park his paunch on City Hall Plaza term after term.

Menino is all parts Marion Barry, zero parts John Winthrop. And I won't take that anymore.

 

[Padre Mike]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

I did not realize that the fourth building was not the historic home of the WEIU. Where were they located before 1975?

One source told me they were originally located at 74 Boylston St. I remember when their store was located in Park Square (I'm pretty sure, on the back side of the Four Seasons). There was much hubbub when they moved the golden swan to the new Boylston St. location. Little old Brahmin ladies, in need of cash or of downsizing, would sell their antiques there. Now the WEIU has changed its name altogether, and the store is no more.

 

[tobyjug]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

I think they were over at One Washington Mall (dreary brick walkway by City Hall) afterwards, but I've lost track. Amelia Earhart (from Meffa, believe it or not) got her start from them. Her application was framed and hanging around.

 

[justin]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

^Itchy, have you considered contacting the minister at the Arlington Church? I don't know anything about them, except that they're right accross the street, they have a pulpit and an upscale congregation which might be moved to protect their immediate neighborhood?

justin

 

[Ron Newman]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

I think they were over at One Washington Mall

Yep, WEIU merged with another organization and has moved to that address. The merged group is called Crittenton Women's Union. Unfortunately, their web site does not appear to have a history page.

have you considered contacting the minister at the Arlington Church? I don't know anything about them, except that they're right accross the street

Arlington Street Church is a left-leaning Unitarian-Universalist congregation that probably draws from a wide area beyond the neighborhood. But that's still a very good idea, if someone wants to pursue it.

 

[nico]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

tobyjug
"Amelia Earhart (from Meffa, believe it or not)"

She lived in Medford for a time, but I don't believe she was from Medford; they did name the dam on 16 after her.

 

[tobyjug]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

You are right on that one! Atchinson, Kansas. The thing they had up had there had her address on it from her Medford days.

 

[itchy]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

Contacting the church would be a good idea. I'll try to pursue it but am busy on a project at work and not in Boston right now. If anyone else has time, please go ahead and I can follow up later.

I don't know what Amelia's relation to the Boston area is, but her sister was a teacher in Belmont for years in the '50s-'60s, as I know from family members she taught.

 

[nm88]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

This mediocrity in the name of larger floor plates and more parking? Druker must be very influential to pull this off.

I've written the BRA, BLC, Menino and Arlington church. No response from church. Everyone else: "thank you for your comments."

My one hope: this is Pelli, after all, maybe the renderings have it wrong?

 

[atlantaden]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

In a city that has few prime sites where a developer can build, this sort of thing is bound to happen. Druker's a smart guy, he did his homework before he bought these buildings; he must have known that the Shreves building wasn't protected by city bylaws, historical commissions, neighborhood associations, etc. It's a prime piece of property; the previous owners let the existing properties run down and then sold for probably a nice profit. I'm not defending Druker but isn't this how a city prospers? For a city like Boston, where it's fairly small financial core area is surrounded by protected areas (North End, Back Bay, South End, Beacon Hill, the Greenway, the Common, the Public Garden, etc...) and the ability to build upwards is hampered, the pressure to build on existing properties is tremendous and if a building like Shreve's is not protected it's gonna eventually come down.

 

[nm88]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

True. Not everything can be saved. If the proposed building was something we were all excited about, there'd probably be less disappointment.

Less. Not none at all.

 

[awood91]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

first, we should wait for more, hopefully better renderings. then we can make some more accurate judgments. atlantaden, i agree with your point, but i think its a shame that this building in particular is being demolished. i think there are many other potential sites that could be redeveloped that have far less architecturally significant existing buildings.

 

[mpm617]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

Menino is all parts Marion Barry, zero parts John Winthrop.

You are exactly right. In many ways the city does not work well. Street cleaning stops before all the leaves have fallen. Streets are not correctly plowed in winter. Sidewalks are NEVER cleared in residential neighborhoods or even in front of city owned schools and parks or around T stations and bus stops. Graffitti doesn't get cleaned up unless the property owner feels like doing it himself. And well connected people (to the mayor) get to do whatever they want, the public be damned. He prevents the city from moving beyond its provincial reputation because he himself is provincial in his outlook. He's frugal in all the wrong places. He may think that keeping property taxes low will prevent people from leaving the city but it's the quality of life issues that he totally ignores that drive people away. And protecting our history is a quality of life issue. You're right, it's time for Menino to go, but who has the guts or the money to take on the Menino machine.

 

[itchy]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

I've never agreed that much with Nietzsche when reading him, but life experience has led me to one conclusion in keeping with much of what he said: Anything you want to achieve can be done with will power; and anything you want done you must yourself do.

When and if the scaffolding goes up over this building, I will do everything in my power to bring down the Menino machine. I'm a young business consultant with a background in math and classics by education and reporting by profession, but I'm willing to take the leap against Menino and the stranglehold he has on the city. Hopefully you guys will join in and together bring down this small-time swindler.

I've never lived anywhere near the Shreve's building and never paid too much attention to it. I have, however, thought on thousands of occasions that the southern strip of the Public Garden looks like a Burlington-esque piece of garbage, defacing and destroying the entire (historic, prominent and crucial) area.

If Menino is ready to jump beyond the rule of law and sacrifice the parts of the city that work, that make it pleasant to live in, and that make it prestigious and attractive to businesses for the sake of his skeezy pals, then I will bring him down. I lived in Russia long enough to loathe his Soviet style of politics, and the Fat Man needs to go.

I apologize to all for getting so political, but politics is, sadly, the biggest factor in these sorts of questions of urban planning.

 

[Beton Brut]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

^ I know what Nietzsche would say about Menino and his numbskull cabal:

"That which is falling should also be pushed."

 

[Ron Newman]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

If Menino is ready to jump beyond the rule of law

You want to save the building. I want to save the building. But in what way is Menino doing anything illegal?

 

[Beton Brut]

Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

I apologize to all for getting so political, but politics is, sadly, the biggest factor in these sorts of questions of urban planning.

Well, politics, with a strong dose of apathy, social inertia, and the "God bless America -- ME FIRST!" attitude that is at the core of NIMBYism in Boston. Most people only play checkers -- Drucker plays chess.

Perhaps these inspiring words . from Howard Beale will help us along.