South Station Tower | South Station Air Rights | Downtown

[rjacobs]

1) Deeply appreciate the photos, Bren924.

2) I have seen the rendering of the vaulted arches that will go over the main platform area, but are there any renderings of what the individual platform areas for Tracks 1-10 will look like? With the entire area covered by the expanded bus terminal, I'm assuming/hoping that the current coverings will be removed entirely since they'll no longer serve a purpose.

 

[shmessy]

Just found this. Anyone up for a 360 degree video from this past September????

 

[Vivanna]

Agreed, I was being a little conservative for my estimates. I think this proves the point that most of the work will be able to be handled by the two crawler cranes until the tower pops up above the head house.

I wonder what's up with the patchwork boom on this crane... red, white and yellow sections, looks like it was cobbled together from 3 other machines?

 

[whighlander]

1) Deeply appreciate the photos, Bren924.

2) I have seen the rendering of the vaulted arches that will go over the main platform area, but are there any renderings of what the individual platform areas for Tracks 1-10 will look like? With the entire area covered by the expanded bus terminal, I'm assuming/hoping that the current coverings will be removed entirely since they'll no longer serve a purpose.

RJacobs -- the whole platform area outside of the part being filled will be under the expanded bus station -- all of the overhead stuff is going away with a much higher ceiling
The area just outside the headhouse and the expanded milling-around area will be under the tower and the massive arches

 

[bren924]

A few more pics from yesterday. What a difference a weekend makes.

 

[whighlander]

Bren -- I presume you took those with your back to the folding doors of the South Station Head House?
or were you on the landing above the steps from Atlantic Ave?

In any event keep on taking -- this is going to be one very interesting project for about the next 4 years

 

[bren924]

Bren -- I presume you took those with your back to the folding doors of the South Station Head House?
or were you on the landing above the steps from Atlantic Ave?

In any event keep on taking -- this is going to be one very interesting project for about the next 4 years

That was from in front of the doors, the ones closest to Atlantic Ave. Going to be an interesting commute through South Station!

 

[whighlander]

That was from in front of the doors, the ones closest to Atlantic Ave. Going to be an interesting commute through South Station!

Thanks Bren
Next time the weather is a bit more cleamant and I've a few hours -- I'll take a walkaround from South Station to North Station via Winthrop and State Street to catch-up on the last few months of construction which I've enjoyed vicariously through the intrepid and dedicated photographers of the ABforum
Bravo to all who take the time and have the skill to contribute!!

 

[Jahvon09]

Is THIS the spot where the tower will be put?

 

[squidman1]

So, will this tower in any way interfere with the actual main terminal building?

 

[bobthebuilder]

Is THIS the spot where the tower will be put?

No this is all for the bus terminal expansion. We won't see tower steel go up for quite some time.

So, will this tower in any way interfere with the actual main terminal building?

The footprint of the new tower sits within the concourse area, but won't interfere with the actual head house building. You can see the outline of the tower below.

 

[HelloBostonHi]

No this is all for the bus terminal expansion. We won't see tower steel go up for quite some time.




The footprint of the new tower sits within the concourse area, but won't interfere with the actual head house building. You can see the outline of the tower below.

That parking garage entry onto Atlantic Ave will be on our biggest failures in urban design in years I think. A parking garage with direct interstate on-ramps and yet someone thought it necessary to put an entrance across a busy pedestrian area.

 

[Bananarama]

That parking garage entry onto Atlantic Ave will be on our biggest failures in urban design in years I think. A parking garage with direct interstate on-ramps and yet someone thought it necessary to put an entrance across a busy pedestrian area.

Can you point out where you see this? I cant find this entry on the plans I could find online (and the one above).

 

[found5dollar]

I don't think we talk about the bus terminal expansion here enough. it is going to be absolutely transformational. 1/3 more bays and indoor access to south station will make the experience of the terminal so much nicer. When it is not a pandemic I take a bus in or out of the terminal at least once a month and I cant wait for this!

 

[stefal]

Is the terminal expansion being booted by the developer? Hefty price tag...

 

[HelloBostonHi]

Can you point out where you see this? I cant find this entry on the plans I could find online (and the one above).

It's where the orange spiral is in the site plan above. That's a garage ramp, I've been complaining about it for a few years at this point. Here's a few screengrabs from presentations.

 

[squidman1]

No this is all for the bus terminal expansion. We won't see tower steel go up for quite some time.




The footprint of the new tower sits within the concourse area, but won't interfere with the actual head house building. You can see the outline of the tower below.

Ah, thanks for noting. Before I had much information about this project I was getting scared that the footprint of the tower would just be taking up a bunch of space inside the actual main concourse.

 

[JeffDowntown]

That parking garage entry onto Atlantic Ave will be on our biggest failures in urban design in years I think. A parking garage with direct interstate on-ramps and yet someone thought it necessary to put an entrance across a busy pedestrian area.

I suspect part of the urban planning consideration is that pedestrian flow along Atlantic Avenue should be reduced with the new expansion. People moving from train or T to bus, or vice versa will move through the interior connections in the bus terminal expansion, not via Atlantic. People being dropped off for the bus will drop at the bus terminal end. People being dropped off for trains will be dropped at the train station end. There really should be less pedestrian flow along Atlantic.

 

[whighlander]

That parking garage entry onto Atlantic Ave will be on our biggest failures in urban design in years I think. A parking garage with direct interstate on-ramps and yet someone thought it necessary to put an entrance across a busy pedestrian area.

HelloBoston -- perhaps you weren't here yet or perhaps you don't remember
This is the CLF's doing -- that parking garage is not accessible from the interstate -- only buses and similar vehicles can use the ramp from the interstate

You could argue that it shouldn't be there to begin with -- but if you assume that the garage is needed [for instance for employees who have to be at work before the T cranks-up ] -- then you have to have a way to get to / from it

 

[HelloBostonHi]

HelloBoston -- perhaps you weren't here yet or perhaps you don't remember
This is the CLF's doing -- that parking garage is not accessible from the interstate -- only buses and similar vehicles can use the ramp from the interstate

You could argue that it shouldn't be there to begin with -- but if you assume that the garage is needed [for instance for employees who have to be at work before the T cranks-up ] -- then you have to have a way to get to / from it

That was definitely before my time, but the correct me if I'm wrong but the current public parking garage located on top of the bus station appears to be accessible from the interstate ramps? There is an HOV Ramp but there's also a non-HOV ramp back at Exit 20. Takes you up this way (https://www.google.com/maps/@42.344...4!1sKunK16gxzWFFQQ9cqVjVsg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192) to the current parking garage here: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.348...4!1sior0c2Ydgjy9DF1auwS_Xg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

My question is what is wrong with the current parking access that has been in use for decades? I presume the answer is increased volumes. And yes it looks like the entrance from the Pike EB is marked as HOV 2+, but worst case you take a loop around Lincoln St to get back on SS Connector.