South Station Tower | South Station Air Rights | Downtown

[A Chicagoan]

I find it strange that Boston transit enthusiasts don't seem to have any idea what's going on... I was on another site where one guy asked what was happening to SS and described it as a "fucking mess".

 

[bobthebuilder]

Whats the plan to keep diesel fumes from choking the people waiting at the platforms. Those are pretty low ceilings. Im sure theres going to be ventilation, but this is definitely one of the most enclosed station platforms on the CR system.

The bus terminal already has substantial exhaust infrastructure in place, and to stefal's point, the engine's back in so their exhaust is towards the southern end of the terminal. If you've ever caught a glimpse of the south facing side of the bus terminal you'll see the built up soot from when engines stick out from under the bus terminal.

I'm no engineer, but I would guess the new tower/terminal should have some positive pressure at the north end of the platform to push exhaust gasses towards the exhaust of the existing bus terminal/out the south side.

 

[fattony]

That amount of soot is disturbing. That building went up in 1995. It's not like it goes back to the steam era.

Can we make a real effort at electrification, please?

 

[RandomWalk]

The T’s newest locomotives are EPA Tier 3, which they raced delivery to beat the Tier 4 deadline. The latest overhaul of their older locomotives is doing everything to avoid touching the prime mover, so they don’t need to jump all the way to Tier 4.

 

[HelloBostonHi]

That amount of soot is disturbing. That building went up in 1995. It's not like it goes back to the steam era.

Can we make a real effort at electrification, please?

25 years of hundreds of trains departing a day, that looks like a pretty expected amount of soot to me. Especially when you consider that's right where the engines spool up to start moving which tends to be when they put out the most fumes...

I'd imagine it's still significantly less than the pollution coming off the south bay interchange every day.

 

[fattony]

The T’s newest locomotives are EPA Tier 3, which they raced delivery to beat the Tier 4 deadline. The latest overhaul of their older locomotives is doing everything to avoid touching the prime mover, so they don’t need to jump all the way to Tier 4.

So to be clear, the T is doing everything they legally can to maximize their air pollution?

 

[RandomWalk]

I think it’s minimizing the expense, rather than maximizing their impact.

 

[Bananarama]

25 years of hundreds of trains departing a day, that looks like a pretty expected amount of soot to me. Especially when you consider that's right where the engines spool up to start moving which tends to be when they put out the most fumes...

I'd imagine it's still significantly less than the pollution coming off the south bay interchange every day.

I think it speaks more to the piss-poor maintenance regiment that most federal/state/locally run buildings/infrastructure experience.
How did some method of cleaning the facade never come up in the past 25 years??

Why spend money to clean and repair our buildings as they occur when we could prolong the problem until it's at a breaking point and the cost has doubled...

 

[bobthebuilder]

I think it speaks more to the piss-poor maintenance regiment that most federal/state/locally run buildings/infrastructure experience.
How did some method of cleaning the facade never come up in the past 25 years??

Why spend money to clean and repair our buildings as they occur when we could prolong the problem until it's at a breaking point and the cost has doubled...

I mean, it's not exactly breaking it's just dirty. I'm guessing that each time you wanted to clean it you would have to set up scaffold or swing staging, plus protection for the platform/tracks below on top of the labor & materials, you're probably looking at a few hundred thousand to clean that façade. It also probably doesn't take long for the soot to be noticeable so you're probably doing this at least every few years. It all adds up to a lot of expense to maintain a façade that doesn't really face much of anything.

 

[jass]

I think it’s minimizing the expense, rather than maximizing their impact.

The stuff theyre doing with buses makes it seem like theyre actively trying to get in as much pollution as possible

 

[KriterionBOS]

Woohoo, it's actually happening! Girders are on the rise!! 15 years ago, the first post on this thread appeared. 15 freakin years! And I'm pretty sure there were several years prior that other plans for a South Station tower had been proposed. This project is just so damn amazing, and on so many levels. I'm thrilled, and I can't wait to see this baby finished.

Is this thing finally starting to go vertical?

 

[Massachoicetts]

Is this thing finally starting to go vertical?

I think we have a little bit of work before that happens. It will most likely be going vertical next year, by October 2022. However, I do think that what is going on right now is msotly the first phase and bus terminal. CMIIW

 

[Equilibria]

I think we have a little bit of work before that happens. It will most likely be going vertical next year, by October 2022. However, I do think that what is going on right now is msotly the first phase and bus terminal. CMIIW

Yep, I think this is bus terminal and a parking deck for another year.

 

[DwnTwnr]

Yep, I think this is bus terminal and a parking deck for another year.

Agreed. I don't know if anyone has mentioned it, but there is what looks like a sampler panel at the intersection of Kneeland and Atlantic. So that seems like another good sign for the tower.

 

[rjacobs]

I think we have a little bit of work before that happens. It will most likely be going vertical next year, by October 2022. However, I do think that what is going on right now is msotly the first phase and bus terminal. CMIIW

Best way to follow along might be the video that the developer posted on their website (see link):

https://southstationairrights.com/construction-schedule

With that being said, Massachoicetts's approximation of Oct. 2022 seems about right (maybe a month or so earlier if all goes well?). There will be a lot of deep foundation work being done once the current tower staging area has been fully established (it is still in 'demo' mode).

 

[KriterionBOS]

I think we have a little bit of work before that happens. It will most likely be going vertical next year, by October 2022. However, I do think that what is going on right now is msotly the first phase and bus terminal. CMIIW

While Q3 2022 might seem like a long ways away...it'll be here in the blink of an eye really. By that time Winthrop Square, State Street, and Raffles in Back Bay will all be topped out or very nearly topped out.

I guess that would conclude the building cycle that started with Millenium Tower.

 

[Massachoicetts]

While Q3 2022 might seem like a long ways away...it'll be here in the blink of an eye really. By that time Winthrop Square, State Street, and Raffles in Back Bay will all be topped out or very nearly topped out.

I guess that would conclude the building cycle that started with Millenium Tower.

I know its crazy to think how much will be accomplished by the end of 2022. Millenium, Raffles, and SSHQ top out.. the third building of Bulfinch starts, Seaport, Then this.

 

[393b40]

I know its crazy to think how much will be accomplished by the end of 2022. Millenium, Raffles, and SSHQ top out.. the third building of Bulfinch starts, Seaport, Then this.

Will be interesting to see what starts to enter the pipe over the next 12-18 months... after SST, the pipe is a bit dry.

 

[rjacobs]

Will be interesting to see what starts to enter the pipe over the next 12-18 months... after SST, the pipe is a bit dry.

In terms of taller-than-landscraper buildings (by Boston standards, so... >300', here's my potentially-inaccurate tally of what could be in the pipeline IF these projects get off the wait list':

1. Back Bay Station tower #1 (residences) 34 stories ~413' (approved Nov, 2017)

2. 135 Broadway: MXD Residential Building South (33 stories?) 365’ or 395’ (pending approval)

3. Back Bay Station tower #2 (offices) 24 stories 390' (approved Nov 16, 2017)

4. 380 Stuart Street/JHT #3/Back Bay 26 stories 390' (approved 11 Nov 2015; resold)

5. Residential tower on MIT's Volpe Sq site: 30 stories (382' currently, but possibly up to 500')

6. 290 Tremont St. (Parcel P-12C): 350' (according to BLDUP, but looks like 250, no?)

7. Fenway Center, PHASE 2 (Summer 2021; decking will take 2 years, then 2 more years for vertical construction): 337 to top of mech [but Boston Globe wrote 350’ in April,‘21)

8. One Kenmore Square (560 Commonwealth); hotel: 314’

9. Motor Mart Garage (201 Stuart St) 310’ (not sure if this is to mechanical)

10. The Huntington/Fenway: 400' (allegedly starting tower construction in mid-2022? Time will tell).

 

[JeffDowntown]

In terms of taller-than-landscraper buildings (by Boston standards, so... >300', here's my potentially-inaccurate tally of what could be in the pipeline IF these projects get off the wait list':

1. Back Bay Station tower #1 (residences) 34 stories ~413' (approved Nov, 2017)

2. 135 Broadway: MXD Residential Building South (33 stories?) 365’ or 395’ (pending approval)

3. Back Bay Station tower #2 (offices) 24 stories 390' (approved Nov 16, 2017)

4. 380 Stuart Street/JHT #3/Back Bay 26 stories 390' (approved 11 Nov 2015; resold)

5. Residential tower on MIT's Volpe Sq site: 30 stories (382' currently, but possibly up to 500')

6. 290 Tremont St. (Parcel P-12C): 350' (according to BLDUP, but looks like 250, no?)

7. Fenway Center, PHASE 2 (Summer 2021; decking will take 2 years, then 2 more years for vertical construction): 337 to top of mech [but Boston Globe wrote 350’ in April,‘21)

8. One Kenmore Square (560 Commonwealth); hotel: 314’

9. Motor Mart Garage (201 Stuart St) 310’ (not sure if this is to mechanical)

10. The Huntington/Fenway: 400' (allegedly starting tower construction in mid-2022? Time will tell).

6. Better be over 300, it is slated for 33 floors, I believe.