South Station Tower | South Station Air Rights | Downtown

Re: South Station Tower

tobyjug said:
I'd make the casino developer glitz up the tower into a funky neon needle, and put a lot of money into the Greenway.
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Great....... Biff's Casinos (Back to the Future II) Neon Light blinking over the Greenway.
 
Re: South Station Tower

And mexicans flicking strip club cards in your face too, right riff?
 
Re: South Station Tower

If at south station I would just hope there would be little/no hotel component to it. Fortress Casino's do little to enliven the surrounding areas (see Detroit, Pittsburgh).
 
Re: South Station Tower

Hutchison said:
If at south station I would just hope there would be little/no hotel component to it. Fortress Casino's do little to enliven the surrounding areas (see Detroit, Pittsburgh).
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I think Boston desperately needs hotel, particularly in proximity to the convention center. I think give all the other attractions in the area, people that come and just go from hotel to game floor to airport are probably few and far between relative to the larger benefit of a hotel in that location.

Edit: May be a great boost for the Indigo line. Gives people in underserved areas of the city a great access to decent jobs.
 
Re: South Station Tower

Enough of these shitty casinos...they bring down the areas where there built...this isnt Vegas nor ACE...this is Boston...same with NYC and Baltimore Casinos should stay outside city limits...
 
Re: South Station Tower

Conceptually I think that a tower over South Station is a much improved proposal. In other threads we discuss the loss of grit, grime, and most importantly...character, in much of the greater I'll say "downtown" Boston area. A downtown casino is very much a way to add some more, excitement, and un-sterlize the area a bit. 24 hour presence. More than suits and lost suburban families roaming around with pink hats. Some more edge.

I think this is a perfect place because the element can't possibly take over the area. It will predominately remain a tourist trapped business district. On the other hand, Suffolk Downs has the potential to pulverize any sort of revitalization in Eastie/Revere.

We'll have to wait until we see actual plans but my assumption would be that a SS casino would be of a much higher standard than one in suffolk. I can't see them building a high rise slots barn. Imagine if they built a Monte Carlo-style high end place here? I can dream...
 
Re: South Station Tower

I rather a casino not be built in this location. I agree that the Seaport, when built up more, is a more sensible location.
 
Re: South Station Tower

What happened to the original article on this? The link to the Herald site doesn't seem to be working anymore.

I can understand there's excitement for this as a means to get this tower built, but it's a Faustian bargain. I think a casino in Boston would be fine if it were a glamorous, Monte Carlo sort of venue. The history of casinos in North America suggests that it wouldn't be, nor would this site really be primed for one. The associated negative externalities for typical casinos are almost always undesirable. While it would probably mean a "fortress casino" to include a hotel in the building, it might be equally terrible to have gamblers inclined toward crime to be wandering about inside South Station or through downtown to their hotels (or being evicted from said hotels after going broke and becoming part of Boston's permanent homeless population...) There's a reason Montreal's casino is on an island.

If you really care about nightlife downtown, then support a zoning overhaul and lengthened opening hours to encourage small bars, clubs, etc. to nestle in. I could see part of this tower occupied by karaoke places, stacked vertically like they are in NY's Koreatown, where coworkers can unwind together at the end of the day before catching a train home.
 
Re: South Station Tower

Of tangential interest, in that Hines has to pony up $185 million to pay for the Transbay Tower site in downtown San Francisco by month's end, and its financier pulled out over the summer.

"If everything works out perfectly, we could start (construction) in the late summer of 2013," said Paul Paradis, a senior managing director at Hines.
The project will need financial backing as well as planning approvals to proceed. Hines' primary financial partner, MetLife, pulled out of the project this summer. Hines has a Sept. 30 deadline to pay $185 million for the tower site to the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, which is building the transit center.
Asked if the $185 million obligation will be settled before the Planning Commission meeting, Paradis said Hines does not comment on financial negotiations, but "we're comfortable with where we are" in terms of wrapping up the purchase.
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http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/place/article/Tweaked-S-F-tower-plans-up-for-approval-3888331.php
 
Re: South Station Tower

The reason is that the city was left with the Expo 67 infrastructure built on the islands in the St. Lawrence. The casino is in the former French pavilion, and is now being expanded.
 
Re: South Station Tower

Better here than in the "what was proposed / what wasn't built" thread, I think.

The caption reads:

BRA For release May 19, 1967

"As part of the renewal program for Boston's business district, the Massachusetts Port Authority has proposed a $52,000,000 complex for the South Station site, which would include a 5,000 car parking garage, a major hotel, a trade center, bus terminal, heliport, and terminal facilities for the commuter railroads."

south_station.png
 
Re: South Station Tower

The view from South Station up toward DTX

BRA For release May 19, 1967

1. A transportation center - hotel - office complex at South Station
2. A new office skyscraper
3.Department store and adjacent small shops
4. Existing Jordan Marsh
5. Existing Filene's

downtown.png
 
Re: South Station Tower

For what it's worth, we did eventually get the South Station bus terminal, which was a huge improvement over its grungy predecessors, and probably has a lot to do with the popularity of inter-city bus travel here today.
 
Re: South Station Tower

TOWER NOW PULEEEEEEEEEEEZE!!!!!
 
Re: South Station Tower

This image is from an April 1980 BRA pamphlet, "The Leather District - A Revitalization Plan" talks about changing the traffic flow of streets next to South Station.

Did these changes all take place? The entrance to the Dewey Square tunnel northbound wasn't there originally?

Turning South Street from northbound to southbound happened.

Closing off the surface artery north happened, of course. I never understood the reasoning for this but now I get it. I'm not sure I agree with it, current day. Obv. people would exit the Central Artery (if they could) to get into the financial district but would it really adversely affect traffic flow / quality of life? The way it is now, people get off the highway and then jam up Atlantic Ave.

From the page below:

The key circulation improvement in the Leather District is the construction of a new Turnpike ramp which would align with Atlantic Ave and function in conjuction with Atlantic Ave as a northbound exist(sic). The entrance to the Turnpike would be from South Street which would be reversed and made a one-way southbound street. These improvements would relieve congestion at Kneeland Street and the Surfac Artery by creating a second entry point to the Turnpike. It is estimated that traffic on South Street would be reduced 50% and shifted to the evening ...

The second proposed improvement concerns the construction at South Station of a 2,000 car parking garage, an inter-city and intra-city bus terminal and an at-grade (sigh) auto and bus drop-off.

... goes on about widening and creating a new, two-way Essex Street ...

Another related improvement is the closing of the northbound roadway of the Central Artery. This change would eliminate a lot of traffic which avoids congestion in the Artery tunnel by exiting at Kneeland Street and using South Street as a short-cut to avoid the Tunnel. This through traffic will be eliminated with a one-way southbound South street and the closing of the northbound Surface Artery.
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onramp.png


south_station-1.png
 
Re: South Station Tower

Even if they add additional tracks to cover where the post office is, it doesn't look like South Station will gain back the street frontage:

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/n....html?ana=e_du_pub&s=article_du&ed=2012-11-16

Fidelity Investments says it will officially recognize its massive office at 245 Summer St. as its corporate home and is mulling a potential sale of its long-time headquarters at 82 Devonshire St. in Boston.

The mutual fund giant has nearly 3,000 employees at 245 Summer St. and about 600 at the Devonshire Street headquarters.

A company spokesman said Fidelity is exploring its options for what to do with the Devonshire property, including selling or leasing it.

It also owns the Summer Street property, which is on the downtown side of the Fort Point Channel next to South Station. It has had employees in the 900,000-square-foot, 14-story building since 1999.
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Re: South Station Tower

Ron Newman said:
For what it's worth, we did eventually get the South Station bus terminal, which was a huge improvement over its grungy predecessors, and probably has a lot to do with the popularity of inter-city bus travel here today.
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The popularity of intercity bus travel in Boston today began with Chinatown bus curbside pickups. The Chinatown buses were ordered to the terminal by the state, and at the same time, began to pick up competition.

These buses have become just as popular in other cities, in most of which curbside pickup is still a possibility.

Not to mention, you're still outside in whatever city you're dropped off in, and waiting outside to come back to Boston.
 
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