South Station Tower | South Station Air Rights | Downtown

Re: South Station Tower

lapradetom said:
Question (If anyone knows): Is constructing a large development/tower like this over existing "infrastructure" a lot more complicated/expensive than with a traditional building situation? If so, how could the economics of a much more expensive project even make it viable? The developer can't just pass the cost on to the tenants. Train vibration/noise/fume mitigation, a 677' tower straddling train tracks, connecting to existing/new buildings, etc. It would seem this would cost mega-buck$.
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Lapradetom -- that's one of the reasons that this is part of a Pru-scale project -- the tower by itself is not enough

for one thing the lobby of the tower has to float in the sky a couple of stories above the train tracks and then it has to connect somewhere with the ground to allow people to ascend to the lobby

well there are a lot of train tracks to be dealt with

That's why I think it was Ill-planned -- jumping at the opportunity before the ideas for the USPS site were floated

the Tower should be sited on top of the USPS footprint with a glass and titanium canopy over the train tracks reminiscent of the original canopy
 
Re: South Station Tower

whighlander said:
Lapredom -- let's stop giving Pei credit for the work of Henry Cobb [who also did the Moakley Courthouse]

Pei is the architect of the JFK Library and the Green Building at MIT and of course master planner for City Hall Plaza and Christian Science Church complex
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^^It was Jeopardy that said I M Pei designed JHT, not me. They presented the photo of JHT and asked what the name of the I M Pei designed tower was. Contestant answered "Hancock", and they said "correct". Henry cobb was not even part of it. the category was: I M Pei
Technically, the contestant got it wrong, because Cobb, not Pei designed it.
 
Re: South Station Tower

whighlander said:
Tobyjug -- I think the foundation work was done as part of the prep for the Big Dig
That slice of "terra not so firma" is a multi-layer cake of many different transport and other infrastructure

The idea was to minimize disruption to the soil and hence the tracks and thence the trains -- remember that the soil had to be frozen to make it able to support the top while the BIG DIG excavated the giant void for the tunnel box under all of the tracks with hundreds of trains per day passing right through the construction zone
diagram.gif

FROSTE~1.JPG

MOUTH_~1.JPG

TRUCK_~1.JPG
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Nope. You've got the wrong spot. If you walk along the platforms (under what would have been the canopy area in the old days) you can see the boxed in tops of the piles that were driven. Just like that garage/foundation thing over in the Seaport area.
 
Re: South Station Tower

tobyjug said:
Nope. You've got the wrong spot. If you walk along the platforms (under what would have been the canopy area in the old days) you can see the boxed in tops of the piles that were driven. Just like that garage/foundation thing over in the Seaport area.
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Tobyjug -- Yes you are right about the location of the capped piles -- However, I'm not sure of the phase of reworking South Station when that work was done

It might have been done when the Bus Station was built or the ramp connecting the Bus Station to the South Station Headhouse was installed

Well anyway, I'm sure somewhere there is a document or a photo showing the installation of the support pilings
 
Re: South Station Tower

I believe tallisgood is correct. These pilings were installed coincident with AMTRAK starting work in 1996 to electrify the NEC between New Haven and Boston.
 
Re: South Station Tower

Actually snapped a photo of some of the footings this morning as I was running to my train:

GQFyw07h.jpg


These are between all the tracks.
 
Re: South Station Tower

"A big Chinese real estate firm could help kick-start a long-stalled tower at South Station.

An arm of Gemdale Properties, which is one of the largest builders in China, is investing in Hines’ proposed 677-foot-tall condo and office building atop the city’s busiest train station, according to documents filed with the Boston Redevelopment Authority.


Financial terms of the deal were not available late Tuesday, but an influx of cash could help the Houston-based developer launch work on the tower—which has been a quarter-century in the planning—before its development deal with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation expires next spring."

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business...ation-tower/BOBALE8rLpfLXRDEi2IkgI/story.html
 
Re: South Station Tower

scorpio02150 said:
"A big Chinese real estate firm could help kick-start a long-stalled tower at South Station.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business...ation-tower/BOBALE8rLpfLXRDEi2IkgI/story.html
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I'll believe it when I see it. Investors from the PRC who were once awash with cash and flexible terms have reigned in their forays, but not their rhetoric. We've seen it in pe and notes, and we've seen it in real assets. It would be great if something comes of it, however.
 
Re: South Station Tower

ivyhedge said:
I'll believe it when I see it. Investors from the PRC who were once awash with cash and flexible terms have reigned in their forays, but not their rhetoric. We've seen it in pe and notes, and we've seen it in real assets. It would be great if something comes of it, however.
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Really? The Globe cites the Pierce and Pier 4 as current beneficiaries of similar investments, and both of those projects have broken ground within the last six months...
 
Re: South Station Tower

ivyhedge said:
I'll believe it when I see it. Investors from the PRC who were once awash with cash and flexible terms have reigned in their forays, but not their rhetoric. We've seen it in pe and notes, and we've seen it in real assets. It would be great if something comes of it, however.
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I am more optimistic here, I think Hines is sitting on a gold mine but they haven't locked down a large anchor tenant and so the advance rate of any construction loan would be quite low. It's just to much equity risk for Hines to do on a spec basis. They are running out of time so giving away some upside on the equity to hedge their own capital makes a lot of sense if your going to build without a major tenant. Perhaps the investor has a higher risk tolerance (which if there in Chinese real estate I think it is safe to assume they do) to start projects with a lower % of contracted cash flow.

Again without knowing the terms of the deal you don't know if the new investor invested upfront or if they have committed to invest should the project move forward. I suspect this is probably more likely given I think they've just bought out Tufts remaining interest.

This to me is the best lot in Boston for a new high rise with its proximity to the red hot waterfront (GE and the rest), it's located on the red and silver line and has the commuter rail and Amtrk all under one roof. Project is not without some downside as I'm sure the construction costs are much higher and more complex so you'll have to secure pretty high rents to make the numbers work.

I wish Ray were in charge here - he'd understand that if you build it they will come...
 
Re: South Station Tower

Anchor tenant shouldn't be as much of a concern considering the mix shift from office to residential, correct?
 
Re: South Station Tower

stellarfun said:
data, i believe the SST, and Chinese investment therein, was on the agenda last night. Any discussion?
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The BRA Board approved the addition of the Chinese investors to the air rights team.

It was not a building approval.

Agenda Item #31:

Central Business District - South Station

31.
Request authorization to approve and consent to the assignment and assumption of the Development Agreement, the Land Disposition Agreement, the Cooperation Agreement, the Development Impact Project Agreement from South Union Station LLC to South Station Phase I Owner LLC; and, to approve and consent to the admission of two affiliates of Gemdale Properties and Investment Corporation Limited as member of the South Station Phase I Owner LLC with Hines South Station Associates Limited Partnership.
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Memorandum for Agenda Item #31: http://boston.siretechnologies.com/...oqpkedfpz00f11405/17292205132016112204980.PDF

SUMMARY: This Memorandum requests, in connection with the South Station Air
Rights Project (the “Proposed Project”), that the Boston Redevelopment
Authority (the “Authority”): (1) approve and consent to the assignment
and assumption of the Development Agreement, the Land Disposition
Agreement, the Cooperation Agreement, the Development Impact Project
Agreement, and any other documents determined appropriate by the
Director from South Union Station LLC to South Station Phase 1 Owner
LLC; and (2) approve and consent to the admission of two affiliates of
Gemdale Properties and Investment Corporation Limited (the “Gemdale
Members”) as members of the South Station Phase I Owner LLC with
Hines South Union Station Associates Limited Partnership.
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Re: South Station Tower

What do you all think is about to happen?
 
Re: South Station Tower

odurandina said:
What do you all think is about to happen?
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Odurandia -- with Chinese money involved -- this will move quickly

There are some people who are in high places in China who fear a major financial melt down and want concrete [or glass] outside of China as a "kind of non-labile" reserve fund
 
Re: South Station Tower

Turd. I want to see some more angles, but that is a turd.
 
Re: South Station Tower

Thanx data for the and reply on SST.
___________________________________

Breaking news from the Globe.

175 condos on top.
530 space parking garage
double the capacity of the bus terminal
start construction later this year

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business...more-condos/RUkoqSeq4xkT5o3vCMhNcM/story.html

Hines said it couldn't undertake the project without a major capital partner. (And Hines has a lot of money.)
 
Re: South Station Tower

HOT DAMN. I like the massing with the stepback.
 
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