Sullivan Courthouse - 300+ feet?

[SHAZBAT73]

I'm looking for some input from the forum in regards to the height of the former Sullivan Courthouse in Cambridge. After looking at the following links, I found major discrepancies in the heights reported by CTBUH and Emporis.

http://skyscrapercenter.com/building/edward-j-sullivan-courthouse/20840

https://www.emporis.com/buildings/151017/40-thorndike-street-cambridge-ma-usa

and then these links from the City of Cambridge (page 22 in the first link and page 10 in the second)

http://www.cambridgema.gov/~/media/Files/CDD/ZoningDevel/SpecialPermits/sp288/sp288_plans1.pdf?la=en

http://www.cambridgema.gov/~/media/Files/CDD/ZoningDevel/SpecialPermits/sp288/sp288_plans2.pdf?la=en

What do you think? I believe the figure from CTBUH is good if you measure from the main entrance on Thordike street to the top of the elevator house. I think the figure in Emporis is wrong. Thoughts?

 

[Hubman]

Those CTBUH figures would make it tallest in the city, 7 feet taller than the Green Building.

 

[datadyne007]

I'm looking for some input from the forum in regards to the height of the former Sullivan Courthouse in Cambridge. After looking at the following links, I found major discrepancies in the heights reported by CTBUH and Emporis.

http://skyscrapercenter.com/building/edward-j-sullivan-courthouse/20840

https://www.emporis.com/buildings/151017/40-thorndike-street-cambridge-ma-usa

and then these links from the City of Cambridge (page 22 in the first link and page 10 in the second)

http://www.cambridgema.gov/~/media/Files/CDD/ZoningDevel/SpecialPermits/sp288/sp288_plans1.pdf?la=en

http://www.cambridgema.gov/~/media/Files/CDD/ZoningDevel/SpecialPermits/sp288/sp288_plans2.pdf?la=en

What do you think? I believe the figure from CTBUH is good if you measure from the main entrance on Thordike street to the top of the elevator house. I think the figure in Emporis is wrong. Thoughts?

Yeah, Emporis really can't be taken as fact.

I'd go by the existing elevations given on the roof plans from Elkus:

TOP OF STRUCTURAL ROOF EL 307'-2"
TOP OF MEMBRANE EL 307'4"
TOP OF PARAPET EL 319'-2"
T.O. ELEVATOR MACHINE ROOM EL 331'-4"

Interestingly, Elkus is planning to make the building even taller. Service elevator penthouse will hit 344'-6". It appears that they are converting the existing mechanical penthouse level into office floor 22 and building up a new 23' tall mechanical penthouse on the roof (with the elevator machinery for the service elevator that will access the mechanical penthouse stretching up 37'-6" from the existing roof).

 

[SHAZBAT73]

Those CTBUH figures would make it tallest in the city, 7 feet taller than the Green Building.

It's funny that you mentioned the Green building, because in CTBUH it is listed at 277'. Emporis and Wikipedia have it listed at 295'. As for the Sullivan courthouse, I think 302' is pretty close to what was shown in the plans, if you measure from the main entrance of the building to the top of the elevator house.

 

[Hubman]

It's funny that you mentioned the Green building, because in CTBUH it is listed at 277'. Emporis and Wikipedia have it listed at 295'. As for the Sullivan courthouse, I think 302' is pretty close to what was shown in the plans, if you measure from the main entrance of the building to the top of the elevator house.

I think the reason Emporis and Wikipedia always have similar figures is because people reference Emporis on Wikipedia, and people on Emporis reference Wikipedia, and so on and on.