The St Regis Residences (former Whiskey Priest site) | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

[boston85]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

Any chance that URD who owns 100 Pier 4 appeals this project? The rooms facing Whiskey/ABG now will likely be significantly devalued since there new view is no longer the harbor but instead a wall.

I would have to imagine that they new that a building would be going up there and designed around that. The new building would obstructed the view of maybe 1/4 of the apartments on that side facing Whiskey/ABG.

Plus the units with balconies are closer to the harbor and would not be effected and they might even consider the new building a better neighbor. I have a family member that lives there with a balcony on the side facing Whiskey/ABG and because of the music blasting from the roof deck bars they don't really utilize the balcony at night. Unless you are running the AC or have the TV up, you can even hear the music in the apartment.

 

[SeamusMcFly]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

Views views views....
The large park adjacent to 1MP is not going anywhere. Drive by and you can see the ocean (harbor). Walk by and see it for longer.
Not sure anywhere on Seaport Boulevard is anything less than "expansive". It's already too expansive..... There is no ocean view in this location today unless you walk around it. You lose nothing by building taller. Well, maybe we lose some of the 'yea dudes' at the current bars.

 

[datadyne007]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

Some other anecdotes from the BCDC meeting I found scribbled on my notepad:

Howard Elkus acknowledged they were "under-building in order to preserve the public realm." He said the building really should be larger (height mostly), but they are understanding of the desire to preserve the open sky & water views in the Seaport. This elegant tower is the result of careful scaling & massing.

David Hacin said that "this small parcel is a blessing for the Seaport" after talking about how all the other Seaport parcels are too big.

Bill Rawn pondered how the elegant sweeping form meets the ground at the first & second floors. Said it pretty much just ends in a flat glass wall at the base. There isn't a special moment, so to say. He also said that Elkus should explain why this tower's skin is a glass curtain wall & why it is best for the form. (While Rawn's comment could be considered to be questioning the glass curtain wall, I don't believe it was. It was mainly a rhetorical question & statement to the architect suggesting that the relationship between skin & form should be considered & explained. Standard architect speak. Heard it a million times in architecture school.)

 

[atlantaden]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

Some other anecdotes from the BCDC meeting I found scribbled on my notepad:

Bill Rawn pondered how the elegant sweeping form meets the ground at the first & second floors. Said it pretty much just ends in a flat glass wall at the base. There isn't a special moment, so to say. He also said that Elkus should explain why this tower's skin is a glass curtain wall & why it is best for the form. (While Rawn's comment could be considered to be questioning the glass curtain wall, I don't believe it was. It was mainly a rhetorical question & statement to the architect suggesting that the relationship between skin & form should be considered & explained. Standard architect speak. Heard it a million times in architecture school.)

So, did Elkus answer Rawn's question about skin and form and a lack of that 'special moment' where the building meets the ground?

 

[datadyne007]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

So, did Elkus answer Rawn's question about skin and form and a lack of that 'special moment' where the building meets the ground?

No. It was just one of those things you nod your head to. Elkus did mention the fountain at the base, which is pretty cool.

 

[whighlander]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

I'm not arguing against this building. But this "pedestrian experience" thing gets blown way out of hand and their is much more to city life than the experience of walking right alongside the water. Allow me to correct "sweeping vista": what I mean is this: proximity to the water is a major asset for a city, and one of the biggest attributes of being by an ocean - and of the ocean itself - is the vast expanse and openness that an ocean view affords. Sure, here you're looking across at the airport, but there's a lot of water in between. It allows one of the only - actually, THE only - opportunity in a dense urban area to not have buildings looming over you. Please don't bother trying to retort some argument about going to live in the exurbs if I want that - I like the city and support density. But nothing beats the breath of psychological fresh air of crossing the Harvard Bridge and being briefly released from the hemming in, and an ocean view affords that too... despite the presence of the bars now, they are low slung and still allow that feeling of expansiveness and openness to be had by drivers and pedestrians alike who travel this corridor. And the park next to the ICA is on what will always be a side street, and soon to be completely walled off by buildings ( as we have all griped about on here, the second park between Northern and seaport does not exactly line up) so Seaport Boulevard, the main drag, will not really have any ocean view anymore. Filling in waterside plots of land is irreversible. It's not enough to just glibly say, "oh well it's no big deal because people will still be able to walk along the water". Views are important, and arguing that being able to stroll right along the body of water in question does nothing to change the experience for everyone who's on the other side of the building. I support this building, I guess, but only because it looks very good and overall will hopefully addsomething nice to the area. But the logic used above to ignore the principle of maintaining open views does not hold. They are two different arguments for two separate types of experience.

FK -- Please -- the views were so so much more expansive when all there was were open parking lots and a couple of old Papas warehouses

There is more than enough Ocean viewing and wind absorbing just a short distance away in East Boston [the Piers Park sticks into the middle of the inner harbor], the real Southy down by Castle Island [walk around Pleasure Bay] or even Long Wharf [at the Compass Rose] -- there will also be a stunning Ocean View formerly occupied by Anthony's on the end of Pier 4

 

[CSTH]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

Yeah 'ocean views' sounds like a close cousin of 'open space'

 

[stick n move]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

I feel this is the same argument as the aquarium garage. Whether its a couple stories(whiskey priest, aquarium garage) or a tower(this, aquarium towers) the view does not change much. We can't say in one case that tall towers do not block any more views than shorter buildings do and then in another case say the exact opposite.

 

[TheRifleman]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

I feel this is the same argument as the aquarium garage. Whether its a couple stories(whiskey priest, aquarium garage) or a tower(this, aquarium towers) the view does not change much. We can't say in one case that tall towers do not block any more views than shorter buildings do and then in another case say the exact opposite.

Aquarium garage vs whiskey priest development:

Big difference between these two developments:
One has a giant concrete wall blocking the water from anytype of pedistrian life. Along with the area is somewhat active from the greenway.
The developer has proposed to open up the entire floor plan to reconnect the greenway with the waterfront thru his development

Whiskey priest concerning that rendering seems to be takenOut a dumpy bar that won't be missed but they are going to wall off an area that already really has no foot traffic life.

I need to see more renderings at different angles.



Don't get me wrong this needs to be developed

 

[whighlander]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

A view like this exists in Boston. It's called Castle Island; take a walk there some time. You guys make it seem like this is the last place in Boston where you can see the ocean. Give me a break.

Kent -- EXACTLY

If you want sun, salt and wind and don't want to go to Revere or further -- take a walk around Pleasant Bay -- its so exposed that there is a vista that has no land in it for thousands of km

Pleasant Bay to your left, Dorchester Bay to your right

open Ocean slightly to the left of straight ahead past Spectacle Island

open ocean just to the left of the pavilion -- Pleasant Bay just behind and to the right

 

[type001]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

Thank you both for reminding that this exists! So beautiful.

 

[KentXie]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

Great post Whig. Another great view if you're looking something similar to the Seaport is the Charlestown Navy Yard and Piers Park in East Boston. TBH, both these views are better than what you can see from the Seaport and neither of them are going away any time soon.

 

[whighlander]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

Thank you both for reminding that this exists! So beautiful.

Type -- one of my favorite places for walking -- wind in your hair, sun on your face even in mid winter [Tuesday for example]

 

[Next Stop Wonderland]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

*Pleasure Bay

Kent -- EXACTLY

If you want sun, salt and wind and don't want to go to Revere or further -- take a walk around Pleasant Bay -- its so exposed that there is a vista that has no land in it for thousands of km

Pleasant Bay to your left, Dorchester Bay to your right

open Ocean slightly to the left of straight ahead past Spectacle Island

open ocean just to the left of the pavilion -- Pleasant Bay just behind and to the right

 

[lapradetom]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

Type -- one of my favorite places for walking -- wind in your hair, sun on your face even in mid winter [Tuesday for example]

^Off thread!....this is an ad for Hair Club for Men!

 

[whighlander]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

^Off thread!....this is an ad for Hair Club for Men!

Lapradetom -- that I wouldn't know -- like most westies -- hair covers most of the sq cm of my body

 

[TheRifleman]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

Thread completely derailed---

 

[lapradetom]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

Like a lot of other commenters on here, I love the design of this building. With that said, why did Maahty Walsh have to ask developers for "more architecturally significant buildings" during a speech he gave in December? I'm glad he did, but it does seem strange that the Mayor has to beg for good design, doesn't it? Anyhow, the BCDC loves this building and for good reason, it's design enhances the "public realm", and that includes all of us. We'll get to look at a beautiful looking structure and not a boring box.

 

[393b40]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

Like a lot of other commenters on here, I love the design of this building. With that said, why did Maahty Walsh have to ask developers for "more architecturally significant buildings" during a speech he gave in December? I'm glad he did, but it does seem strange that the Mayor has to beg for good design, doesn't it? Anyhow, the BCDC loves this building and for good reason, it's design enhances the "public realm", and that includes all of us. We'll get to look at a beautiful looking structure and not a boring box.

Why does that seem odd? Interesting design costs money. Most developers would probably be happy to throw up Commie-block style buildings if they thought they could sell them or market them in an attractive way.

 

[lapradetom]

Re: Whiskey Priest/Atlantic Beer Garden Redevelopment | 150 Seaport Blvd | Seaport

Why does that seem odd? Interesting design costs money. Most developers would probably be happy to throw up Commie-block style buildings if they thought they could sell them or market them in an attractive way.

^I suppose you're right. I guess I assume that developers would actually want buildings that look great, but the bottom line is maximization of profits over how it looks. I guess I should just shut up and be glad we are getting better architecture, no matter how we get it.