View Boston (Observatory) | Prudential Tower | Back Bay

[Jahvon09]

Love seeing this. Any ideas on when it might open?

No word yet. I'm thinking maybe the spring or summer. It's supposed to be this year sometime.

 

[Jahvon09]

The 3-D-style pics on the previous page looks almost like the ones featured in the Freedom Tower in New York!!

 

[Zash]

No word yet. I'm thinking maybe the spring or summer. It's supposed to be this year sometime.

If it was spring, surely a date would have been announced already.

 

[DZH22]

New article, no concrete date yet for opening.

A 3-Story Observation Deck Will Open In Back Bay Next Month

View the city of Boston from an outdoor observation deck atop a 750-foot-tall skyscraper. The new View Boston observatory will open on 3 floors in 2023.

bostonuncovered.com

Actual project website in case it hasn't been posted already.

View Boston | Best of Boston City Attractions

View Boston is a 360 observation deck offering breathtaking and orienting views from high above the heart of Boston

viewboston.com

3/24 From Blue Hills

IMG_0478 by David Z, on Flickr

 

[cburns]

So I’ve been wondering for a while if they’ve reimagined how you’ll get into the Pru Tower to visit The View.

This very permanent-looking sign was just installed at the boarded up part of the arcade in front of Saks

 

[JeffDowntown]

So I’ve been wondering for a while if they’ve reimagined how you’ll get into the Pru Tower to visit The View.

This very permanent-looking sign was just installed at the boarded up part of the arcade in front of SaksView attachment 35935

IIRC The View Boston access will use the Lower Lobby of the Pru Tower, leaving the Main Lobby level for office access. (I could be wrong, though.)

 

[cburns]

IIRC The View Boston access will use the Lower Lobby of the Pru Tower, leaving the Main Lobby level for office access. (I could be wrong, though.)

Right, but I'm wondering why they're installing the sign there and have cordoned off ~500 sq ft in that hallway?

The entrance pavilion was originally slated to be constructed in the interior garden, not in an existing interior mall space...not sure if this is a temporary home, or promotional exhibit of sorts.

 

[Bananarama]

Right, but I'm wondering why they're installing the sign there and have cordoned off ~500 sq ft in that hallway?

The entrance pavilion was originally slated to be constructed in the interior garden, not in an existing interior mall space...not sure if this is a temporary home, or promotional exhibit of sorts.

The area quartered off might just be a staging area for construction in those mentioned areas.

 

[cooper]

Post #466 looks to show a formal entrance from the shopping level. If so there will likely be access from the shop level down to the pavilion level.

 

[Jahvon09]

Does anyone know exactly when this revamped version of the Obs decks will open to the public?

 

[DZH22]

4/9

IMG_0410 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0424 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0428 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0611 by David Z, on Flickr

 

[Nibbles O’Plenty]

Does anyone know exactly when this revamped version of the Obs decks will open to the public?

Probably not too far off. Heard on the news they are looking to hire a lot of people.

 

[Jahvon09]

Probably not too far off. Heard on the news they are looking to hire a lot of people.

Oh. That's right! They have to have employees there. I thought they did that already.

 

[Jahvon09]

Look how new looking it is at the top up close!!!! Looks nice & clean!!!!

 

[taketern]

 

[stick n move]

Thats much better than how it was before, where you had to go to a back corner of the mall then down an escalator to the basement, to take an elevator up.

 

[cooper]

The escalator down to the basement (pavilion) is likely just behind the yellow plastic barrier

 

[bbfen]

Given the disastrous public meeting about constructing an amphitheater/ramp proposal last year, especially on removing trees (shade!) by Blue Bottle, I wondered if this was BP’s path through. IIRC, the garden/lawn required public comment (it was mitigation/community benefits under the amended PDA) while they can do whatever they want with their revenue retail space. Clever, and better solution, in my opinion—and, strictly speaking still generates money in the form of ticket and hospitality sales. I just can’t figure out what is up with the construction in the mini food court east of the giant sign on that column. Perhaps the egress for visitors coming back downstairs? Will walk through later tonight to check it out.

 

[citydweller]

Look how new looking it is at the top up close!!!! Looks nice & clean!!!!

That "nice and clean" look only cost a scant 125M (or more?). The physical structure of the top of the Pru looks identical, other than the clean aesthetics. What a colossal waste.

> Boston Properties intends to invest “in excess of $125 million” to renovate the top three floors of the Prudential Tower in the city’s Back Bay neighborhood,

 

[bbfen]

That’s a pretty cloudy take, especially since it wasn’t your money. BP wanted to invest in a core, very public, highly visible property: why do you call it a “colossal waste”? You want they should just let it crumble apart, instead of investing their own money into a signature tower in Boston?

And, actually, $125M never made me raise an eyebrow, given BP’s investment history of improving the Prudential Center. The demo and remediation guys were there for *months* (presumably to remediate asbestos, circa the original construction). Plus, they had to address building envelope, ADA, elevator upgrades, BIRDA/stretch code requirements, carving new penetrations from the mall level down to pavilion/upper garage floor, new escalators, and a new restaurant install: the number makes sense.

Back of the napkin, I can easily get to $95M of construction, without any insider knowledge of premium material selection, design/consultant fees, environmental signage/way-finding, the exterior lighting upgrade, or contingency for unforeseen conditions. I’ve worked on several-hundred million dollars of projects in Boston in the last 25 years: $125M scans as maybe a bit heavy, but certainly plausible.

I can def be a doubter and have my own history of being an ass at times over the years here, but I do believe this is a reasonable, well-intentioned investment by the owner into a city landmark that needed a reboot. Why crack at them? Doesn’t feel good-spirited or conducive to any further productive dialogue with our fellow aB members.