Waterside Place 1A | 505 Congress Street | Seaport
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Waterside place public meeting
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Project Name: Waterside Place
Project Proponent: Core Development Group LLC, a partnership of The Drew Company and Vornado Realty Trust
Project Description: The Proponent filed a Draft Project Impact Report proposing to construct a mixed use project comprising of a 640,000 square foot destination retail center, approximately 209 residential units, approximately 300 hotel rooms, a Visitor Center and a 2,350 space parking garage.
Meeting Date/ Place: 6:00 PM, Tuesday, April 24th, 2007 at St. Vincent's Lower Church Hall, 363 E Street, South Boston.
Comment Period Ends: May 14, 2007
MAIL TO: MARK MCGOWAN
BOSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
ONE CITY HALL SQUARE, 9TH FLOOR
BOSTON, MA 02201
FAX TO: 617-742-7783
PHONE: 617-918-4275
EMAILTO: mark.mcgowan.bra@cityofboston.gov
I signed up for BRA meeting email alerts. Hence, if any of you are interested in going and reporting back:
Please note that you have received this email because you have signed up on the BRA website to get notification of when a public meeting in South Boston has been posted on the BRA Calendar.
Project Name: Waterside Place
Project Proponent: Core Development Group LLC, a partnership of The Drew Company and Vornado Realty Trust
Project Description: The Proponent filed a Draft Project Impact Report proposing to construct a mixed use project comprising of a 640,000 square foot destination retail center, approximately 209 residential units, approximately 300 hotel rooms, a Visitor Center and a 2,350 space parking garage.
Meeting Date/ Place: 6:00 PM, Tuesday, April 24th, 2007 at St. Vincent's Lower Church Hall, 363 E Street, South Boston.
Comment Period Ends: May 14, 2007
MAIL TO: MARK MCGOWAN
BOSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
ONE CITY HALL SQUARE, 9TH FLOOR
BOSTON, MA 02201
FAX TO: 617-742-7783
PHONE: 617-918-4275
EMAILTO: mark.mcgowan.bra@cityofboston.gov
Padre Mike
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WOW, a park on the roof!
The "Waterside Place" Project
By Rick Winterson
?Waterside Place? will be built by the Drew Company on Massport?s eight-acre Core Block between the Convention Center and the World Trade Centers.
The development of the South Boston Waterfront continues. One of the key parcels remaining is what is called the ?Core Block?, which is owned by Massport. This is an 8.3 acre plot that stretches north-south from the Seaport Hotel and the World Trade Centers (West and East) to Summer Street, one block up from the Convention Center.
On the east, this plot is bounded by D Street and the John Hancock building; on the west, by World Trade Center Avenue. The ?Waterside Place? project will be built over I-90, the Haul road, and a number of ramps. The lead developer is the John Drew Company.
A meeting in St. Vincent de Paul?s Church Hall last Tuesday was hosted by the BRA, represented by Mark McGowan. About 50 South Boston residents attended. John Drew took the floor to present and explain Waterside Place, which is actually a modified proposal based on the original plans from two-and-a-half years ago.
The Waterside Place project has four major components. A 300-room hotel, 200 residential units, 2,300 parking spaces, and a retail area of 640,000 square feet (about 15 acres overall). Major retail tenants will include a 60,000- square-foot grocery store and a 100,000-square-foot department store. Construction is slated to start early in 2008; completion is expected in the first half of 2011.
The retail mall will stretch along World Trade Center Avenue; the residential building will border Congress Street, and the hotel will be located on the northwest corner of D and Summer Streets. Trucking into the project will be underground, and there?ll be an underground passageway to the Convention Center.
Restrictions on Haul Road traffic, which will now tunnel under a corner of the hotel, will be minor. Most of the project?s traffic is predicted to be via I-90, so the effect on traffic in the neighborhoods of South Boston will be minimal.
The project was generally well accepted by the meeting?s attendees. The objections mostly centered on past promises made by various other developers, which have yet to be fulfilled. The appearance of the large area behind the Convention Center was one example. The BRA came in for some criticisms at this point, because these mitigations are still pending.
The extent of affordable housing in the project was questioned. Certain amenities/mitigations were requested as well. These included a convenient ?T? connection from the residential areas of South Boston to the Waterfront. Oddly enough, the residents of South Boston are among those who find traveling to the South Boston Waterfront most inconvenient. Waterfront parking permits for South Boston residents, and for a shop or two in Waterside Place for South Boston?s small businesses also were requested.
Link
By Rick Winterson
?Waterside Place? will be built by the Drew Company on Massport?s eight-acre Core Block between the Convention Center and the World Trade Centers.
The development of the South Boston Waterfront continues. One of the key parcels remaining is what is called the ?Core Block?, which is owned by Massport. This is an 8.3 acre plot that stretches north-south from the Seaport Hotel and the World Trade Centers (West and East) to Summer Street, one block up from the Convention Center.
On the east, this plot is bounded by D Street and the John Hancock building; on the west, by World Trade Center Avenue. The ?Waterside Place? project will be built over I-90, the Haul road, and a number of ramps. The lead developer is the John Drew Company.
A meeting in St. Vincent de Paul?s Church Hall last Tuesday was hosted by the BRA, represented by Mark McGowan. About 50 South Boston residents attended. John Drew took the floor to present and explain Waterside Place, which is actually a modified proposal based on the original plans from two-and-a-half years ago.
The Waterside Place project has four major components. A 300-room hotel, 200 residential units, 2,300 parking spaces, and a retail area of 640,000 square feet (about 15 acres overall). Major retail tenants will include a 60,000- square-foot grocery store and a 100,000-square-foot department store. Construction is slated to start early in 2008; completion is expected in the first half of 2011.
The retail mall will stretch along World Trade Center Avenue; the residential building will border Congress Street, and the hotel will be located on the northwest corner of D and Summer Streets. Trucking into the project will be underground, and there?ll be an underground passageway to the Convention Center.
Restrictions on Haul Road traffic, which will now tunnel under a corner of the hotel, will be minor. Most of the project?s traffic is predicted to be via I-90, so the effect on traffic in the neighborhoods of South Boston will be minimal.
The project was generally well accepted by the meeting?s attendees. The objections mostly centered on past promises made by various other developers, which have yet to be fulfilled. The appearance of the large area behind the Convention Center was one example. The BRA came in for some criticisms at this point, because these mitigations are still pending.
The extent of affordable housing in the project was questioned. Certain amenities/mitigations were requested as well. These included a convenient ?T? connection from the residential areas of South Boston to the Waterfront. Oddly enough, the residents of South Boston are among those who find traveling to the South Boston Waterfront most inconvenient. Waterfront parking permits for South Boston residents, and for a shop or two in Waterside Place for South Boston?s small businesses also were requested.
Link
TheBostonBoy
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wow this is going to have a huge impact on south Boston i think
I also wish they would build some taller buildings though. South Boston is so empty and full of space for that stuff, I just wish that the FAA and Logan airport and shit didn't have all those height restrictions
I also wish they would build some taller buildings though. South Boston is so empty and full of space for that stuff, I just wish that the FAA and Logan airport and shit didn't have all those height restrictions
Re: ..
Consequently, the buildings may not be tall but they're completely out of scale with the pedestrian.
Solution: lots should be an acre or less.
Then we'll get the diversity and human scale we crave.
The developers may or may not get less profit --but hey, their profits are already limited by rules; just think how much money they could make if there were no rules at all!
They're not going to give up the development biz if you change the rules; they'll bitch and moan and then they'll adapt.
And here's the main reason why:Merper said:
The plots are huge. The developments cover large areas with planned banality. There isn't much variety because there aren't many players. Building footrints are too large: often one building per block.
Consequently, the buildings may not be tall but they're completely out of scale with the pedestrian.
Solution: lots should be an acre or less.
Then we'll get the diversity and human scale we crave.
The developers may or may not get less profit --but hey, their profits are already limited by rules; just think how much money they could make if there were no rules at all!
They're not going to give up the development biz if you change the rules; they'll bitch and moan and then they'll adapt.
ablarc,
I agreed with everything you said about the South Boston Waterfront, except with this particular parcel. And that it is because of this parcels location over a maze of highway ramps. A large building project is the best fit for this location.
The city has these mega parcels for a couple reasons. 1st the zoning requires a large parcel in exchange for height (pda's). Breaking up these large parcels would also require the creation of city streets. There is a cost associated with this new infrastructure and its maintenance. The City of Boston needs to step up to make changes.
I agreed with everything you said about the South Boston Waterfront, except with this particular parcel. And that it is because of this parcels location over a maze of highway ramps. A large building project is the best fit for this location.
The city has these mega parcels for a couple reasons. 1st the zoning requires a large parcel in exchange for height (pda's). Breaking up these large parcels would also require the creation of city streets. There is a cost associated with this new infrastructure and its maintenance. The City of Boston needs to step up to make changes.
TheBostonBoy
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ya i agree with what you two said (ablarc and TC)
Boston does need to make some serious changes and the SBW could be a lot larger and be a more important neighborhood if they aloud for these changes and built some more streets and buildings, instead of huge buildings on these parcels
Boston does need to make some serious changes and the SBW could be a lot larger and be a more important neighborhood if they aloud for these changes and built some more streets and buildings, instead of huge buildings on these parcels
Re: ...
I think it is the city who needs to change the rules. I've given up on the high profile parcels by the water. Where I really want to see scaled down residential development is south of summer street. There is a lot of land there, especially across D street from the convention center.
The city needs to put it's developer hat on and steer the development of this area.
Merper said:
I think it is the city who needs to change the rules. I've given up on the high profile parcels by the water. Where I really want to see scaled down residential development is south of summer street. There is a lot of land there, especially across D street from the convention center.
The city needs to put it's developer hat on and steer the development of this area.
TheBostonBoy
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I agree with what you said TC
Boston really needs to guide these projects and development, or else we won't progress like we should be doing.
Boston really needs to guide these projects and development, or else we won't progress like we should be doing.
TheBostonBoy
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Ya true....all those people need to unite as one and make this stuff happen.
I don't know if that will ever happen, but if it did, I think a lot more things would be getting done, because sometimes Menino will be for something but everyone else is against it, or vice versa. The BRA, Menino, Li, and others need to come together and get things together.
I don't know if that will ever happen, but if it did, I think a lot more things would be getting done, because sometimes Menino will be for something but everyone else is against it, or vice versa. The BRA, Menino, Li, and others need to come together and get things together.
Good Question. It should come from the City Planning Department (Does Boston even have one or was it swallowed up by the BRA?) and it should be a complete overhaul of the city zoning code. Unrealistic Zoning causes developers create the mega-blocks in order to gain the height to make projects feasible.ablarc said:
Zoning criteria dragged in from the suburbs makes building anything impossible without going for a variance. Floor to Area Ratios and Setbacks have no business being part of this city's zoning code. If a project needs zoning relief it opens the door for any blow hard that has an opinion (and agenda) to have a say.
Realistic zoning would allow projects to get built without getting the public involved.
Why does the head of the Boston Harbor Association have a say in so much development? It's because every project requires some sort of approval and before a vote is made they have to hear from the public. Those in favor and those opposed all get to speak.
ablarc said:
Some people know, but the problem is that to may people are afforded the opportunity to influence development under the current system.
atlantaden
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Another major problem seems to be neighborhood associations which file suit against developers which then seem to tie things up in court. Even after public hearing after public hearing, even after developers agree to concessions, if someone or some group isn't completely satisfied, they file suit for the specific purpose of delaying the project, hopefully for years.