Winthrop Center | 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

JeffDowntown said:
The support from the Asian-American community is because ACDC (Asian Community Development Corporation) is the designated developer for the off-site affordable housing for Millennium's proposal.

This proposal is operating under the new city rules for the affordable housing component.

Millennium has chosen to fund off-site rather than including affordable units in the tower. Under the new rules this means that they don't just pay a fixed fee per unit, they actually have to ensure delivery of the requisite number of affordable units (I believe it is 54 for this project). And that delivery has to be timely with respect to project delivery, in the same general neighborhood as the main development (some flexibility) and is not capped in cost -- they have to deliver the specific number of units regardless the cost.

ACDC hopes to use this support to jump start their next major affordable development near Chinatown -- One Greenway was their last project.
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As a rule I favor on-site affordable housing (integration is better than separation), but the ACDC is a solid organization, and I hope this development is approved and is a further boon to their efforts.
 
Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

GW said:
As a rule I favor on-site affordable housing (integration is better than separation), but the ACDC is a solid organization, and I hope this development is approved and is a further boon to their efforts.
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Also, whatever ACDC does develop with the Millennium component as seed funding will almost certainly be mixed income. It is really hard to build anything of size that is 100% affordable (particularly since ACDC wants to include some low (40%, 60%) AMI units).
 
Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

You have to be shitting me. The original Millenium Tower casts a larger shadow on the Common. This is a non issue for any reasonable human being.
 
Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

odurandina said:
shadow video now up;

worst day of the year for the Common: Sept 10th.
http://www.bostonplans.org/getattachment/b9f769af-362b-4d20-91d0-8693a165c78a

worst day of the year for the Public Garden: Aug 24th.

http://www.bostonplans.org/getattachment/745cdc3e-0643-4f2e-aa17-ab5a6d02b439

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/12/07/shadow/E0Xpl7pyyGp06RhpSVaHkL/story.html
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Absolutely absurd. I walk by the abandoned garage every work day. People really want that to stay there? Forget million$$$$ in revenue to the city? All those new jobs? Shut up nimbys and let's just build this thing already.
 
Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

The nimby were suggesting 350-400'..... i imagine that below 625' you're looking at close to zero affordable housing units for Chinatown and nowhere near $100~150M. Developers are having trouble doing 500~625' on some of these parcels.
 
Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

tysmith95 said:
You have to be shitting me. The original Millenium Tower casts a larger shadow on the Common. This is a non issue for any reasonable human being.
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The worst case scenario for the Common shows Net-New shadow for 1 hour, from ~7:30AM to 8:30AM and for the Garden it's even less net-new shadow from like 7:10AM to 7:30AM.

THAT IS WAY TOO MUCH SHADOW
/s
 
Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

greenlinetobrooklyn said:
The worst case scenario for the Common shows Net-New shadow for 1 hour, from ~7:30AM to 8:30AM and for the Garden it's even less net-new shadow from like 7:10AM to 7:30AM.

THAT IS WAY TOO MUCH SHADOW
/s
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GreenB -- and its constantly moving -- especially that early in the AM near to the Autumnal Equinox -- you have to be light on your feet to stay in the shadow for more than a few minutes
 
Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

tysmith95 said:
You have to be shitting me. The original Millenium Tower casts a larger shadow on the Common. This is a non issue for any reasonable human being.
Click to expand...

Reasonable being the operative word here.
 
Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

It's right in the middle of downtown!!! Of course there are gonna be skyscrapers!
 
Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

^^George, we have a winner! Please, inform the Globe + 1 AB maniacs.
 
Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

I have a feeling that $150 million dollars will make this get passed through. Massachusetts is the king of sketchy behind the scenes dealings and I feel like the city will make this happen no matter what. It feels like they're just going through the motions to pretend that they listened to the public before they drop the hammer. This is the one instance that I feel that they dont care at all and will do whatever they want. This parcel is too valuable, too notorious, and too long over due. There has never been a short counter proposal here from anybody and I dont see it ever happening. Its been all or nothing from day 1 and theyre even talking about going taller. The city knows just like we do how much of an impact parcel this is, that its essentially the last place left for an icon, and they have never shown even the slightest hint that they are willing to half ass it here.
 
Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

stick n move said:
I have a feeling that $150 million dollars will make this get passed through. Massachusetts is the king of sketchy behind the scenes dealings and I feel like the city will make this happen no matter what. It feels like they're just going through the motions to pretend that they listened to the public before they drop the hammer. This is the one instance that I feel that they dont care at all and will do whatever they want. This parcel is too valuable, too notorious, and too long over due. There has never been a short counter proposal here from anybody and I dont see it ever happening. Its been all or nothing from day 1 and theyre even talking about going taller.
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Stick -- you are probably right -- although I could image a 10 to 15 foot lop-off to offer the losers some face saving
 
Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

^ That may be a part of the 775' figure being thrown around recently. I wish they would just propose 1000' all over again, get it knocked to 800, and call it a day.
 
Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

stick n move said:
^ That may be a part of the 775' figure being thrown around recently. I wish they would just propose 1000' all over again, get it knocked to 800, and call it a day.
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Sounds easy enough. Maybe they can cut and paste Logan a couple thousand feet to the right so as to avoid that pesky radar issue.
 
Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

kmp1284 said:
Sounds easy enough. Maybe they can cut and paste Logan a couple thousand feet to the right so as to avoid that pesky radar issue.
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Norwegian is moving to Portsmouth or Providence, just move the rest of the carriers there!! Who needs a stupid airport.
 
Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

You can get exceptions, like SST. 800 isnt that unreasonable if theyve already proposed 775.
 
Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

kmp1284 said:
Sounds easy enough. Maybe they can cut and paste Logan a couple thousand feet to the right so as to avoid that pesky radar issue.
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Kmp -- I'm guessing the 775 gets cut back to about 750 and everyone goes home with a victory
  • Boston city budget $150 M
  • Boston skyline new tower downtown equal or almost equal in actual height with the Pru [depends on the height of the sidewalk down at Federal St]
  • Shadow-phobes -- taking 15 to 25 feet off the top makes a huge impact on the ultimate shadow
  • Mayah Walsh's friends in the construction trades -- more Good Jobs at Good Union Wages
  • Spillover into the Downtown-Innovation District -- more innovation space
  • Public in the winter -- the Great Hall -- hopefully with a true Great Hall style fireplace
  • ABForum -- a great new project to rise and be watched and commented upon
  • Chinatown -- offsite more housing
 
Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

odurandina said:
shadow video now up;

worst day of the year for the Common: Sept 10th.
http://www.bostonplans.org/getattachment/b9f769af-362b-4d20-91d0-8693a165c78a

worst day of the year for the Public Garden: Aug 24th.

http://www.bostonplans.org/getattachment/745cdc3e-0643-4f2e-aa17-ab5a6d02b439

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/12/07/shadow/E0Xpl7pyyGp06RhpSVaHkL/story.html
Click to expand...

Wow, the presence of that shadow is so minimal, and these are worst-case scenarios. Plus the recession rate of Winthrop is much faster than the other shadows.

This is a good candidate for a data visualization project to demonstrate just how little impact WS's shadow would have on the common/garden throughout the entirety of a day and a year
 
Re: 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

stick n move said:
I have a feeling that $150 million dollars will make this get passed through. Massachusetts is the king of sketchy behind the scenes dealings and I feel like the city will make this happen no matter what. It feels like they're just going through the motions to pretend that they listened to the public before they drop the hammer. This is the one instance that I feel that they dont care at all and will do whatever they want. This parcel is too valuable, too notorious, and too long over due. There has never been a short counter proposal here from anybody and I dont see it ever happening. Its been all or nothing from day 1 and theyre even talking about going taller. The city knows just like we do how much of an impact parcel this is, that its essentially the last place left for an icon, and they have never shown even the slightest hint that they are willing to half ass it here.
Click to expand...

Reading these first-rate yimby talking points gives us hope.
 
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