Winthrop Center | 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

neighboring buildings requested that MP get extensive testing and consulting to ensure its building and foundation will not falter, tilt, sink, or affect any neighboring buildings.

I've seen it--a friend at St. Anthony Shrine let me go on their rooftop in early March before the excrement hit the air conditioner. I was shown the telemetry laser system the abutters and MP orchestrated: an array of cameras is affixed on the Shrine, and the other buildings that bracket the tower construction site. The laser beams all connect in such a way that if there's any subsidence in the general area, by even so much as a fraction of a millimeter, then it's Defcon 5 and some massive remedial intervention has to take place to shore-up the foundation in order to remedy the subsidence (presumably).
 
Walked by at around 1pm to get some lunch, and there were no workers on the site.
I assume they have to just put everything on hold while they line up financing, no point in spending more of their own money if it's not going to get finished. I've no idea what the appetite is for funding a spec office tower now but I'd imagine this is going to be down for a while, hopefully not another Filene's!
 
Kind of funny how history is repeating itself. I remember when DTX was a giant hole because of the 2008 recession. This will bounce back too.
 
We could scroll back and see at least four different mutually exclusive opinions of yours about this project. That is trolling. Stop.
Kind of funny how history is repeating itself. I remember when DTX was a giant hole because of the 2008 recession. This will bounce back too.


I hope we don't see a hole in this area in downtown. Why not let the state govt buy back this building and build subsidized housing or section 8 skyscraper in the area?
 
You’re not serious right

What is the difference between the FED buying the junk bond markets vs allowing the state to buy a skyscraper to help the housing crisis in Mass. Maybe the FED can allow the states a 0- Interest rate loan?

Can MP convert all the commercial sq footage to 100% residential since they have no commercial tenant? There is always a need for cheaper housing.
 
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Somebody please go by and confirm if people are on site! Last week was likely an anomaly due to the holiday, but the workers I spoke with Wednesday night (who weren't literally working on it at that very moment) told me that work had resumed.
 
Crazy that the tallest building going up in this cycle downtown is shorter than my apartment building. Would have been nice if they maxed out this spot.
 
From an overall skyline perspective I think the changes are a huge improvement. The old design might have looked cooler from South Station but I think that's about it. Only the taller portion will rise above its surroundings now, which means it will visually have much slimmer proportions depending on the angle.

Any word on how the reduction affects the 350' subsidized housing tower in the theater district?
 
The new design is MUCH better in my opinion, but I'm still mad at the whole "connector" space that seems like a glorified lobby rather than an amazing civic space like BCE Place in Toronto.
 
Somebody please go by and confirm if people are on site! Last week was likely an anomaly due to the holiday, but the workers I spoke with Wednesday night (who weren't literally working on it at that very moment) told me that work had resumed.
Dave I was at the site this morning between 11:00 and 11:30AM and could only see less than 10 construction workers. Aii gates are padlocked with the exception of the Devonshire Street Gate, neither of the tower cranes were maned and I only saw one fellow doing some jackhammer work on one of the columns along the southern border of the site. What every they are up to it's very limited at this point. As you can see by the last two sets of photos very little has changed during the last couple of weeks.

IMG_7453 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr

IMG_7456 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr

IMG_7458 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr

IMG_7462 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr

IMG_7463 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr

Jackhammer fellow by Bos Beeline, on Flickr

IMG_7469 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
 
I am just tossing this out there, but it may have to do with where they are at in the project with respect to their timeline and nothing to do with delays due to permits, financing, tenants, etc.

Of the 10 high rises going up near me, I followed 4 during the shutdown. 3 completely shutdown but 1 was able to stay open full gas. I think it was because they were pouring the foundation and poring the podium. Then things opened and they kept rolling. Of the other 3, 50 Hudson Yards was dormant throughout but at 2 points during the shutdown, they opened up to pour a few floors of the concrete core with about 15 guys and then went quiet, then repeat several weeks later. Then when things got going, the Spiral was the last to open along with 2 Manhattan West.
Since the re-open, each has been working different hours, some the strict 6am-3pm M-F, while others have been working past 9pm and weekends full gas.

All the above minutia was to say that just because these guys are not doing much, it doesn't have to mean anything apocalyptic.
 

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