Channel Center

[Sicilian]

I live here and to the 500 residents on this side of Summer Street we're dying for park space. The park on the corner of Binford is nicely landscaped for sitting and great if you're eating on the patio at Barlows -- that's it. Wormwood Park (60 x 100 feet) is a garden, two picnic tables and dogs run wild on the patch of grass -- it is currently the only regularly used dog park. There is no recreational park in Fort Point for frisbee, kicking a ball around or kids playground toys anywhere.

To people living here, the new park is something we've been working on for 10 years and looking forward to using. Meetings about the park are jammed with residents. They won't be vast wastelands, guaranteed.

I can also say that anyone who lives here thinks Fort Point is Boston's biggest secret in terms of quality of life. It's an amazing neighborhood and each parcel (in the past) has been well thought out and executed -- particularly so at Channel Center.

As for block sizes, the shoulder-to-shoulder layout and large footprints at curbside is a function of Boston Wharf Co. history, not Seaport planning. And it works quite well as long as there are the pocket-sized respites you see in the Channel Center layout.

[czsz]

Yes, I know you've pointed out the lack of park space in Fort Point before, but can this really be the best arrangement? These small parks keep getting built and you keep crying out for larger space. The result is a lot of little parks and demand for even more. It seems like Fort Pointers' needs would be better served by one slightly larger park on a nearby parcel (given the way you've dismissed Wormwood), rather than three little ones, with these parcels opened up for the development of small infill buildings.

Of course, that may not be at all practical given the ownership of the land, etc., but from an overall planning perspective the situation doesn't seem ideal.

I'm mostly talking about the new development with regard to block size - wasn't there a street that ran through that parcel before? It seems like there's at least a vestigial one from Google Maps.

[quinninin]

Originally Posted by czsz

Yes, I know you've pointed out the lack of park space in Fort Point before, but can this really be the best arrangement? It seems like Fort Pointers' needs would be better served by a slightly larger park (given the way you've dismissed Wormwood), rather than three little ones, with these parcels opened up for the development of small infill buildings.

I'm mostly talking about the new development with regard to block size - wasn't there a street that ran through that parcel before? It seems like there's at least a vestigial one from Google Maps.

czsz, page 38 of the attachment has a good breakdown of how the development site will be laid out.

http://bostonredevelopmentauthority....Center_PDA.pdf

The previous map was just highlighting the entire area of development (1 Channel Center, new parking garage, and the new park.) The other areas are already existing in the Channel Center.

[czsz]

Thanks quinninin -- I guess that larger park is in fact the one that's coming. Also looks like Richards Street (the one I was thinking of) will actually remain.

So does the area really need each of those three little ones now?

[quinninin]

Also dont know if this PDF has been shared yet.


http://www.scribd.com/fortpoint/d/93...nel-Center-NPC

[stellarfun]

Random responses / comments.

> The garage at Atlantic Wharf is 650 spaces, so yes, one can dig deep if there is an economic incentive for doing so.

> The proposed New Park is 25 percent larger than a football field.

> The plum-colored half looks to have out-sized floor heights. I like the design of the garage better than I do the plum-colored half. And I'm no champion of the garage. The plum-colored half looks grotesque where it faces the old brick wharf buildings.

> The plum-colored half smacks of special-purpose space designed and configured for a future tenant and its particular needs. I have a hunch the tenant wants to isolate and secure this half of the building from the public, so no garage under, and no public spaces to speak of.

[Sicilian]

Originally Posted by czsz

Yes, I know you've pointed out the lack of park space in Fort Point before, but can this really be the best arrangement? These small parks keep getting built and you keep crying out for larger space. The result is a lot of little parks and demand for even more. It seems like Fort Pointers' needs would be better served by one slightly larger park on a nearby parcel (given the way you've dismissed Wormwood), rather than three little ones, with these parcels opened up for the development of small infill buildings.

Of course, that may not be at all practical given the ownership of the land, etc., but from an overall planning perspective the situation doesn't seem ideal.

I'm mostly talking about the new development with regard to block size - wasn't there a street that ran through that parcel before? It seems like there's at least a vestigial one from Google Maps.

We'll disagree czsz, and if you ask residents they'll tell you that no park is dismissed here. Look closely at how Wormwood Park is tended, with dogs running around, people on benches, picnic tables and grilling action all summer. The quality of life in Fort Point is top notch for residents and visitors.

The density in the 100 Acres plan --I think 6m more square feet of development to go -- dovetails well with the network of parks and waterside activities as planned.

[SeamusMcFly]

I dunno. many pocket parks seems too be a little silly idea, and well it has led to territories in the past. A group starts congregating at one, another group at another. Things happen.

It also seems a bit silly in such a tight area for a mom to ask a son
Mom - "where you going?"
Son - "To the park.
Mom - "Which one?"

No offense, but of course if you ask the residents if they don't want a park, they'll say the more the merrier. But, the residents MO is not always about the best use of land and building density and urban fabric. It's about amenities for ME, and ifg a park gets built next to my lot, well I'll have a great view and no chance of a jerk moving in next door.

One goodly sized park serving this small area sounds like a good idea. Add the harbor walk which should include some picnic space I would think along the harbor, and the not far away waterfront park, it sounds like open space would be pretty well covered.

If Wormwood is already not so great and full and whatever, why make 3 more like it? Build the biggun on the end if you must (it'll have that great garage as a breathtaking backdrop), and enjoy it.

[Sicilian]

There's plenty of time to weigh in going forward.

Here's the 100 Acres plan at full build, including 6 million sf of new office/residential/retail and (possibly) hotels.

[czsz]

Yeah, I always thought that plan was too park-y, and now they've gone and added the little pocket park at A and Mt. Washington, the Iron Street Park, and seemingly expanded the park at the far left. Something gives me a feeling there will be even more parks when all is said and done...

If you ask me the larger new park, the greenspace by the channel, and maybe that longish mall / esplanade / mini-Greenway are more than enough, and I'd maybe cut a block of the mini-Greenway too.

[Sicilian]

The park fronting the garage is a problem worthy of concern.

[ParkerChris]

Although I love the new park, and the rest of the parks in the plan, I will say that I don't understand the mess of parks near the channel in the 100 acre plan. Seems to be under-utilizing the waterfront.

[Hutchison]

Wall paneling = green space?

[Sicilian]

And the parklet next to these four dead streetwalls is also of concern. Just sayin.

[Sicilian]

Did I mention that the passageway hours of operation leading between Channel Center Street and the park are at the discretion of tenant?

Or that the size of the proposed park is subject to reduction for "A Street Widening" in a private Memorandum of Agreement between BRA and property owners signed in 2007?

Yes, the parks really are of concern.

[SeamusMcFly]

Isn't A Street pretty wide there, with the big (used to be) painted over section in the middle? The old lines still kick you out way right when heading south towards Broadway along Gillette, though most ignore them.

[Sicilian]

That wide part of A Street is just north of the project site. You can see it in Google Maps.

As detailed in a private BRA Memorandum of Agreement signed with property owners in 2007 and made public a few years later, the "A Street Widening" project championed by Gillette would run all the way down to Melcher Street.

[kz1000ps]

$170M financing secured for Hub’s One Channel Center

Boston Business Journal by Thomas Grillo, Real Estate Editor
Date: Friday, September 21, 2012, 9:38am EDT

Commonwealth Ventures and AREA Property Partners has secured a $170 million construction loan for One Channel Center in Boston’s Seaport District.

The 500,000-square-foot office building will feature an 11-story, Class A office building leased to State Street Corp. (NYSE: STT). The $225 million project broke ground this year and is slated to open in 2014.

State Street plans to move 4,000 workers to the campus that will also include two parks. One Channel Center is located within the larger Channel Center project, a 2 million-square-foot, mixed-use development featuring office, residential and shops.

Connecticut-based Commonwealth Ventures acquired Channel Center in 2007 and since then has overseen development of nearly 1 million square feet. AREA Property Partners, formerly known as Apollo Real Estate Advisors, is a real estate investor and fund manager based in New York.

Financing was arranged by HFF.

Link

[BeeLine]

Shot taken from the Second Str bridge looking north. Pile driving continues on the site for Channel One. Note in the forground earth movers working the south park area. Also a curb cut has been made on the Bypass and new asphalt has been laid. (New Street I think).

Channel One 10/5

[Cliff Clavin]

The crane was being erected this morning.