Copley Place plan calls for condo tower

[eaalkaline]

"At this point, the building is still in the very formative stages. A representative of the developers said that the cost of the building hasn?t been determined yet and the public review process hasn?t begun."

It will be a long time before any real progress is made on this building, but hopefully it moves through the public process quickly. at least for Boston standards :-P

Probably won't get built for a while. For one, the market is a wreck, so it discorages a lot of new development. Two, we have yet to see renderings suggesting that the developer is still in the early stages with this one. And finally, this is Boston. Projects ALWAYS take forever in this city. It's just a given.

[castevens]

Originally Posted by eaalkaline

It will be a long time before any real progress is made on this building, but hopefully it moves through the public process quickly. at least for Boston standards :-P

But remember this day when your great grandchildren graduate from architecture school and get chosen to create the 100th redesign of this building. You'll be able to say "I remember the first design, it looked like that Lake Park Hotel in Chicago that they tore down 20 years ago to make way for the 2,000 footer"

[czsz]

We'll all be too busy arguing with Ned Flaherty VI over the sixteenth incarnation of Columbus Center to attend commencement ceremonies, I'm afraid.

[kz1000ps]

My oh my, the future seems bright around here!

[JimboJones]

Cross your fingers, my application for the CAC was submitted today!

[statler]

^^


I just want to tell you good luck. We're all counting on you.

[stellarfun]

Copley Place seeks city of Boston?s OK for 47-story tower
By Scott Van Voorhis
Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Copley Place owner Simon Property Group Inc. is moving ahead with plans to remake the Back Bay skyline with a 47-story condo tower that will also expand the upscale mall?s footprint.

The mall owner, in a proposal filed yesterday with City Hall, details plans for nearly 800,000 square feet of new residential and Retail space at the corner of Dartmouth and Stuart streets.

Along with 280 high-rise condos, Simon is also banking on a significant expansion of Copley Place.

The proposal calls for adding 54,000 square feet to the existing 115,000-square-foot Neiman Marcus store, which would be renovated as well. Another 60,000 square feet of retail would be added beyond that, including space for a restaurant and a winter garden.

The condo tower will include a health club, luxury day spa, library and concierge service.

?The project will enhance the urban fabric of the neighborhood and be a striking addition to the city?s skyline,? said Carl Dieterle, executive vice president for urban development at Simon, in a statement.

But state Rep. Marty Walz (D-Back Bay) said there are still significant concerns about the shadows the new tower will cast across nearby Copley Square and the Commonwealth Mall.

?A building of that height will cast significant shadows on those two green spaces,? Walz said.

Rick Stockwood, a spokesman for the project, said the tower has been specifically designed to minimize the impact of any shadows it will cast. The impact itself, which he described as limited, is laid out in a report included in the project plans submitted yesterday to the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

The shadows that cross Copley Square, for example, are confined to the late fall and winter months, Stockwood said.

http://www.bostonherald.com/business...icleid=1102781

Thats one tall building if the shadows reach Commonwealth Mall. Marty Walz is a candidate for a course in remedial geometry.

[Suffolk 83]

Doesn't the JHT cast a shadow over Copley sq all the time? Man, these people are so self-serving it makes me sick.

[GW2500]

Does anybody else want to end these people that are making the rep complain about shadows. I mean are the reverse vampires where shadows cause their flesh to melt?

[aquaman]

I lived on Comm Ave near Arlington and don't recall ever being cast in the shadow of the Hancock Tower. I'm sure it happens for maybe twenty minutes at noon in the middle of January when the sun is lowest on the southern horizon, but the buidling is so slim as to make the shadow it casts little more than the vertical on a sun dial.

The proposed tower at Nieman Marcus would impact the Comm Ave mall even less as it is significantly shorter than the Hancock.

As far as Copley goes, the new building will only cast a shadow on Copley when the sun is already far west, probably for a short period around 6 or 7 pm (and think of the relieving shade it will give all those crazy BNL fans gathering in Copley for 92.9-fest or whatever.

[vanshnookenraggen]

When I hear the "shadows" argument all I hear is "He didn't pay me off." I'm not saying Marty is corrupt, but this is Boston and you need to play ball to get things done.

[pelhamhall]

A friend of mine has brought up a brilliant strategy for dealing with the same 4-5 crazies who are against everything in this city - he works actively in development, so he can't do it, but since I'm semi-retired I think I may just work on this project...

I'm imagining a binder/book. There would be photos of some of Boston's most beautiful, celebrated architecture of the past 20 years, accompanied by quotes from architects, developers, elected officials, and people who live and work near these buildings. There would be a profile of sorts of the building's appearance and people's general attitudes of favorability toward the project.

Then, below this "profile" you put in the far, far out-in-left-field comments that the cartel of 4-5 anti-progress yahoos had to say about it while it was being debated prior to construction. "It casts shadows - it's out of scale" etc.

The whole point of this exercise would be to show just how far removed from the mainstream these people are. While the rest of the city grows and progresses, and welcomes reasonable new development, these people out on the fringe are simply ranting and raving against EVERYTHING, including projects that were built and have come to be viewed as great additions to our city.

If done right, this little booklet could illustrate in black-and-white terms that the people in the anti-growth cartel don't hold reasonable opinions - just reactions against growth in the city.

[briv]

[vanshnookenraggen]

Sexy. I would think that residents of the South End would be far more upset about this than those of the Back Bay.

[statler]

Before:



After:

[JSic]

The Back Bay skyline will get a boost if/when this gets built, along with The Clarendon, the proposed Prudential complex tower and .............Columbus Center.

Hope we get about 550' in height with this one.

That all said........the premier development site in the area is the Hancock Garage.........tear down that cinder block and give us a REAL tower.

[Beton Brut]

Originally Posted by JSic

...tear down that cinder block and give us a REAL tower.

Better check with Ned on this first...

[GW2500]

I like Pellham's idea. It's worded to not sound angry, but simply and inteligently shows the irrationality of these anit growth people.

[pelhamhall]

^ that's the idea - just a celebration of great architecture and strong development in the City of Boston for the past 20 years, accompanied with the "troubles" the developer had to go through to get his vision built. A "triumph over despotism" theme and the citizens of the city reap the rewards.

The repetition of it all, building after building, the same exact people, over and over, year after year, with the same exact complaints would suddenly illustrate the utter silliness of the arguments against all growth and all civic progress.