Boston Canal District?

[Shepard]

What's the future of Convention Center East - Menino Stumps, or...

[vanshnookenraggen]

Now that's a great idea. Where is that thread about the dock redevelopments in Amsterdam?

[czsz]

A wonderful idea that I think everyone'd like to see at the Seaport, although I think I'd try to locate it a bit closer to the city core, perhaps even around South Bay, where it could attempt the ever-elusive connection between the South-End and South Boston.

Otherwise, it's isolated from everything by the petrified forest of the Menino stumps.

[Shepard]

Originally Posted by czsz

locate it a bit closer to the city core... Otherwise, it's isolated from everything by the petrified forest of the Menino stumps.

Psychologically this area is very far from the core. Absolutely true.

Geographically, however, it's hard to believe that walking from the point on Summer Street shown on the map to South Station is actually less than a mile.

About those Menino stumps:

The pessimist in me says: the harbor-facing part of the Seaport will end up being Menino Stumps. There's probably little we can do about this.

The realist in me says: say all you want about the architecture or scale of these buildings, but what's really striking is (as has been pointed out so many times) the lack of street-facing, pedestrian-friendly interfaces. But this isn't a consequence of the buildings being Menino Stumps, per se. It's a consequence of: why should there be street-facing, pedestrian-friendly life? Who wants to own an urban shop where nobody walks? A bar where nobody goes for drinks? A hardware store where nobody lives?

The dreamer in me says: put the trendiest, hippest, but at the same time most liveable district you can imagine on the OTHER side of the petrified stump forest. Get those people walking through the nearby stumps, to town and back again... and then economics will kick in; the glass and concrete walls facing the streets will be worth more as restaurants, boutiques, grocery stores than they'll be worth as glass and concrete walls.

And then, you might even see one or two of our new Canal District residents playing frisbee on all that gorgeous Seaport open space.

[KentXie]

Question. Will there be any usage of the canals or is it entirely for aesthetic reasons?

[bdurden]

^recreational, like the Charles? Or, kayak to work in the financial district or create an easy canal connection to Cambridge/Charlestown?

[Shepard]

Recreational...

And residential (narrowboat residences).

There's an interesting transit option, too - extend the canal along West 1st Street to the Channel, for a narrowboat ferry calling at Canal District, Broadway, Fort Point, South Station and Rowes Wharf.

[kennedy]

Can we focus first on making sure the Fort Point Channel actually gets used first? What makes you think that people will use these new canals if they don't use the one that's already there? It's a beautiful idea, one that's come up many times on this board, but it's really one of those pie-in-the-sky ideas. The city won't do it and neither will any developer.

[kennedy]

By the way, this thread already kind of exists.

Vision for the South Boston Seaport

[bdurden]

Originally Posted by kennedy

Can we focus first on making sure the Fort Point Channel actually gets used first? What makes you think that people will use these new canals if they don't use the one that's already there? It's a beautiful idea, one that's come up many times on this board, but it's really one of those pie-in-the-sky ideas. The city won't do it and neither will any developer.

Last I checked this was under the "Design a Better Boston" discussion topic. Why limit the discussion to only what seems plausible by preconceived notions of what the city will or will not do?

[kennedy]

Point taken. But still, it's rather silly to talk in such hypothetical terms. I mean, I'd love a new Tesla Model S, but fact is, it's not happening.

[vanshnookenraggen]

The entire premise for this forum is hypothetical development.

[Shepard]

I forgot to mention that the canals would be populated by sharks with lasers attached to their heads to help them kill and cook their prey. Michael Jackson will perform canalside every night with a troupe of fire-eating goblins.

[statler]

^^ I was hesitant at first, but now I'm sold!

[Shepard]

Originally Posted by kennedy

Can we focus first on making sure the Fort Point Channel actually gets used first?

Interesting. What uses do you have in mind and what development is necessary to assure these uses?

I've heard the calls for the channel to be the urban river of Boston, as in Chicago. But how do we get there?

[bdurden]

Originally Posted by Shepard

Interesting. What uses do you have in mind and what development is necessary to assure these uses?

I've heard the calls for the channel to be the urban river of Boston, as in Chicago. But how do we get there?

Even the canals in Chicago seem "unused" in a sense. Perhaps a San Antonio Riverwalk area along the canal would help to attract foot traffic to the area, or of course the Amsterdam model.

[Ron Newman]

Look closer to home than San Antonio: try Providence.

[kennedy]

Originally Posted by Shepard

Interesting. What uses do you have in mind and what development is necessary to assure these uses?

I'd like to see a solid, uniform, wide sidewalk along the entire canal-pedestrian only, well-lit, and kept clean. I'd also like to see the MBTA expand the Harbor Ferry into more of a Harbor Taxi concept, like the LRT of the water. A public transportation dock, as well as other docks owned by the various business that pop up along the canal. I'd like the city to renovate and maintain the Congress and Summer St. bridges better (aren't they working on this now?), as well as turn the Northern Ave. bridge into the pedestrian bridge/public market concept that has been proposed. Basically, I want the city to first clean up their act, and make the canal an attractive place to develop. Shepard, I ran with your idea for the Harbor Tram, and included it in one of my Google Maps of the area. One along the entire Greenway (South to North Station), and trams running along Seaport Blvd., Congress St., and Summer St.

As for developments, the swaths of parking past the Necco buildings need to be filled in. Variety of traditionally styled, mixed-use buildings, on small parcels within a fine street grid, all developed by separate companies. My vision for the area is highly centered around entertainment, retail, dining, and of course residential. A minimum of office space, instead focusing on a new club scene, retail focused around the whole 'artist' element of the neighborhood, loft living, and eclectic, locally-owned dining options. Business that I can see moving into some of the more prominent spaces: a Vespa dealership, an east-coast RVCA flagship, and other niche retailers and services. Zip Car garage? The next-gen record store? Oh, and of course art galleries.

I guess my point was that we should try to focus on what's there, before we go and try to redevelop an entire district. Who am I kidding? I love the hypothetical stuff.

[Shepard]

Cool stuff, Kennedy!

I often find myself thinking about Dorchester Ave south of Summer street. Even if it can be redeveloped, and the goal was to turn it into a canalside boulevard (and complement the harborwalk on the Southie side,maybe even add another pedestrian bridge south of Summer St), I think the limiting factor is that it's cut off from the rest of the city by the South Station rail approaches and highway ramps...

[pelhamhall]

Originally Posted by Shepard

I forgot to mention that the canals would be populated by sharks with lasers attached to their heads to help them kill and cook their prey. Michael Jackson will perform canalside every night with a troupe of fire-eating goblins.

You wrote that May 27th... now it looks like there's a hole in your plan.

Don't fret, I heard LaToya may be available, Tito too.