South Station Tower

[whighlander]

Originally Posted by Ron Newman

Maybe we don't actually have to restore Dorchester Ave as a full street -- just as a path wide enough for foot and bike traffic? We've gone a few decades already without cars using this part of the street. Reducing the Dot Ave right-of-way could allow larger (deeper) storefronts.

Ron -- that's something which should be considered -- the pedestrian link is key, especially along the FPC - harborwalk extension and the wharfs / floating docks or whatever gets developed on the FPC water itself

On the other hand a restored even 2 lane Dot Ave will definitely help with traffic flow to a much more intensely developed zone between Dot Ave and the SPID-proper

Perhaps there is room for both a deeper footprint for the arcade, some auto and some pedestrian traffic

[MBTAddict]

Giving cars more spaces isn't going to make the traffic any better. This is next to one of the major transportation hubs in the city. Why do we need more room for cars with the Red Line, Amtrak, Commuter Rail, Silver Line, MBTA buses and intercity buses so close?

[Shepard]

I think some auto traffic there is necessary. This will be cut off from the rest of the grid, and without some cars on the road I fear that channel-side would end up feeling isolated and sketchy to the pedestrian. Even just one lane of slow one-way traffic would bring some activity to the street.

[AmericanFolkLegend]

Originally Posted by whighlander

I never wanted to get into a discussion of the details of construction between the platfoms and the street -- Obviously you could build to some scale along the FPC as the U.S.P.S. "factory" is really quite a significant building although only 4 stories tall

Then why did you say heights were limited by constructability?

Originally Posted by whighlander

From the BRA perspective the goal is to widen the pedestrian part of the borders of the FPC and to restore auto traffic to Dorchester Avenue -- that defines where the building footprint can extend to on the Dot Ave side. The tracks and platforms define where the building can go on the other side. What you end-up with is a long narrow arcade along Dot Ave -- most likely a railroad station version of 'Liberty Wharf"

Or you build an air rights development. Just like the South Station tower that has been proposed and approved. Or perhaps more accurately, just like the Prudential Center, which was built concurrently with the extension of Mass Pike.

[Semass]

Poop.
http://www.commonwealthmagazine.org/...-on-track.aspx

[KentXie]

Originally Posted by Semass

Poop.
http://www.commonwealthmagazine.org/...-on-track.aspx

My God our government sucks. In China, this shit, all the paperwork, gets done within a year. In the US, it's make an agreement, wait until about four months before the agreement expires to actually release the fund so that it would leave no room for unforeseen problems, and then spend the next 10 years bickering. By then, the cost would have doubled.

[Tombstoner]

Originally Posted by KentXie

My God our government sucks. In China, this shit, all the paperwork, gets done within a year. In the US, it's make an agreement, wait until about four months before the agreement expires to actually release the fund so that it would leave no room for unforeseen problems, and then spend the next 10 years bickering. By then, the cost would have doubled.

I'm not sure I would look to China for a model of government.
Inefficiencies are never justified, but obviously democracies are going to be messier--consultation-wise--than dictatorships.

[KentXie]

Originally Posted by Tombstoner

I'm not sure I would look to China for a model of government.
Inefficiencies are never justified, but obviously democracies are going to be messier--consultation-wise--than dictatorships.

Obviously I wouldn't want the US to imitate the Chinese government but there are certain things that the Chinese government is more efficient at than the US which is allocating government resources for infrastructure improvements. You can also tack on a few European country as well.

There is no excuse for this debacle. I mean seriously, you would think they would plan better or at least think ahead of time so that the funds wouldn't be dispersed 4 months before the agreement expires.

[Hutchison]

Just some of the problems with federalism,open/transparent processes, and regulations.

Of course on the other hand there are also problems with secrecy/corruption and centralization/unresponsiveness.

Then again maybe we should just blame ineptitude...

[ant8904]

We don't have to look to China or even Europe. I think there was a time where this country used to be able to handle infrastructure improvements that we can see while we are still young/alive.

I remember an article now where it actually talk about how it takes much longer to get started now than it was 50 years ago. I should try and google it back up.

[Equilibria]

I'm all for bashing State agencies that can't get anything done (and it's why I like airports), but it seems like the culprit here is USPS, which didn't want to move in the first place and has conveniently found an excuse in its current financial troubles to back out of the deal. Why the heck does this have to be located in South Boston, by the way? I can think of several blighted areas around the city that would be thankful for the jobs and aren't targeted redevelopment districts. Moving USPS to South Boston only creates another, newer, eyesore that will hinder expansion of the SPID down the line.

[TheRifleman]

Blackstone portfolio sale could mean major shifts in Boston

Boston Business Journal by Galen Moore,Date:
Thursday, July 12, 2012, 2:26pm EDT

Blackstone sale doesn’t involve Columbus properties
Blackstone preps to sell office portfolio concentrated in Boston

Follow this company (NYSE: BX) moves to sell its office real estate portfolio, as reported yesterday, the city of Boston could see a change in ownership at some of its most notable downtown office buildings, and its largest suburban office parks.

Much of Blackstone's massive office real estate portfolio is held by Equity Office, which makes Boston's share of the Blackstone portfolio a significant one.

Blackstone acquired Equity Office in 2007 for $39 billion, bringing with it some of the largest office towers in Boston's Financial District, like 100 Summer St., 60 State St. and One Post Office Square. Equity Office also owns landmark downtown properties like Rowes Wharf and South Station.

Rival Boston Properties (NYSE: BXP) is the larger landlord in the Back Bay, but Equity Office holds major buildings there too, such as 500 Boylston St. and 222 Berkeley St.

In Cambridge and beyond, Equity Office owns lab and office space, including New England Executive Park in Burlington, which has over 1 million square feet.

Check out this introduction to Blackstone's Boston Equity Office portfolio (slide show), including square footage and the back stories behind some of the buildings.

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/re...portfolio.html

It would be interesting if they sell the entire portifolio as one or break it up.

South Station is part of the this deal. Who is the developer that proposed to build on the site?

[KentXie]

Hines. Just wondering, what part of the article involves SST?

[statler]

Blackstone acquired Equity Office in 2007 for $39 billion, bringing with it some of the largest office towers in Boston's Financial District, like 100 Summer St., 60 State St. and One Post Office Square. Equity Office also owns landmark downtown properties like Rowes Wharf and South Station.

Nothing about the tower per se but I could see how this could affect plans.

[AmericanFolkLegend]

I thought SS was a public building. Maybe they just "own" the leasehold rights to bring in tenants?

[type001]

I'm a fool for almost believing there was some actual news about the tower.

[whighlander]

Originally Posted by TheRifleman

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/re...portfolio.html

It would be interesting if they sell the entire portifolio as one or break it up.

South Station is part of the this deal. Who is the developer that proposed to build on the site?

Riff --- this one is not your fault - the BBJ blew it -- Blackstone / Equity has never owned South Station -- the entire South Station complex is owned by the Commonweath acting through the DOT and the the MBTA

South Station is in Blackstone / Equity portfolio only through a ground lease -- just like the similar mistake made when the headlines said "Faneuil Hall Quincy Marketplace Sold to ..."

However, it does sound as though this sale might result in getting a new deep-pockets investor into the South Station who could regenerate the tower project in the same way Millenium is reigniting the Filenes Hole

[whighlander]

Originally Posted by type001

I'm a fool for almost believing there was some actual news about the tower.

Type -- are you too young to remember Charlie Brown and the football in peanuts?

The BBJ bungled the story and everyone is thinking that South Station has been sold and hence the tower might resurface -- and it might -- but no ownership of the physical entity of South Station is changing -- the taxpayers of the Commonwealth are still the owners as they have been since at least the demise of the New Haven Railroad

[DZH22]

Originally Posted by type001

I'm a fool for almost believing there was some actual news about the tower.

+1 I remember Charlie Brown and the football all too well. What I'd like to know is, when are some of these big towers going to go from news to U/C already?

[type001]

Hahaha, nope I'm not that young. Good analogy.

I don't think you will see a Filene's situation, because there is no element of desperation here. You will most likely see the opposite. In the 10 years, there will be a 150 ft building in it's place called "3 Financial Place".