7 replies to this topic

[atlrvr]

John Rosenthal submitted the only proposal to buy the air rights of Parcel 7 over the Turnpike.  This parcel is adjacent to Fenway park at Beacon and Brookline.  I believe most, if not all, of the housing units will be rental.

From the Globe.

Quote

If completed, Rosenthal's One Kenmore would add 668 housing units to the area and cover more than 500 feet of the open Turnpike corridor . It would create pedestrian access between Beacon Street and Fenway Park, and would improve access to the MBTA commuter rail's Yawkey Station.

Rosenthal yesterday submitted the only bid to the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority to build on land, with air rights, known as Parcel 7, just west of Brookline Avenue. His plans include 20- and 17-floor towers, 57,000 square feet of restaurants and retail space, and, if fully built , five buildings that would include parking for more than 1,200 vehicles.

That would do a lot to start sewing the area back together, though with the the Turnpike Authority involved, this could take a while to get off the ground.

[Cotuit]

atlrvr, on Jan 10 2007, 10:11 AM, said:

That would do a lot to start sewing the area back together, though with the the Turnpike Authority involved, this could take a while to get off the ground.

Like decades. I'll see if I can dig up the map I have from the early 90s (if I still have it) which showed the plan to build a Patriots Stadium here attached to a new Fenway Park. It shows air rights developed from the Hancock Tower to Brookline Ave. One would have been able to walk from Clarendon Street to Brookline Avenue without going outside.

[atlrvr]

Well, I'm glad that didn't happen (skybridges).  I can't see any reason to go that far without taking the T.

I really do hope that other Turnpike parcels are developed, but seeing as how difficult it has been for Winn to get Columbus Center started, I would think that few developers are ambitious enough to risk it....or if they are, then they have to deal with neighborhood groups looking to kill any plan that is financially feasible.  I'd admire their objectives in lots of cases, but honestly, a shadow here or there is much nicer than gaping open hole to a loud interstate.

[atlrvr]

Wow....it doesn't take long for politics and bad vibes to surface in developments in this city.  A day after John Rosenthal was the only respondant to the Turnpike Authority's RFP, the BRA had this to say.

Quote

"It has not yet been formalized," said Shen. "I want to remind John that the process has not yet begun. Those of you who know the BRA know how easy we like to make (life) for developers."

[atlrvr]

Here is a aerial showing the Parcel 7 proposal.



Now that this parcel has been included in the expanded Enterprise Zone, the developers may be eligible for additional tax incentives, though they typically don't help residential projects as much as commerical ones.

[Lowerdeck]

I'm just curious what they plan on doing to the Turnpike, whether putting it underground or just putting these buildings 15 feet over the highway, or why they'd even bother putting a building over a major interstate.

[Cotuit]

The Pike is below street level here, so the buildings will go on a deck over it. As to why would they do this. So that people in the city don't have to look at the highway, and because Boston is nearing build-out and these type of parcels are the only places left to build.

[RegalTDP]

Some pics of the site where BU's East Campus Student Center is going up, on the corner of Deerfield and Bay State:







It will house academic and career service offices, as well as a large dining hall, which will replace three smaller ones in nearby dormitories.  An image of the finished product:




Floor plans can be found here (WARNING: large PDF)

Edited by RegalTDP, 10 June 2011 - 08:26 AM.