John A Keith Real Estate - Boston Real Estate » seaport district

Fort Point Channel: improving despite artists

John Keith — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:52:14 +0000

The New York Times discusses the Fort Point Channel neighborhood of Boston, located between the Financial District and Seaport District.

Goldman Properties, a national real estate development firm, intended to turn the onetime industrial hub on Boston’s Inner Harbor into the city’s newest hot spot — Boston’s SoHo or South Beach. But much to the relief of the many artists, schemes to convert the stout 19th-century masonry buildings that define the neighborhood’s architecture haven’t come to fruition, thanks to the economic downturn.

The neighborhood has seen a lot of change during the past half-decade. It would have seen more except for the efforts of a few residents of the neighborhood who seem determined to keep the area the vast wasteland that it is, today. On one side you have the “artists” who don’t want anything to change (“We’ve got ours!” they shout); on the other, you have new residents who want things to be homey – quiet and peaceful, even though the neighborhood is made up almost entirely by industrial and commercial buildings. On the third side (?) you have the Boston Redevelopment Authority, trying to get everything right but pleasing no one (me, included).

The New York Times profile consists of restaurants and stores that didn’t even exist in the neighborhood, five years ago. Now all the “artists” have something to show their families when they go home. “Look, I live in the hottest neighborhood in Boston, the New York Times says so!”

Map courtesy The New York Times

Paris is a city of 2 million people; otherwise, imagine this was Boston

John Keith — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 19:21:24 +0000

In Boston, je pleure.

Wider still and wider
Paris’s ambitious plans to get bigger

… Strictly defined as the area inside the périphérique, Paris is tiny. It is home to just over 2m people, fewer than Addis Ababa. Its area is an eighth as big as Berlin’s. But going beyond the ring-road to the suburbs, the total built-up area has a population of 10m. Many of these people travel to work in the city, yet live far beyond the remit of Paris’s mayor and police. The heavily Muslim estates of the banlieues, where joblessness is high, are even more cut off.

Nicolas Sarkozy launched an ambitious plan for Greater Paris last spring. Having invited ten teams of architects to imagine a city fit for the 21st century, he embraced many of their ideas, setting out a vision of an ecological city, inspired by architects and artists as much as by engineers, as a place of “beauty” and “happiness”. He wanted a city to “rival London, New York, Tokyo or Shanghai”. He did not rule out the construction of more skyscrapers. And he promised a unifying city. “Greater Paris will cease being an agglomeration and become a city”, he declared, “the day that we no longer speak of the banlieues.”

Eight months later, parliament has passed a law to create Greater Paris. Piloted through by Christian Blanc, a former Air France boss, it is less grand, and mostly about transport. The idea is to build a 130km super-metro, in a loop around outer Paris (see map), by 2017. With 40 stations, and at a cost of €21 billion ($32 billion), it will link the airports with the business centres, such as La Défense, and some banlieues. Each station, with land around it developed by a centrally run Greater Paris corporation, is to be an economic hub.

The government says this is only a first step. A rethinking of boundaries may follow, though it would be politically explosive. Nobody expects a single unitary mayor, nor police force, for Greater Paris. But the super-metro, say officials, should boost the city’s fringe. La Défense will now be linked directly to the airports. Rents in Europe’s biggest business district, with over 150% more office space than London’s Canary Wharf, have held up well in the recession. Vacancy rates in the third quarter of 2009, according to LaSalle, a property investor, were just 4%, compared with 8% for Greater Paris overall. More skyscrapers are in the works. “Greater Paris will be revolutionary,” says Philippe Chaix, head of La Défense development corporation. “It will change our image on the world stage.” …

Source: The Economist, 5 December 2009

Also see, the New York Times

Photo courtesy architect Brenac et Gonzalez

Whoa, not Woe: Seaport Square plans are alive, new Seaport District to rise

John Keith — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:50:23 +0000

Well, what do you think about that?

From the Boston Business Journal:

The group behind the proposed Seaport Square development — a multi-use project that when complete would occupy 23 acres on the South Boston waterfront — submitted revised plans to the Boston Redevelopment Authority Tuesday.

The 6.5 million square foot mixed-use project will include 23 buildings across 23 acres of land. Some buildings have been reduced in height and one has been switched to become office instead of residential. It is expected the project will take years to complete at a cost of several billion dollars.

This is an encouraging sign for the development of the brand-new Boston neighborhood. Kudos to John Hynes and his Gale International for taking the next step in the process to bring the project to life.

Let’s get some shovels in the ground!

Boston: how things should be

John Keith — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:30:25 +0000

From an alternate world:

Earlier today, The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) released an ambitious set of proposals to turn the blocks on the South Boston Waterfront into a commercial and transportation centerpiece of the region over the next two decades.

The 100-acre “Seaport District” will redraw Boston’s skyline with a half-dozen towers taller than almost any in the city, including one stretching at least 100 feet higher than the John Hancock Tower, Boston’s tallest. The plan would widen the sidewalks and narrow the streets around existing buildings. It also would reroute most Boston Logan Airport and Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC) commuter traffic outside the pedestrian-oriented district.

Officials say they’re confident the 147,979-page plan (with another 18,394 pages of footnotes), which has been in the works since 1942, will bear fruit despite a stumbling economy that has stalled several projects in the area.

“This is a 25-year plan,” said Kairos Shen, the city’s planning director. “There’s no question in our minds that this is the part of the city that should grow much more dense. … It’s appropriate for us to embrace this, and make sure it happens well. The BRA knows a lot about density, we thrive on denseness. We’re dense.”

The draft pulls together previously aired concepts including the ’100 Acre Plan’ of the nearby Fort Point Channel neighborhood; included are taller towers, with new details ranging from bicycle-sharing programs to a district-wide energy network. It also suggests potential development fees to fund the estimated $567 million in public improvements.

The comprehensive plan’s release marks the start of an approval process that is scheduled to culminate in hearings before the Boston Redevelopment Authority late next year. (Final approval will only take place after the proposed reorganization of the Authority takes place; Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino announced plans on December 1, 2009 to separate the BRA in two – one part for development and the other for planning. The newly-independent planning department will make final decisions on all proposals.)

The focus of the new district would be the blocks bordered by Seaport Boulevard and Summer Street from Sleeper Street (location of the Barking Crab) to Harbor Street (where the Boston Marine Park begins).

Included in this section are parcels of land owned by different developers. Previously proposed developments such as Waterside Place, Seaport Square, and the remaining buildings in the Fan Pier mixed-use project will fall under the auspices of the plan.

Part of the project will include a redesigned transportation and transit system. The “Silver Line”, which in reality is nothing more than a bus that spends 70-80 percent of its time above-ground, running on the same roads as cars, will be moth-balled, replaced by a true “Bus Rapid Transit” system, complete with dedicated lanes. It will eventually merge three existing bus lines, giving riders a direct link from terminals inside Logan Airport to downtown Boston, under South Station, where riders may disembark to board the MBTA’s Red Line subway system or commuter rail or Amtrak rail south and west of the city.

That project will be funded in part by proceeds from the sale of the site of Boston’s City Hall, which will be moving to Dudley Square, in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood and by selling off much of the BRA’s land-holdings, land that has sat fallow for years and which has been free of property tax payments, for decades. (The Boston Marine Park will be sold, next year, for example.) The city will also be melting down all the metal and iron signs around the city that currently have “Mayor Thomas M Menino” written on them. This alone is expected to raise $42 million.

The plan promotes creating “an elegant skyline … with its apex in the Seaport District” by allowing the Hines’ Company’s ‘South Station Tower’ to rise 1,000 feet and then spread out like a spire into the Fort Point Channel and South Boston Waterfront neighborhoods.

This emphasis on height could prove to be the plan’s most controversial aspect; besides the South Station tower, the proposed zoning makes room for six other skyscrapers exceeding the city’s 600-foot height limit. The Federal Aviation Authority, which has ultimate control over the heights of buildings in the area due to the proximity of the international airport, has given initial approval to the plans.

The city’s planners feel they have the majority of the communities’ support because of the promise of residential housing being built first, before office and commercial space, lessening concerns the new district will become nothing more than a new ‘financial district’. Off-the-record, officials also say they aren’t too concerned about any controversies. One high-placed authority said, “We really don’t have the patience to deal with them. Their time has passed. What do they know about this sort of stuff, anyway? I mean, really.”

City planners say skyscrapers offer a way to place large amounts of housing and office space near transit. There also are environmental payoffs. The district is projected to produce 62 percent less carbon dioxide than a typical Greater Boston suburban development with the same square footage, according to the report. In an odd twist of fate, city planners believe that developers will be able to receive federal renewable-resource and so-called ‘smart growth’ tax credits that may reduce the cost of building by as much as 12-15 percent.

The extra height is just one part of the effort to transform the blocks bounded – a once-forlorn area that already is home to a cluster of glassy towers erected during the past decade. Plans to redevelop what were once acres of parking lots have been proposed many times.

Sidewalks would be widened through much of the district to make the pedestrian environment more appealing, along with new midblock crossings. Bicycle lanes would be added on several streets. Dedicated bus lanes would make public transit an appealing alternative – even, a first choice, for workers and visitors to the district.

It would keep Convention Center visitors on Summer Street as much as possible, and nudge drivers toward transit by capping parking spaces in the district at an as-yet-unspecified number. There is currently 6,500 surface parking spaces in the district; it’s expected that number would drop by as much as 25 percent.

“We can’t just settle at 70 percent of people taking transit,” says planner Kairos Chen. We need to get to 80 (or) 85 percent.”

The plan to make a new, walkable downtown still faces hurdles, including developers potentially balking at the taxes and fees the city would levy in return for added heights. The city has proposed a new two-pecent district deed tax with the proceeds going back to the City, not into the pockets of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, as has been the case, previously.

“The fees we have on the table are based on what’s feasible for developers,” Chen said. “When the market turns around, there will be renewed interest. Downtown Boston will continue to be a desirable place to do business.”

The Seaport District Plan aims for “a high-density, vibrant employment center” with “an engaging public realm appropriate to its place in the city.” The full plan – available at yimbys.com – emphasizes small details as well as large goals:

Height limits: Heights would be raised above the city’s current 550-foot height limit on six sites besides the SST 1,000-foot tower. This includes room for a 600-foot tower at the rear of the new Westin Hotel.

Landmarks: Because the land is mostly fallow, there are no landmarks. Developer can build, at will.

Energy use: With an eye to long-term sustainability, the plan recommends a district-wide approach to energy and water conservation – including a $154 million investment in new systems to generate power and recycled water for the district as a whole.

Costs: The public improvements to the district are budgeted at $787 million (not including payoffs). How to pay for it? Mostly through focused taxes and fees on new construction, which means the pace of improvements would be tied to growth.

Affordable housing: City planners have announced that new and affordable housing will be built completely off-site. “Financially, it makes no sense to build affordable housing in the Seaport District. In what world would we want to restrict growth by putting arbitrary price-controls on investors and developers?” says planner Chen.

On the hand, “There may be schools – there is some expectation that families will want to be a part of what we hope will turn into a 24-hour a day vibrant community.” But, unlike other proposals making their way through the city (for example, the Congress Street Garage proposal where City Council President Michael Ross has been trying to hold his support hostage in return for the developer paying for the construction of a new school), the city will pay for the construction, if and when there is enough density and need for such a project.

At least 15% and as much of 30% of proceeds received by the City of Boston will be used for affordable housing initiatives in other parts of the city, spread between low-income and moderate income projects in the other downtown neighborhoods including Chinatown, the North End, Beacon Hill, Back Bay, South End, and Roxbury and South Boston neighborhoods. According to Dot Joyce, spokeswoman for Mayor Menino, “Well, those are the neighborhoods most affected by the added congestion and density, shouldn’t they receive some of the benefit? Plus, they pay the majority of property taxes in this city, anyway. They deserve something a little sweet in return.”

Would this be a good world to live in? A better world than the reality? What do you think?

Seaport District Boston 1-bed, 1 ½-bath condo, 1,229+/- square feet, $649,000

John Keith — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:23:54 +0000

A 1,229+/- square foot one-bed, 1 ½-bath condo in the Seaport District neighborhood of Boston, listed at $649,000, MLS #70998873.

Address: 25 Channel Center St, #807, Seaport District, Boston, Massachusetts

Tracy Campion of Campion & Company Fine Homes Real Estate is the listing agent.

Please contact us for more information and to inquire about buyer’s agent representation.

Clients, click for more details and photos: MLS #70998873

Fort Point / Seaport District Boston condo, 1,933+/- square foot, 3-bed, 2 ½-bath, $1,170,000

John Keith — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:36:24 +0000

A 1,933+/- square foot condo, 3-bed, 2 ½-bath home in the Fort Point / Seaport District neighborhood of Boston, listed at $1,170,000, MLS #70997581.

Address: 346 Congress St, #402, Fort Point / Seaport District, Boston, Massachusetts

Danielle Meade at ResMark LLC is the listing agent.

Please contact us for more information and to inquire about buyer’s agent representation.

Clients, click for more details and photos: MLS #70997581

Seaport District condo, 2-bed, 2-bath, 6th-level, $1,220,000

John Keith — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:19:28 +0000

A 2,063+/- square foot, 6th-level, 2-bed, 2-bath home in the Seaport District neighborhood of Boston, listed at $1,220,000, MLS #70996489.

Address: 21 Wormwood St, #611, Seaport District, Boston, Massachusetts

Paul Bonaceto at Kimball Borgo real Estate is the listing agent.

Please contact us for more information and to inquire about buyer’s agent representation.

Clients, click for more details and photos: MLS #70996489

Seaport District remains Boston’s work-in-progress

John Keith — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:58:12 +0000

WBUR covers the story of the Seaport District, long seen as Boston’s next great neighborhood.

What that neighborhood will be remains to be seen. As of now, it’s a bunch of parking lots with a series of new mid-rise buildings off in the distance, as much a part of the harbor as it is part of the city.

Michele Yeeles still attends the occasional BRA meeting. As a resident of Fort Point and a business owner, she’s disappointed to see hotels trump grocery stores in what she hoped would be a neighborhood by now.

“When you think about a really beautiful neighborhood, waterfront, it is a really strong mix of residential, business, retail, parks,” Yeeles said. “I think it’s also something that is acknowledged within the various planning documents — it’s just obviously not fulfilled its full potential yet.”

So, when will it all be done? When will we see Boston’s next, great neighborhood?

According to Kairos Shen, the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s chief planner, although the city missed a critical window for building more residential when the market was booming, ” … he preaches patience and says the area will not be fully developed until 2040.”