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Comments
Here we go again
Zoning there is under 100 feet so I believe there are only three ways they can build this:
1) Get a legal variance (requires financial hardship and they don't and won't meet the criteria)
2) Change the zoning (there is consideration for that area going on for the past 2-3 years - but that particular site has a lot of issues)
3) Grant an illegal variance (this is what usually happens as the city knows most people don't have the stamina and deep pockets to fight it).
Here's the best part:
The Boston Redevelopment Authority, the city's planning arm, will vote on whether to grant the firm a property tax break for the expansion at a meeting scheduled for next Tuesday.
This will get interesting.
Weeeell...
The article only says it's going to be 30 stories tall...they didn't say how many feet per story.
:)
Is there any reason someone would oppose this?
It's not a residential area.
Actually it is
Bay Village is across the street and there are several nearby new residential developments, and there is currently a task force (that conveniently LibMu sits on) that has been studying how to make this a more vibrant part of the neighborhood by emphasizing more residential development with complementary restaurant and retail use so we don't end up in the future with Filene's basement situation. At least that was the original intent of the task force. Somehow it appears to have been co-opted.
One thing I find interesting - last year I asked the city council to specify that the $16 million to be raised in the new meals/hotels taxes be designated to offset the anticipated large increase in residential property taxes. Councilor Feeney said they couldn't consider such a thing because the city was so needy. Interesting that we couldn't help the residents out (many of whom got big increases), but according to the Mayor we have EXACTLY the same amount of money to give to Liberty Mutual while we are supposedly laying off teachers, street workers and other "valuable" workers - although of course we need secretaries that make $100k and a city clerk making $100k to work half the time so she can perform weddings the other half the time and pocket the fees.
Does working in the ugliest building in the world cause you to lose your 1st grade mathematical faculties?
It's one of the greatest
It's one of the greatest buildings in the world. So much the worse for you that you can't appreciate it.
If you read, the city isn't
If you read, the city isn't giving them any money at all. The city won't be COLLECTING $16 million in future property tax which they normally would. The payoff is $50m is other taxes the city will receive.
I can also guarantee you this will get streamlined through and approved. As it should depending on the design (not the height.)
Let me guess, you must be one
Let me guess, you must be one of those people who still has a job. At a time when the State's unemployment level is at 9.4% (and climbing) it's commendable that Liberty Mutual has opted to create new jobs here and not in India.
Stevil
I own two pieces of property in Boston (one in West Roxbury, and another in Roslindale). Since 2007 (each year for three years), both properties have been assessed less every year, and almost 15% this last year. I have heard similar things from people I know who own property in these neighborhoods on similar properties.
Have your taxes really gone up the last three years? I don't even get the residential exemption anymore which would have saved me about 40% of those taxes if I lived there.
And Im not being smart here, Im just curious as to what part of Boston you are talking about.
Citywide
No problem - fair question and I appreciate people willing to ask.
Downtown is absorbing most of these increases I think for now - Fenway to South Boston and over to Charlestown. This is because property prices are holding pretty steady here while declining in places like Eastie, Rozzie and W. Rox. That can't go on forever - I received at least half a dozen calls from neighbors with tax questions about why their taxes went up by as much as 30%. Some people didn't realize that this reflected a "double dip" because they have to pay four quarters of increase over two quarters. They were happy their taxes "only" went up 15% - but that's still five times the rate of inflation.
Here are the figures from the city's website (assessing facts and figures)
In 2000 residential property taxes citywide were $260 million and commercial $605 million.
In 2010 residential property taxes citywide are $555 million and commercial $910 million.
According to the census bureau we have built about 3000 new units of housing. Subtracting out $7000 per unit for new construction (which is incremental) assuming mostly luxury housing was built that means taxes have still doubled over the past 10 years or increased about 7% annually.
Personally my taxes have steadied in the last few years and I don't dare take a hammer to the wall lest I need to pull a permit and the city finds out. My taxes have tripled in 17 years (keep in mind under Prop 2.5 they should double every 28 years without an override!). My downstairs neighbor with the same footprint made the mistake of putting in a kitchen a couple of years ago and got hit with a 17% tax increase.
For now you are "lucky" if you want to call it that. Your values have decreased at a greater rate than the rest of the city. Here's the problem - if your neighborhood prices stabilize and there is a dip in commercial and residential downtown values - those taxes still have to get paid and the outer neighborhoods will have to pick up the slack. What would that do to your neighborhood if you started seeing 17% tax increases for 2-3 straight years? People may think we are just a bunch of spoiled trust fund babies downtown and maybe a few of us are - but the vast majority are working professionals and many long term residents now on fixed income getting pushed out by tax and common fee increases and assessments.
Yea maybe Im just seeing a different part of Boston.
And Im "lucky" because my tenants can still afford to live there as well. If they had to move out because they couldnt afford it and I lost a month of rent, I would have been better off with the tax increase and possible refinance opportunity with a ressessment on the increased value of my property.
Since 1984 (from where I can see online my properties assessments) the assessments have gone up every year on both properties up until 2007. I even did a lot of work on the West Roxbury one last year and it went down!
I just thought these areas all went down the last three years. I dont know about downtown but I would assume Southie would be in the same boat.
Where exactly?
The Globe mentions "the former Salvation Army building" and the "Benjamin Franklin Smith building" - can someone tell me what intersections/blocks these buildings are at?
It reminds me of directions like "turn left where the Jordan Marsh used to be" :)
Yes
Corners of Columbus Ave and Berkeley Street. Address is approximately 147-155 Columbus Ave.
That looks to be a surface
That looks to be a surface parking lot, I hope that indeed is the plot.
And yeah, shame on the globe for using references instead of an actual address.