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BRA pulls Vornado's permits on the Filene's Memorial Hole
By adamg on Wed, 11/17/2010 - 8:50pm
The city's lost $20 million in tax revenue from the negative space and enough is enough, the BRA says in a letter sent today.
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Comments
Thanks for linking to the
Thanks for linking to the primary source. there isn't enough of this.
The Hole in Downtown Crossing
A few days ago, I walked from South Station to Borders Bookstore, and passed by the backside of the Hole.
Glancing into the pit, I saw MOSS growing at the bottom.
Jeebus! Moss, of all things.
Indicative of the fact that once the initial rubble had been removed, the the remaining debris has been undisturbed since then.
Finally!
We are one step closer to another CVS--perhaps even a new CVS inside a new CVS.
Whining for the sake of whining?
Seriously, you could put a CVStarbucksDunkinBolocoMcDonalds, with another CVS inside of it, there...and it'll still be an improvement. So I don't know what you're griping about.
Neither do I, given that I
Neither do I, given that I was MAKING A JOKE, not griping.
The mayor and the BRA should
The mayor and the BRA should broker a deal between Vornado and Don Chiafaro, so he can build his tower as tall as he wants in DXing, allowing the precious Greenway to go unaccosted by horrible shadows during a certain part of the day. Oh, and the mayor should make sure Don has the money to build.
you ever been on the greenway?
personally, i feel like it could use some shade in the summer, and if getting rid of a horrendous garage is the cost, all the better!
I have to admit, I'm sort of
I have to admit, I'm sort of non-plussed with the Greenway. It feels desolate somehow, like the plaza in front of city hall but with grass and some shrubs. It's a great idea, but I've yet to hear anybody exclaim "let's go for a nice stroll down the Greenway!"
Before any commenters make the leap to accusing me of missing the expressway, I'd like to clairfy that 1) I wasn't here before the Dig, and 2) I'm quite sure that the Greenway represents a marked improvement over what was once there. I'm also sure that what it doesn't represent is perfection.
Why are you surprised that
Why are you surprised that the Greenway is desolate? It was clear from the plans, as well as taking a look at other recent urban parks, that it was going to end up like this.
I'm not at all surprised, to
I'm not at all surprised, to tell the truth. While I never got to contemplate the Greenway before it was already under construction, I've seen my share of less-than-entirely-successful revitalization projects in other cities (Milwaukee's beautiful River Walk or New Orleans' Woldenberg Park, anybody?), so I certainly appreciate how hard it is to get these things to take. That being said, I really think Boston does a better job with this kind of thing than most cities do--I'd offer the waterfront as proof.
It is a bit desolate now, but
It is a bit desolate now, but I think that will change over time.
For one, the trees and bushes are very young. Give them some time to grow in, and they will provide better shade and make it feel more inviting.
And also, over time the business around there may reorient a bit more to make the Greenway more appealing. If there are more restaurants with sidewalk cafes facing the greenway, the area will feel more alive. Remember that much of that area has been build up around a big imposing overpass which made it shadowy and dark and seedy feeling, and then later a big pit in the ground. Now that it's a bit nicer, I would expect that more restaurants and businesses may face that way, which will make the area feel more alive. Like waiting for the trees to grow in, this will take some time; it won't happen overnight.
Of course, there are still improvements that could be made. They could add some picnic tables or the like to make it more attractive for people to come and have a meal on the greenway. There are food trucks, and nearby restaurants, but sitting out on the grass to eat is kind of a pain.
The sidewalks running right alongside the road feel kind of useless; I've noticed from my commute along the Southwest Corridor Park that given the choice between walking on the sidewalk right next to the road, and walking on a bike path set off from the road a bit with trees in between, that most people choose to walk along the bike path. On the Greenway, they could move the sidewalk in a few feet to make a walking path, and add trees and a strip of grass to help offset it from the road a bit. Or they could get rid of some of the sidewalks entirely, and use that land for more grass and trees; the paths through the center of the park are nicer.
That's the best angry letter
That's the best angry letter I've ever read. It was nice to see that he mentioned how many Filene's (and Filene's Basement) associates lost their jobs as result of this failed project. Hopefully with the ramifications of this letter, developers can start new proposals for One Franklin and restore the heart of DTX.
Filene's non-Basement
While I agree with the thrust of the BRA's letter, it's not fair to blame the loss of Filene's Department Store (non-Basement) jobs on Hynes and Vornado. Once the national Federated and May department store chains merged, either the Macy's (ex-Jordan Marsh) store or the Filene's store downtown was bound to close. I wish they'd closed the ex-Jordan Marsh instead and kept the Filene's, but that's not what happened.
I realized that after I
I realized that after I posted it actually. It's mainly Macy*s to blame (they kept all the other historical flagship stores they took over - ie. Famous Barr, Marshall Fields, etc). It's just unfortunate. The store was beautiful and the scaled down Jordan Marsh (post-Lafayette Place) is a dump. Filene's had character and I'll never forgive Macy*s for letting it go.