Hey, there! Log in / Register
Tell us more about Menino's ideas on grand development
By adamg on Fri, 03/07/2008 - 9:16am
The Herald informs us about an apparent shift in Tom Menino's views on new development away from giant projects (such as the Tommy Tower) and toward "neighborhood-style" development (i.e., something that is NOT Kendall Square).
Interesting, but also a frustrating story, because it starts by saying the mayor will single out five areas of the city for this development, then only names two of them - the waterfront and Nouvelle Harvard in Allston/Brighton. Where are the other three areas? I know the Herald is short on ink these days, but would it really have killed you to type in the names of those other three areas?
Topics:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
Glad to see Mumbles got a
Glad to see Mumbles got a clue. Wasn't the tower supposed to be office space? I must have counted at least three vacant commercial properties on my walk from the Common to Boylston Place last night.
Now if the "Tommy Tower" were condominiums, we'd have a winning plan.
Dorm
Maybe the Tommy Tower should be the biggest college dormitory in the world.
The bizarre (to me) part of the Tommy Tower
$20 million from the sale of the parking lot that will be turned into the tower is supposed to go toward turning the Washington/Beech housing project in Roslindale into a series of, basically, townhouses. If the parking-lot sale doesn't go through, what happens to the Roslindale project?
Round up the usual suspects
I guess we'll have to wait for the other three shoes to drop.
I'd round up the usual suspects. "Great potential for growth" sounds like a euphemism for post-industrial, fractured neighborhood.
Maybe we should start a pool.
Who's got Hyde Park Avenue?
Could be
Hyde Park Avenue south of Cleary Square, where you've got all these old factory buildings, only some of which have been turned into offices/artist studios.
But I'd doubt anything on Hyde Park Avenue because it's a really narrow street south of the square and it's how Menino gets to work (unless he's talking about something right near the Readville rail yard/junction, which might be interesting).
If he's going to mention Hyde Park, I'd put my money on the the old Stop & Shop land in Readville. He seemed to support a developer's plan last year to put 1,800 housing units there (the plan collapsed when Dedham decided not to cede its half of the land to Boston). That's certainly "neighborhood development" - you'd be building a whole new neighborhood.
Kendall Square
The specific mention of NOT repeating the mistakes of Kendall Square has brightened my morning. It's as if The Powers That Be are reading my mind (or posts).
Now if they could only halt the Kendall Square-ization of the Waterfront we'd really be onto something.
Tommy's Tower
I'm not sure why the tower and neighborhood development are thought of as two polar opposites here. The commercial office market is hot and putting the tower on top of a derelict garage would be a good use of that land. Neighborhood development is also good, but its not like he can't do both at once.
go to U of Delaware for a good neighborhood
I was in Dover, I think, where the University of Delaware is, and the neighborhood there is really nice, and has grown up organically around the students. The school is very hot and this is part of the reason.
Any time these private/government developments happen you know they're going to buy up all the business, "go green" by getting rid of local parking and local residents, and the place will be denuded of life. That's the way big institutions want it.
Menino: Extend Emerald Necklace to the Esplanade
Seth Gitell (who, granted, used to work for the mayor), reports on part of his speech this morning: Basically, if the state has to rebuild the Storrow tunnel, use the opportunity to bring the Necklace all the way up to the river (at a different location than that concreted over nightmare that is the Muddy River at the Charles, i.e., on top of what's now the tunnel).
The Charlesgate overpass should just be removed
There is no good reason for an overpass from Storrow Drive above Beacon Street and Commonwealth Avenue. The traffic that uses it can use parallel Charlesgate East and West instead. The interchange with Storrow Drive could then become a simple rotary, removing all the overhead ramps.
Oxymoron
Simple rotary
Simple rotary
Such as, perhaps, the ones on Fresh Pond Parkway or the Jamaicaway/Arborway. Not ideal, but much better for the parkland and the rivers than all those overhead ramps.
And I agree 100% with Tom Menino about Storrow Drive. Both directions of it should be entirely buried for several blocks around the Hatch Shell.
When are we gonna get rid of
When are we gonna get rid of this parasite. He needs to go. And why do people keep voting for him?? He is like a retard in a ice cream shop.
Can you clarify please?
What makes him a 'parasite' and why do you disagree with his Storrow Drive proposal?