REMINDER: The BRA meeting about this project is tomorrow (Monday, 11/23).
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Boston Herald:
High-rise planned for Fort Point area
A Boston development team has proposed a 25-story residential tower in the city’s Fort Point Channel neighborhood.
The project at 319 A Street Rear by Archon Group and Goldman Properties would be the neighborhood’s tallest building, at 240 feet, and include 232 apartments.
Under the plan submitted yesterday to the Boston Redevelopment Authority for the 315,000-square-foot residential high-rise, a five-story former warehouse at the site would be demolished to make way for the new building.
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Boston Business Journal:
Developers submit revised 25-story residential plan for Fort Point Channel
The city of Boston received a proposal late Thursday from two out-of-state developers that details a substantially scaled-back blueprint to convert a Fort Point Channel warehouse populated by artists into a 25-story residential tower in South Boston.
The plan, submitted by New York-based Goldman Properties and Archon Group, the real estate arm of Wall Street titan Goldman Sachs, would comprise 315,000 square feet, of which 259,000 square feet would be dedicated to residential space. That footprint is considerably smaller than the developers’ prior plan to build two buildings at the site.
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25-story tower planned for Fort Point
A Boston developer wants to build what would be the tallest building in the Fort Point Channel neighborhood, a 25-story, 232-unit apartment building and parking garage on A Street.
Discuss
COMMENTS (8)
Goldman Properties filed plans yesterday for property currently occupied by a five-story warehouse that contains artist studios. Goldman did not indicate when it intends to begin construction, saying the economic climate must improve first.
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Showing posts with label Tony Goldman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tony Goldman. Show all posts
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Proposal for Tower at 319 A St.
Goldman Properties and Archon have submitted a new proposal for a 240' tower at the rear of 319 A St. It would include 230 rental apartments and spaces for ~100 cars. The comment period ends Dec. 7 and there's a community meeting the Monday before Thanksgiving:
Community Meeting for 319 A St Rear
November 23rd, 20009
6:30 - 8 PM
Boston Convention Center, Room 102A
A pdf of the proposal is available on BRA's page for the project.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Archon/Goldman Propose 270' Tower
Archon and Goldman Properties are proposing building a 270' tower at 319 A street. In exchange for the new square footage, they're offering to turn 327 Summer St. into housing for displaced artists, though it's unclear exactly how this would work.
Fort Point plan calls for tower
Building would be tallest in area and expand housing
By Casey Ross, Globe Staff | January 15, 2009
A Boston developer is proposing to build what would be the tallest building in the Fort Point Channel neighborhood, a 23-story residential and retail tower on A Street that would help satisfy demands for more housing in the historic waterfront district.
As part of the proposal, developers Archon Group and Goldman Properties are offering to donate an adjacent building to house artists being displaced by rapid redevelopment in the area, according to documents filed with city planners Tuesday.
"Up until now, the developer has not been willing to donate a building, so we believe this is a good start," said Kairos Shen, the city's chief planner, who added the proposal appears to be generally consistent with the city's plan for the neighborhood.
Redevelopment along the Fort Point Channel has been strained by tensions between local artists and property owners who want to turn the district's 19th-century warehouses into new offices, retail shops, and condominiums.
The latest proposal by Archon/Goldman would result in construction of 290 residential units at 319 A St., which is currently the site of a five-story office building filled with artist studios and other small businesses. Construction of the residential tower could not begin for at least two years, when the current lease on the building expires, city officials said.
The displaced tenants would then have the opportunity to move into 327 Summer St., an adjacent building Archon/Goldman agreed to donate to the city to satisfy a requirement that 15 percent of new units be designated as affordable housing. Shen said city planners still must review the proposal to determine whether it complies with those regulations.
But he said Archon/Goldman's proposal helps to satisfy demands from the city and neighbors for more residential development in the mostly commercial neighborhood. The developer's filing with the city does not indicate whether the new units would be for rental or ownership. An executive with Archon/Goldman did not respond to a request for comment yesterday.
The proposed height of the tower will likely receive sharp scrutiny during the city's review. At 269 feet, it would be the tallest building in the neighborhood, which is mostly filled with smaller flat-front warehouses.
However, 319 A St. is one of five parcels in the neighborhood where a master plan envisions significant height. The master plan allows developers of those properties to build higher than 180 feet in exchange for meeting certain obligations, such as development of more housing and civic space favored by neighbors.
One Fort Point resident involved in the planning process said the city has not been aggressive enough in getting developers to build parks and public plazas.
"We support new residential construction, but we also want to see development of the parks and other things, and it's not happening," resident Steve Hollinger said.
Shen said the city is requiring Archon/Goldman and other developers to contribute to a fund to pay for the development of those parks. He said construction has not moved forward because the parks are slated to go on property that has not yet been redeveloped.
Casey Ross can be reached at cross@globe.com.
Fort Point plan calls for tower
Building would be tallest in area and expand housing
By Casey Ross, Globe Staff | January 15, 2009
A Boston developer is proposing to build what would be the tallest building in the Fort Point Channel neighborhood, a 23-story residential and retail tower on A Street that would help satisfy demands for more housing in the historic waterfront district.
As part of the proposal, developers Archon Group and Goldman Properties are offering to donate an adjacent building to house artists being displaced by rapid redevelopment in the area, according to documents filed with city planners Tuesday.
"Up until now, the developer has not been willing to donate a building, so we believe this is a good start," said Kairos Shen, the city's chief planner, who added the proposal appears to be generally consistent with the city's plan for the neighborhood.
Redevelopment along the Fort Point Channel has been strained by tensions between local artists and property owners who want to turn the district's 19th-century warehouses into new offices, retail shops, and condominiums.
The latest proposal by Archon/Goldman would result in construction of 290 residential units at 319 A St., which is currently the site of a five-story office building filled with artist studios and other small businesses. Construction of the residential tower could not begin for at least two years, when the current lease on the building expires, city officials said.
The displaced tenants would then have the opportunity to move into 327 Summer St., an adjacent building Archon/Goldman agreed to donate to the city to satisfy a requirement that 15 percent of new units be designated as affordable housing. Shen said city planners still must review the proposal to determine whether it complies with those regulations.
But he said Archon/Goldman's proposal helps to satisfy demands from the city and neighbors for more residential development in the mostly commercial neighborhood. The developer's filing with the city does not indicate whether the new units would be for rental or ownership. An executive with Archon/Goldman did not respond to a request for comment yesterday.
The proposed height of the tower will likely receive sharp scrutiny during the city's review. At 269 feet, it would be the tallest building in the neighborhood, which is mostly filled with smaller flat-front warehouses.
However, 319 A St. is one of five parcels in the neighborhood where a master plan envisions significant height. The master plan allows developers of those properties to build higher than 180 feet in exchange for meeting certain obligations, such as development of more housing and civic space favored by neighbors.
One Fort Point resident involved in the planning process said the city has not been aggressive enough in getting developers to build parks and public plazas.
"We support new residential construction, but we also want to see development of the parks and other things, and it's not happening," resident Steve Hollinger said.
Shen said the city is requiring Archon/Goldman and other developers to contribute to a fund to pay for the development of those parks. He said construction has not moved forward because the parks are slated to go on property that has not yet been redeveloped.
Casey Ross can be reached at cross@globe.com.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
SAND's Response to Melcher St Project
Steve Hollinger from SAND (a community group voicing a public vision for the development of Fort Point as a vibrant, urban neighborhood) wrote a great response to the BRA's stance on the Melcher St project which I wanted to highlight. To be clear, the FPNA doesn't necessarily agree with the BRA's interpretations and most members have great concerns about the project overall, but I believe it's important to post as much information directly from the sources as possible and let residents make up their own minds. In that spirit, here's Steve's response to the BRA's stance on the 49-63 Melcher St project:
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Whether the BRA representative stated "a variance is not needed" for a building addition on top of a historic building instead of Archon/Goldman's assertions "as of right" is a distinction without a difference, since our ears had never heard either of these positions before.
That was the first time in Fort Point's 100+ year history that anyone (even seasoned community members who participated on the BRA's Fort Point Advisory Committee in the 100-Acre planning process) had ever heard that additions on top of historic buildings would be allowable without the due process we were accustomed to over the past ten years.
As for consistency, the BRA's statements are entirely inconsistent with what we were told during the 100-Acre process. We were ensured that the PDA would capture ALL of the elements of the 100-Acre plan including public realm components, and that the PDA would ensure that the 100-Acre process would unfold incrementally -- not phased according to the whims of the market.
We were never told about future "cooperation agreements" and other agreements that would somehow have to be retroactively tied back to the height and density captured in the PDA to ensure development of critical greenspace, civic space and cultural space along with commercial projects. Unfortunately, that is what we are hearing today, while the developers capture valuable height and density "as of right" without the need for zoning variances.
The 100 Acre PDA has effectively replaced the former zoning, and the developers have begun reaping the rewards without fulfilling the promise of the residential devlopment, the parks and civic spaces expressed in the 100-Acre plan.
On a more technical level, our (limited) conversations regarding rooftop additions during the 100-Acres process didn't discuss or support the aggregation of square footage across three buildings, as proposed by Archon/Goldman. And, although I'm not a lawyer, in my reading of the PDA, it makes no allowances for aggregation of building square footage.
The wind studies are troubling because they displayed a willingness to see the project swiftly approved. The current articulation of historic light wells on Necco Court are among the most beautiful in the neighborhood, and surely moderate windflow. Of course, it’s impossible for us to argue with a wind "expert" when we question the premise of a stark block-long façade of newly infilled masonry behind Melcher Street. Approximately 79 historic windows on Necco Court will be filled in. This is a stunningly mediocre bit of architecture -- as was pointed out during the community meeting by one of Fort Point's renown urban planners.
These few details suggest why it is important for the BRA’s statements put into the context of the past decade of planning -- not absent the experience many in Fort Point have shared in expressing an “urban neighborhood vision”. We can’t be expected to respond to blog pages on every site, so I’d recommend a visit to www.bostonseaport.com.
Thanks for the opportunity to weigh in.
Steve Hollinger
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Whether the BRA representative stated "a variance is not needed" for a building addition on top of a historic building instead of Archon/Goldman's assertions "as of right" is a distinction without a difference, since our ears had never heard either of these positions before.
That was the first time in Fort Point's 100+ year history that anyone (even seasoned community members who participated on the BRA's Fort Point Advisory Committee in the 100-Acre planning process) had ever heard that additions on top of historic buildings would be allowable without the due process we were accustomed to over the past ten years.
As for consistency, the BRA's statements are entirely inconsistent with what we were told during the 100-Acre process. We were ensured that the PDA would capture ALL of the elements of the 100-Acre plan including public realm components, and that the PDA would ensure that the 100-Acre process would unfold incrementally -- not phased according to the whims of the market.
We were never told about future "cooperation agreements" and other agreements that would somehow have to be retroactively tied back to the height and density captured in the PDA to ensure development of critical greenspace, civic space and cultural space along with commercial projects. Unfortunately, that is what we are hearing today, while the developers capture valuable height and density "as of right" without the need for zoning variances.
The 100 Acre PDA has effectively replaced the former zoning, and the developers have begun reaping the rewards without fulfilling the promise of the residential devlopment, the parks and civic spaces expressed in the 100-Acre plan.
On a more technical level, our (limited) conversations regarding rooftop additions during the 100-Acres process didn't discuss or support the aggregation of square footage across three buildings, as proposed by Archon/Goldman. And, although I'm not a lawyer, in my reading of the PDA, it makes no allowances for aggregation of building square footage.
The wind studies are troubling because they displayed a willingness to see the project swiftly approved. The current articulation of historic light wells on Necco Court are among the most beautiful in the neighborhood, and surely moderate windflow. Of course, it’s impossible for us to argue with a wind "expert" when we question the premise of a stark block-long façade of newly infilled masonry behind Melcher Street. Approximately 79 historic windows on Necco Court will be filled in. This is a stunningly mediocre bit of architecture -- as was pointed out during the community meeting by one of Fort Point's renown urban planners.
These few details suggest why it is important for the BRA’s statements put into the context of the past decade of planning -- not absent the experience many in Fort Point have shared in expressing an “urban neighborhood vision”. We can’t be expected to respond to blog pages on every site, so I’d recommend a visit to www.bostonseaport.com.
Thanks for the opportunity to weigh in.
Steve Hollinger
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Developers Flipping Buildings and Ignoring BRA's 100 Acres Plan
As reported in the Globe, Tony Goldman and Archon have put 316 Summer St. and 322 Summer St. up for sale and are claiming the new owners would turn the buildings into office space. This is in conflict with the BRA's 100 Acres Master Plan (Final100AcresPlan.pdf). The plan, which went through a l-o-n-g community process and was approved by the BRA this past year, strives to turn Fort Point into a mixed-use, 24/7 neighborhood. Without sufficient residential buildings, this obviously can't happen.
Steve Hollinger, of SAND, has a good commentary on the issue:
http://www.bostonseaport.com/SAND/Archive/071023comment.html
Steve Hollinger, of SAND, has a good commentary on the issue:
http://www.bostonseaport.com/SAND/Archive/071023comment.html
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