The Boston Globe
ARCHITECTURE
Expanded convention center must do more than get bigger
By Robert Campbell, Globe Correspondent | December 20, 2009
Article Link
Does Boston need a bigger convention center?
Do convention centers really do anything to improve the life of a city? Any city? Boston in particular? And is bigger better?
Already, Boston is home to a behemoth of a convention center with 12 acres of indoor space. The building near the South Boston waterfront, designed by Rafael Vinoly, is only five years old.
Four weeks ago, the Convention Center Authority held a press conference. It launched what journalists call a trial balloon. What if, proposed the Authority, we doubled the center in size? That way, we would be able to compete with other cities for the biggest conventions. All those conventioneers would need hotel rooms, restaurants, much else. They’d spend money. They’d bring economic growth to a part of the city that’s long been pretty stagnant.
...
Boston’s convention center can’t do all those things. But the principle holds. Any addition should be thought of not as a deadly, single-purpose monolith, a vast pile of hotels and meeting rooms, but rather as a mixed-use neighborhood in which lots of different things happen, as they do in San Francisco and Philadelphia. It should incorporate shops and restaurants at its edges, where they can engage the neighbors, including pedestrians as well as conventioneers. It should mitigate the inhuman vastness of its barren site by inserting some public streets. Good cities are made of good streets. The city should mandate these benefits.
If the convention center accomplished some of that, it might even do good for the South Boston waterfront. So far, this huge new piece of Boston feels like a badly designed New Jersey office park. The streets are too wide (they’re highways in the city, really) and they are hopelessly disorienting. The signage is misleading and the buildings are too far apart to create interesting frontages. Who has ever taken a walk for pleasure in this part of Boston?
Boston’s biggest selling points are its human scale, its walkability. Those are the qualities that attract visitors. Maybe a better convention center could bring some of these merits to a South Boston waterfront that needs them desperately.
Robert Campbell, the Globe’s architecture critic, can be reached at camglobe@aol.com.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Monday, December 21, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Boston Snow Emergency Declared
Mayor Thomas M. Menino today declared that a snow emergency and parking ban will go into effect at 10:00 p.m. Saturday, December 19, 2009. Mayor Menino would like to remind residents of the following:
* The City of Boston encourages businesses to ask employees to work from home when possible, take public transportation, and be prepared for potentially dangerous driving conditions. Everyone is encouraged to use public transportation.
* City of Boston afternoon and evening activities are subject to cancellation.
* Move cars from main arterials during snow emergencies. A listing of main arterials can be found at www.cityofboston.gov/snow/parking.asp
* Do not park cars within 20 feet of an intersection. Parking too close to an intersection can restrict emergency vehicle access.
* Do not throw snow back into the street. "Throwbacks" force the city to remove snow from the same street twice.
* Shovel out fire hydrants and storm drains close to your home.
* Property owners are reminded to shovel snow from sidewalks that abut homes and businesses.
* Do not double park.
* Keep wheelchair ramps clear.
* Lend an extra hand to elderly and neighbors and others in need.
During declared snow emergencies, discounted parking is available at several parking lots and garages to cars that display Boston resident parking stickers. A list of locations is available at www.cityofboston.gov/snow. The city's Know Snow program will be in effect this afternoon to alert residents of the snow emergency.
The City of Boston Storm Center will open at 10:00 p.m. Saturday, when the snow emergency goes into effect. Residents with storm-related questions or concerns should call the center at 617-635-3050, starting at 6:00 p.m. Saturday
* The City of Boston encourages businesses to ask employees to work from home when possible, take public transportation, and be prepared for potentially dangerous driving conditions. Everyone is encouraged to use public transportation.
* City of Boston afternoon and evening activities are subject to cancellation.
* Move cars from main arterials during snow emergencies. A listing of main arterials can be found at www.cityofboston.gov/snow/parking.asp
* Do not park cars within 20 feet of an intersection. Parking too close to an intersection can restrict emergency vehicle access.
* Do not throw snow back into the street. "Throwbacks" force the city to remove snow from the same street twice.
* Shovel out fire hydrants and storm drains close to your home.
* Property owners are reminded to shovel snow from sidewalks that abut homes and businesses.
* Do not double park.
* Keep wheelchair ramps clear.
* Lend an extra hand to elderly and neighbors and others in need.
During declared snow emergencies, discounted parking is available at several parking lots and garages to cars that display Boston resident parking stickers. A list of locations is available at www.cityofboston.gov/snow. The city's Know Snow program will be in effect this afternoon to alert residents of the snow emergency.
The City of Boston Storm Center will open at 10:00 p.m. Saturday, when the snow emergency goes into effect. Residents with storm-related questions or concerns should call the center at 617-635-3050, starting at 6:00 p.m. Saturday
Monday, December 14, 2009
Barlow's Open For Business
The neighborhood's latest bar, Barlow's, opened last Thursday to a good crowd. They did a good job with the build out, keeping a number of the original elements of the building including the floor and re-using support beams for the bar and to frame an entryway. The space has an open, but warm feel to it. And the walls are adorned with a selection of pieces by Fort Point artists, curated by Joanne Kaliontis.
Barlow's
241 A St.
Boston, MA 02210
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Reception Tonight: Paintings by David Moore
Bob's Your Uncle, in association with FPAC, presents a reception this evening for paintings by David Moore:
Artists' Reception
Wednesday, December 9th
5-9 PM
Bob's Your Uncle
25 Channel Center St.
Fort Point, Boston 02210
More information about the artist can be found on his site: http://lessismoore.com/
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Special Senate Election Tuesday
REMINDER: The primary for the special election to fill Ted Kennedy's Senate seat will take place on Tuesday, December 8th. Please make the effort to get out and vote!
Democratic candidates
Martha Coakley, Massachusetts Attorney General
Stephen Pagliuca, a managing director of private equity firm Bain Capital and managing partner of the Boston Celtics basketball team
Mike Capuano, Representative for the 8th district
Alan Khazei, co-founder and former CEO of City Year
Republican candidates
Scott P. Brown, State Senator from Wrentham
Jack E. Robinson III, candidate for U.S. Senate (2000), Secretary of the Commonwealth (2002), and U.S. House (2006)
Democratic candidates
Martha Coakley, Massachusetts Attorney General
Stephen Pagliuca, a managing director of private equity firm Bain Capital and managing partner of the Boston Celtics basketball team
Mike Capuano, Representative for the 8th district
Alan Khazei, co-founder and former CEO of City Year
Republican candidates
Scott P. Brown, State Senator from Wrentham
Jack E. Robinson III, candidate for U.S. Senate (2000), Secretary of the Commonwealth (2002), and U.S. House (2006)
Friday, December 04, 2009
Made in Fort Point Holiday Sale, Opening Today
FPAC's 11th Annual Holiday Sale is today through Sunday.
Stop by the Holiday Opening Today for complimentary holiday snacks:
Holiday Sale Opening
Friday, December 4th, 5-7 PM
12 Farsworth Street
The Fort Point Arts Community Holiday sale is a unique opportunity for artful holiday shopping, or to just treat yourself!
***20 talented local artists will be set up, displaying their wares over the three-day event.
***The newly expanded FPAC Store will be open featuring works of art, craft and design by over seventy-five fort point artists.
***Art at 12 presents SMALL WORKS: artworks by Fort Point Arts Community members from December 4th through the holidays.
Find jewelry, paintings, prints, pottery artists’ books, photography, handcrafted clothing and accessories, furniture, lighting, prints, holiday ornaments, cards, and much, much more! Something for every budget.
For more details, see http://www.fortpointarts.org/cgi-bin/FPAC?s=open_studios
Stop by the Holiday Opening Today for complimentary holiday snacks:
Holiday Sale Opening
Friday, December 4th, 5-7 PM
12 Farsworth Street
The Fort Point Arts Community Holiday sale is a unique opportunity for artful holiday shopping, or to just treat yourself!
***20 talented local artists will be set up, displaying their wares over the three-day event.
***The newly expanded FPAC Store will be open featuring works of art, craft and design by over seventy-five fort point artists.
***Art at 12 presents SMALL WORKS: artworks by Fort Point Arts Community members from December 4th through the holidays.
Find jewelry, paintings, prints, pottery artists’ books, photography, handcrafted clothing and accessories, furniture, lighting, prints, holiday ornaments, cards, and much, much more! Something for every budget.
For more details, see http://www.fortpointarts.org/cgi-bin/FPAC?s=open_studios
Monday, November 30, 2009
South Boston Arts and Cultural Center Fundraiser, 12/15
The Harpoon 5:30 Club is partnering with the South Boston Arts & Cultural Center (SOBACC) Task Force for a night of food, fun, and drinks.
Harpoon Tasting Room
306 Northern Avenue
Tuesday, December 15th, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Complimentary food will be provided by Cafe Arpeggio and complimentary beverages will be provided by Harpoon. Tickets are only $15 at the door. Additionally, if you bring a letter stating your support for SOBACC, your ticket is only $10.
For more information about SOBACC and the fundraiser, see www.sobacc.org.
Harpoon Tasting Room
306 Northern Avenue
Tuesday, December 15th, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Complimentary food will be provided by Cafe Arpeggio and complimentary beverages will be provided by Harpoon. Tickets are only $15 at the door. Additionally, if you bring a letter stating your support for SOBACC, your ticket is only $10.
For more information about SOBACC and the fundraiser, see www.sobacc.org.
Friday, November 27, 2009
IAG Meeting for 319 A St. Project, 12/8
Please be advised that there will be a 319 A Street Rear Project Impact Advisory Group (“ IAG”) Working Session meeting on Tuesday, December 8, 8:00-9:30AM, at Made in the Fort Point, located at 12 Farnsworth Street.
All members of the community and media are welcome to attend IAG Meetings.
For details on the project, see this post.
All members of the community and media are welcome to attend IAG Meetings.
For details on the project, see this post.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Channel Cafe in Herald
I meant to post this earlier: there's a nice review of the Channel Cafe in the Herald.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Convention Center Proposes $1B Expansion
Mass. officials have announced a $1B expansion plan for the BCEC, which will double its capacity. Much of the development would build out West, into Fort Point:
News coverage:
-----
Mass. Announces Convention Center Expansion Plan
wbztv.com link
BOSTON (AP) ― State officials have announced plans to double the size of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, even though they have not said how they will finance the project.
The plan announced Monday calls for a 400,000-square-foot exhibit hall behind the main center, a new 1,000-room hotel, a 5,000-seat auditorium, and a 65,000- to 75,000-square-foot ballroom.
...
-----
Convention center union blasts expansion plan
By Thomas Grillo and Jay Fitzgerald | Tuesday, November 24, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Boston Herald Link
A proposal by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority to expand its sprawling South Boston complex is being blasted by a top labor official despite months of secret meetings in a failed effort to shore up support.
No details about how the expansion would be paid for were revealed in the 80-page report or a five-page press release.
Despite a 21 percent decline in events over the last three years, MCCA officials said yesterday that the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in Southie could support a 1,000-room hotel in addition to the existing Westin Waterfront, 400,000 square feet of added exhibit space, as well as 125,000 square feet of added meeting space, up to 75,000 square feet to accommodate a variety of uses and a 5,000-seat auditorium - to be built next to the Fort Point Channel neighborhood.
...
-----
Convention center aims to double its capacity
Plans call for campus with new exhibit hall, hotel, ballroom, more
By Casey Ross, Globe Staff | November 24, 2009
Boston.com link
The Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, already the largest building of its kind in New England, would double in size under an expansion plan unveiled yesterday by state officials, eventually becoming a 1-million-square-foot tourism “campus’’ on the South Boston Waterfront.
The blueprint adds a 400,000-square-foot exhibit hall behind the main center, a 1,000-room hotel, a 5,000-seat auditorium, and a 65,000- to 75,000-square-foot ballroom elsewhere on the property.
The announcement kicks off a yearlong planning process in which a 25-member committee of public officials and business leaders will try to finalize the build-out. But already some major hurdles have emerged: The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority does not own much of the adjoining land on which it plans to build, nor have state officials determined how to pay for a project that could top $1 billion.
One official acknowledged state and city leaders will have to examine whether to raise travel and tourism taxes and fees to finance construction.
...
-----
Convention industry has slumped, but Boston fares better
By Katie Johnston Chase, Globe Staff | November 24, 2009
Boston.com link
...
Heywood Sanders, a professor of public administration at the University of Texas at San Antonio and a prominent critic of convention centers, is skeptical about the need for more space. He points to recent convention center expansions in Las Vegas and Orlando that generated minimal increases in business.
“The actual performance and the reality has been far, far less than the promises and forecasts,’’ he said. “And at the very least, that should raise the question about what an expansion might well do for Boston.’’
...
News coverage:
-----
Mass. Announces Convention Center Expansion Plan
wbztv.com link
BOSTON (AP) ― State officials have announced plans to double the size of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, even though they have not said how they will finance the project.
The plan announced Monday calls for a 400,000-square-foot exhibit hall behind the main center, a new 1,000-room hotel, a 5,000-seat auditorium, and a 65,000- to 75,000-square-foot ballroom.
...
-----
Convention center union blasts expansion plan
By Thomas Grillo and Jay Fitzgerald | Tuesday, November 24, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Boston Herald Link
A proposal by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority to expand its sprawling South Boston complex is being blasted by a top labor official despite months of secret meetings in a failed effort to shore up support.
No details about how the expansion would be paid for were revealed in the 80-page report or a five-page press release.
Despite a 21 percent decline in events over the last three years, MCCA officials said yesterday that the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in Southie could support a 1,000-room hotel in addition to the existing Westin Waterfront, 400,000 square feet of added exhibit space, as well as 125,000 square feet of added meeting space, up to 75,000 square feet to accommodate a variety of uses and a 5,000-seat auditorium - to be built next to the Fort Point Channel neighborhood.
...
-----
Convention center aims to double its capacity
Plans call for campus with new exhibit hall, hotel, ballroom, more
By Casey Ross, Globe Staff | November 24, 2009
Boston.com link
The Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, already the largest building of its kind in New England, would double in size under an expansion plan unveiled yesterday by state officials, eventually becoming a 1-million-square-foot tourism “campus’’ on the South Boston Waterfront.
The blueprint adds a 400,000-square-foot exhibit hall behind the main center, a 1,000-room hotel, a 5,000-seat auditorium, and a 65,000- to 75,000-square-foot ballroom elsewhere on the property.
The announcement kicks off a yearlong planning process in which a 25-member committee of public officials and business leaders will try to finalize the build-out. But already some major hurdles have emerged: The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority does not own much of the adjoining land on which it plans to build, nor have state officials determined how to pay for a project that could top $1 billion.
One official acknowledged state and city leaders will have to examine whether to raise travel and tourism taxes and fees to finance construction.
...
-----
Convention industry has slumped, but Boston fares better
By Katie Johnston Chase, Globe Staff | November 24, 2009
Boston.com link
...
Heywood Sanders, a professor of public administration at the University of Texas at San Antonio and a prominent critic of convention centers, is skeptical about the need for more space. He points to recent convention center expansions in Las Vegas and Orlando that generated minimal increases in business.
“The actual performance and the reality has been far, far less than the promises and forecasts,’’ he said. “And at the very least, that should raise the question about what an expansion might well do for Boston.’’
...
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Articles on 319 A St. Proposal
REMINDER: The BRA meeting about this project is tomorrow (Monday, 11/23).
-----
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.
...
-----
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.
...
-----
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.
...
-----
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.
...
-----
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.
...
-----
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.
...
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.
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