BOSTON | Mayor Urges Construction of City's Tallest | NEVER BUILT

[Daquan13]

1,000 ft., I think.

[Daquan13]

Has anyone heard anything else on this proposal yet?

[Benhamin]

Not a damn thing is going on atm that is new or newsworthy. It has been said, however, that despite the fact that Piano dropped out of the project, it will heavily be a "Piano inspired design"

[kznyc2k]

This only sort of concerns the tower, but in yesterday's Bizjournal there was an article saying that the garage is under new management.

See here: http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/ot...348800^1485624

[aluminum]

any news on the construction of this project ?

[TheBostonBoy]

So far nothing really new has come up. It still has to be approved, and if it is approved as planned, it won't be built for about another 2 years. But you never know in Boston, things can change last minute, so this project could get squashed (very unlikely) or if Menino and Belkin keeps pushing for it to be built, it might be built even sooner (but I doubt it)

[Kevinhatesnimbys]

*tapping fingers against desk* I am starting to get a little worried here. I really think this is going to die. I pray it doesn't. sigh

[tiger47]

There have been a handful of articles in the Boston Globe and Boston magazine, that, while offering no new information (and therefore not really worth posting), have given no indication that TNP isn't happening. As far as I know, the project is on schedule and moving forward.

[Scruffy]

how much longer does menino have on his term? if he's out of office, does this project die without its biggest cheerleader?

[tiger47]

His current term ends in 2009, so if construction starts in 2008, it shouldn't be a problem.

[awood91]

Belkin's super tower behind schedule
Boston Business Journal - by Michelle Hillman, Journal staff

The proposed 1,000-foot Financial District tower proposed by entrepreneur Steve Belkin is behind schedule -- at least in part because he is redesigning the building to increase its square footage by 200,000 square feet to 1.7 million.

The tower is being designed by CBT/Childs Bertman Tseckares Architects Inc. of Boston after the lead architect, world-renowned Renzo Piano, dropped off the team in March. Belkin has not discussed the reasons for the split publicly, but Piano has said he was asked to increase the width of the skinny, 80-story tower he designed.

There are at least three design schemes being considered, including 76-, 77- and 79-story versions, according to a source who asked not to be named because the plans have not been finalized or made public. The Boston Redevelopment Authority's director of planning, Kairos Shen, recently confirmed the tower is expanding.

"Now it's grown to 1.7 million square feet," said Shen, addressing a crowd at a meeting of the Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts last week.

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2007/10/01/story4.html?b=1191211200^1527242

[djvandrake]

Glad to hear that it's still being worked on. That's a big plus. I'd prefer they make it taller to increasing the width, but hey, as long as it's still moving.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by djvandrake

I'd prefer they make it taller to increasing the width, but hey, as long as it's still moving.

That's true. This project could just as easily have died.

[liat91]

Any updates on this thing?

[Nowhereman1280]

There just was an update... Go look 4 posts up or so, there is a whole article that was just posted a couple hours ago.

Glad to hear this building is still alive. I like seeing more cities get tall towers, a sign of the times we live in!

[Lecom]

Increasing the width of a 1000-footer sounds pretty good. I'm a sucker for tall skinny towers but there are few things as impressive as a solid supertall that dominates the hell out of any building around.

[liat91]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

There just was an update... Go look 4 posts up or so, there is a whole article that was just posted a couple hours ago.

Glad to hear this building is still alive. I like seeing more cities get tall towers, a sign of the times we live in!

Ooops, thanks. Anyway, great news on a project I thought was dead. This along with SST will do gangbusters for Boston's skyline.

[TheBostonBoy]

Ya, it is good that this is moving on, but on the topic of making the width bigger, if they are widening, I hope it isn't too much. I would prefer Boston gets a skinny supertall than a big, wide supertall because a lot of Bostons skyscrapers are too big and too boxy. LAME

[kznyc2k]

^ Mayor "if I don't like you your building ain't getting built" Menino demanded a tall tower and got a lone response.. that's as close to smooth sailing as this development ever got.

Originally Posted by TheBostonBoy

if they are widening, I hope it isn't too much.

An increase of 200,000 sf spread equally across each floor means the tower will increase from 140 feet square to 150, a difference that will be negligible on a tower of that height.

For perspective, the north/south sides of the Prudential Tower are also 150 feet wide (east/west are 180), and that tower is already slender enough at 750 feet. At 50% taller the new tower will still be incedibly skinny (think the Comcast Center in Phila).

[tocoto]

It's likely this building will get built because office rents are so high in Boston (>$60/sqft), the mayor wants it, they have the site, Belkin has the $$. It will take a couple of years and then one day you'll just see one story for the groundbreaking. In the meantime, there will only be minor stories at best. BTW, Menino could probably be mayor forever if he weren't mortal.