Thank you members/sponsors 2008 DEVELOPMENT SITES Racewalkers walk7 B Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts 1 Boston Museum w Gale International & Vornado Realty Trust 2. Harbor Islands Pavilion | 3. Harbor Towers Garage Striders 4. New Center for Arts & Culture D a Massachusetts Convention Center Authority o 5. Russia Wharf MassPort w 6. South Station air rights project n Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation l 7. Two Financial Center t o Strollers 8. 120 Kingston St. k w Berkeley Investments Mass. General Hospital 9. Ping On St. n The Boston Foundation Normandeau Associates B 10. Tufts Dental School expansion Boston Redevelopment NStar D 11. Wilbur Theatre site Authority Parsons Brinckerhoff e v Boston Society of Architects Planners Collaborative 12 W Hotel o 13. Jacob Wirth’s parking site e Colliers Meredith & Grew Sovereign Bank l 14. Hayward Place o Eaton Vance TranSystems s 15. Emerson College Paramount Center p Elkus/Manfredi Architects Tufts Medical Center m Epsilon Associates UBS/Maurice Bradshaw 16. Suffolk University Modern Theater t e Goody Clancy Vanasse Hangen Brustlin 17. Filene’s/1 Franklin St. n o Hines Whole Foods Market 18. 111 Federal St. t HNTB Corporation WilmerHale : 19. 45 Province St. S Liz Levin & Company n 20. Court St. Hotel h a Strengthen our voice p i n WalkBoston explores events and projects that affect g N the pedestrian environment. Here we spotlight projects o in Downtown Boston lying between Government Center, u the Waterfront, South Station and Park Square. In r this area—less than a square mile—20 large-scale s t projects have been proposed. All will change and r e enliven the Downtown pedestrian environment. e t WalkBoston plays an important role ensuring walker- s c friendly/safe designs and has an impressive record a of getting cities, towns, state agencies, developers, p institutions, and elected officials to recognize and e accommodate the needs of walkers. Every additional s member helps our message be heard. Join online at walkboston.org. walkBoston © W a l k M AKING OUR COMMUNITIES MORE WALKABLE B o s t Old City Hall | 45 School Street | Boston MA 02108 | T: 617.367.9255 o n 2 F: 617.367.9285 | [email protected] | www.walkboston.org / 0 8 Our project design advocacy including connections to adjacent USPS site and to Theatre; a 140-seat black-box theater; 180-seat screening • Bromfield St. could be pedestrianized to mitigate Fort Point Channel.* room; school residence hall for approx. 262 students; general traffic impacts.† Pedestrian advocacy means noticing walkers’ • There should be weather-protected access to each of rehearsal studios/practice rooms; sound stage for film •Sidewalks need smooth and wide walking surfaces, needs and making them high priority in both small the train platforms.* production classes, scene shop; classrooms; faculty/staff with wide insets of concrete or stone and fewer bricks.† and big development projects. For the past 5 years, • For platforms not visible from the train station offices; no on-site parking; ground-level retail/restaurant. WalkBoston has been increasing its comments on concourse way finding/signage should be provided.* Architects: Elkus/Manfredi Architects 111 Federal Street both public and private development proposals • Construction mitigation should address walkway Construction begins: underway made throughout the region and in Downtown Boston. widths and pedestrian congestion.† WalkBoston comments Developer: Trans National Properties; Colliers Here are 5 examples of Downtown development and The project size did not trigger state environmental Meredith & Grew WalkBoston’s comments on them. Hayward Place review processes and WalkBoston made no formal Project cost: $750 million * Request has been incorporated. comments. No new sidewalks or pedestrian facilities Elements: Replace Winthrop Sq. garage with 1,000- † Request is under discussion by proponent and Developer: Millennium Partners-Boston are added outside the building. foot-tall office tower of 1.6 million gsf; one-acre Town the City - with potential mitigation measures and Project cost: $192 million Green at ground level covered by 4-season glass canopy; additional pedestrian improvements. Elements: 14-story residential tower; approximately retail/restaurants; rooftop public Lookout Garden. 200 condominiums; 20,000 gsf ground floor retail with One Franklin Street/Filene’s Architects: CBT Architects & James Carpenter Design Assoc. sidewalk-oriented activity; 200 parking spaces; linkage Construction begins: 2009 payments of $10 million for housing creation off-site. Developer: Gale International & Vornado Realty Trust South Station Air Rights Project WalkBoston comments Architects: Handel Architects Project cost: $700 million Environmental permitting process and WalkBoston Construction begins: Spring 2008 Elements: Preserve historic Filene’s building [Daniel Developer: Hines formal comments not yet underway. Wendy Landman, Project cost: $800 million Burnham in 1912], the 1905 Jones, McDuffee & Statton WalkBoston comments Co. building—largest historic preservation project in WalkBoston Executive Director, quoted in Architecture Elements: 1.7 million gross sq. ft. [gsf] mixed-use Boston, said what matters about how a large new • Sidewalks should have clear walking zone of at least Downtown Boston history; 39-story tower; 300,000 gsf project; 49-story office tower above South Station building meets the ground is: “…wide, smooth side- 8’– 12’ exclusive of trees, benches, vendors, signage.* of retail including retention of the original Filene’s transportation center; increase in bus terminal’s walks and wonderful pedestrian facilities both inside • Omit proposed vehicle drop-off area — a 60’ Basement on 4 basement levels; 276,000 gsf of condos; capacity by 40%; addition of convenient indoor Washington St. curb cut intruding into the sidewalk and out — including multi-season spaces that enliven 250-room hotel; 540,000 gsf of offices; 299 parking pedestrian connections between train and bus stations; and use curb lane instead.* the city’s sidewalks, servicing that impinges minimal- spaces; improved Shoppers Park; on-site & off-site 18-story office building; 22-story combination of a • Washington St. roadway width varies; should be nar- ly on the sidewalk and...a through-block lobby…to affordable housing; $8 million for City’s housing and jobs 200-room hotel and 195,000 gsf of residences [15% rowed [to ~32’] with space transferred to sidewalks.† create a fine-grained pedestrian network…[and linkage programs; $2.8 million commitment for City’s affordable units]; 900 parking spaces; faces Greenway. • Protection for walkers, such as a bulb-out, may be minimize] windy conditions at ground level or shadows Crossroads Initiative and streetscape improvements. Architects: Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects with required at Hayward Pl./Washington St. intersection — on sidewalks and open spaces nearby....” Architects: Elkus/Manfredi Architects Elkus/Manfredi Architects the center of density for area buildings and a “gateway” Construction begins: underway Construction begins: mid-2008 to the Theater District.* WalkBoston comments • Walk lights should be considered for all nearby WalkBoston comments • Proposed 150’ long drop-off lane narrows sidewalk intersections.† • Create smooth walking surface on pedestrian mall to 12’ and should be omitted. [Greenway design • Existing MBTA head house at Washington St./Hayward between buildings facing Washington St. by removing guidelines apply: 13’2” without trees and 15’7” with Pl. may be potential public access to the T. Per MBTA it curbs as on Winter & Summer Streets.* trees.] Existing curb lane can be used for drop-off.* will remain emergency only – no additional public access. • Incentives needed to encourage walking/transit.* • Garage access across sidewalks should be limited • New seating needed for sidewalks/Shoppers Park.* to one lane in and one lane out.* Emerson College Paramount Center • Franklin St. should not be opened to general traffic: • Tighten curb radii to slow traffic.* lanes should be narrowed and reduced adjacent to • Sidewalks should be level across all driveways.* Developer: MDA Partners acquired Paramount as part of Shoppers Park, with land going to expand the park.† • Sidewalks should have continuous smooth surfaces developing nearby Millennium Place, with a $1.6 million • Pedestrian zone may be permanently altered by gen- Design | ninagarfinkle.com to ease walking [flat, wire-cut brick where necessary].* restoration of theatre's facade, marquee, and 60-ft. eral traffic N-S on Franklin and Bromfield Sts. creating • Warning signals alerting pedestrians to exiting cars vertical sign. Current owner/developer is Emerson College. new vehicle/walker conflicts at Washington St. and In its 18 years, WalkBoston has worked on design are desirable.* Project cost: $77 million reducing extent and calmness of the pedestrian zone.† improvements for pedestrians, education about • Grand Concourse & new Outer Concourse design Elements: Preserve Paramount Theatre Arcade building • Drop-off and valet parking lane on Franklin St. should walkers’ needs and the delights and possibilities of should allow for future commuter rail expansion, next door; 146,000 sq. ft. for 550-seat renovated Paramount be relocated to Hawley St.† walking. Join us online at walkboston.org. .