Texas developer: massive South Station project

[johnpbarlow]

Anyone know exactly where this proposed 49 story building is to be sited? Would they build it south of the existing bus station and parking garage over the terminal throat trackage? Does the Post Office need to be acquired and demolished or is that only needed for BOS track expansion?

https://www.hines.com/properties/south-station-boston

[Bramdeisroberts]

This project was originally supposed to be completed almost as part of the big dig, and would have been built shortly after the bus station. Markets weren't right 15 years ago, and it has been in development hell ever since due to the immense projected cost of building it. Those Pelli renderings alone are nearly a decade old now.

If/when it is completed, it will be an air rights project sitting over the tracks between the bus station and the ticket concourse a la the Pan Am building and Grand Central.

The "front" entrance will sit opposite One Financial Center on Atlantic Ave, filling the current gap between the platforms and the bus station.

Unfortunately, it will turn the South Station platforms into a Grand Central-style cave, at least until the post office and possibly the old Stone&Webster building are demolished to expose some southern light and expand the platforms.

[ohalloranchris]

Agreed, another dungeon-like train terminal. Hopefully they will at least add proper ventilation so diesels can park under the bus station and trains can pull up to the bumper (I was told by an MBTA official that this would be the case).

The article in today's Boston Globe was unclear on whether or not the Post Office Building would need to go to make way for this. My guess: the state will leverage some of the private money from the developer to sweeten the offer to the Feds for the postal land, and expand South Station as part of this project. Money talks...

[Frode]

And the commute into South Station will be a nightmare during construction.

[BandA]

I believe the tower project was proposed before the mail processing facility project, so no they aren't dependent. Unfortunately, will probably lock in the track arrangement for the next 100 years ala Penn Station; Might be much more expensive to build subterranean N-S rail link station, or reconfigure subways or highways underneath.

P.O. project is necessary; Treasury just needs to print some paper & hand it to the USPS. Subtract the amount from the postal pension plan bailout which they will have to do anyway.

I don't understand why the former Stone & Webster building isn't tied into South Station directly, with most of the lobby other than the elevator banks converted from a restaurant to RR waiting room. Probably due to the owner Fidelity worrying about security, solvable by renting the space out to other clients & moving their folks elsewhere. What a bunch of screwups the Boston Redevelopment Authority AND the state of MA are!

[theseaandalifesaver]

This sounds like it would destroy the historic station that stands today. Why does anyone think Boston needs another high rise?

[ohalloranchris]

This sounds like it would destroy the historic station that stands today. Why does anyone think Boston needs another high rise?

No, the existing historic South Station "head house" will remain. The high rise will be built behind it over the tracks, between the head house and the bus terminal. But to your point, the look might be quite different from today.

As for the need for another high rise, real estate is Boston is quite hot these days. Of course, as we all know, real estate is quite cyclical, so who knows how the market will be by the time this thing gets built.

[Rockingham Racer]

How does this project affect expansion plans for South Station, if at all?

[deathtopumpkins]

How does this project affect expansion plans for South Station, if at all?

It doesn't, since South Station Expansion would be into the space currently occupied by the Post Office.

[highgreen215]

The CEO of GE stated that one advantage of the company's new location on Fort Point Channel is its proximity to South
Station. If GE sees this as a major plus perhaps they will "influence" the US Postal Service to sell the mail facility so South Station can finally get the added number of tracks it so desperately needs. In addition to having an impact on the proposed new tower it would also open up more rail yard acreage for additional air rights construction beside the towe

[ohalloranchris]

Update on potential South Station expansion:

You are subscribed to South Station Expansion updates from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Dear Friends of South Station,

We are writing to update you on MassDOT’s plan to submit a Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the South Station Expansion Project early this summer. The FEIR will include a preferred South Station Expansion alternative, summarize any changes to the project since the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) filing, and incorporate the additional environmental analysis outlined in the Certificate on the DEIR. The FEIR will also respond to comments made on the DEIR.

The FEIR consists of four primary components:

Expanding South Station to accommodate additional platforms, tracks, a new expanded headhouse, and passenger amenities
Acquiring and demolishing the United States Postal Service (USPS) facility
Constructing rail layover facilities at Widett Circle and Readville – Yard 2
Reopening Dorchester Avenue and extending the Harborwalk
MassDOT is developing the FEIR filing schedule, public meeting date and additional materials. We will share the schedule for filing the FEIR with the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs as soon as details are available. There will be a public meeting on the FEIR during the comment period.

In preparing for the release of the FEIR document, MassDOT is hosting two community meetings in neighborhoods near the proposed midday layover facilities. On Tuesday, June 7, there will be a meeting in the Community Room at Boston Police District E-18, 1249 Hyde Park Avenue, Hyde Park, at 6:00 PM. On Wednesday, June 8, there will be a meeting at the Courtyard by Marriott-South Boston, 63 R Boston Street, South Boston, at 6:00 PM. Please visit the project website for meeting flyers and project materials.

The project will provide more reliable service for the MBTA’s customers and for the Northeast Corridor. We look forward to discussing the FEIR with you.

For more information about the South Station Expansion Project, please visit www.mass.gov/massdot/southstationexpansion. Please share this message with others who may be interested.

Sincerely,

South Station Expansion Project Team

[BandA]

The project is moving ahead, but the project website hasn't been refreshed since 2014. Maybe the Post Office has agreed to terms? I don't think the state can take a federal building by eminent domain. How much, when, and how is this gonna get funded. And I hope the fiscal management control board going to work their magic. And it would be nice to settle the Amtrak contract dispute before we build them new facilities, and whether the 1980's "tower" programmable logic controllers need to be ripped out and replaced.

[ohalloranchris]

Back in the news. Hopefully negotiations will include the installation of proper exhaust ventilation for all tracks so the trains can actually park at the bumpers. I will miss the daylight in the track area and within the station head house, I assume it will become quite dark if/when this thing gets built:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/201 ... story.html

[deathtopumpkins]

Does anyone else dislike the idea of adding 527 new parking spaces on top of the city's main transit hub?

[ohalloranchris]

Does anyone else dislike the idea of adding 527 new parking spaces on top of the city's main transit hub?

Those folks buying the luxury condos don't want to ride the Red Line...