A majority of Harbor Towers residents don’t want to see developer Don Chiofaro’s two-tower Harbor Square proposal approved. Trustees of the waterfront condo residences made that clear, when they sent letters of opposition out to Mayor Marty Walsh, Boston Redevelopment Authority Senior Waterfront Planner Chris H. Busch, and a host of other city officials.
Copies of a petition, signed by more than 550 of Harbor Towers’ 1,100 residents, accompanied the letters addressed to Mayor Walsh et al. In writing, residents presented and described why Chiofaro’s jaw-dropping Harbor Square proposal has no business replacing the existing – and very unfortunate looking – Harbor parking garage. That, too, is owned by Chiofaro.
Alternative proposals – three, in fact – could be better fits for this piece of prime waterfront real estate, residents of Harbor Towers have suggested. And here they are, as seen from the other side of Boston Harbor…
These digital renderings were created by Northeastern School of Architecture professor and director George Thrush, who was commissioned by Harbor Towers to create alternative, more modest, development proposals. All of which, as you can tell, happen to be single-tower structures – not the following.
Thrush and a team of professionals created the renderings, using Harbor Square documents already filed by Chiofaro and co-developer Prudential Real Estate Investments. Thrush recently unveiled these alternative designs to Harbor Towers residents in a powerpoint presentation, dubbed “The Public Interest at the Waterfront.”
Thrush sent a copy of his entire presentation (embedded below) to BostInno Friday morning. This is the first time the entire presentation has been made available to the public through the media. Thursday night, BostInno published another one of Thrush’s renderings, which showed so-called “visual consequences” of Chiofaro’s 1.3 million-square-foot dual-tower proposal, as seen from South Boston’s Fan Pier.
“We think George has done a real public service by for the first time revealing the enormous impacts that the Chiofaro/Prudential proposal would have on the neighborhood and all of Boston, and by showing there are real feasible alternatives to two towers and 1.3 million square feet right against Boston Harbor,” Tom Palmer, a spokesman for the Harbor Towers Garage Committee, a group of 10 appointed condo trustees, told BostInno in statement provided via email.
Full George Thrush Presentation: “The Public Interest at the Waterfront”
Opposing Harbor Towers residents, contrary to what some may think, are not against development at the site; they just don’t want the 650-foot- and 550-foot-tall towers Chiofaro is pitching. “We have been encouraging redevelopment of the Garage at some reasonable scale for more than five years now,” Lee Kozol, Chair of the Harbor Towers Garage Committee, said in an earlier press release.
And “reasonable” doesn’t necessarily mean small. Although Thrush designed a modest 350-foot structure as one possible alternative, he admits: Tall isn’t a bad thing for the Waterfront.
Thrush’s presentation includes multiple slides, comparing Chiofaro’s proposal to his single-tower designs, from different vantage points.”The most compelling comparisons from my point of view are the views along the Greenway from the North End and from near Rowe’s Wharf,” Thrush told BostInno. The difference between the single tower proposal (even at 650′- I am NOT against height) and the Chiofaro Twin Towers, is astonishing.”
Here’s what Chiofaro’s “Twin Towers” would look like from the Greenway:
Here’s Thrush’s designs, from the same spot:
650 ft.
500 ft.
350 ft.
Although these alternative renderings aren’t likely to win over the public the way Chiofaro’s have, they do provide a bit of insight as to what the debate has been, surrounding the bold Harbor Square proposal unveiled over the summer. BostInno has contacted Chiofaro’s representatives; we will update the post should they choose to provide a comment.
“Harbor Towers supports adjusting the rules under the Municipal Harbor Planning process to some extent so that something can be built there,” Palmer said. “But a plan for two towers and 1,300,000 ft.˛ is entirely inappropriate, and I haven’t talked to a single other developer in the city or any good planner who thinks this is a good fit.”
The question is: Do Mayor Walsh, his closest advisers on the project – his Chief of Staff, Dan Koh, and Economic Development Chief John Barros – and the Boston Redevelopment Authority think Chiofaro’s vision, or something else, is best?
“We believe Mayor Walsh wants to get this right,” said Palmer. The BRA has seen the work we commissioned from George, and we are hoping that the Mayor’s close advisers, [Koh and Barros], will see George’s presentation and consider these thoughtful perspectives.”
The Mayor’s Office has not publicly endorsed Chiofaro’s plan nor any alternative – and it’s not prepared to at this time.
“The City reviews all development proposals thoughtfully and reserves judgment until the community process has taken place,” said Kate Norton, Mayor Walsh’s press secretary, in a statement to BostInno. “We welcome spirited discussion over this proposal, and our primary concern right now is to ensure that the voices of all sides are heard and considered.”
If the proposed Harbor Square is approved as is, it would likely come with a number of prerequisite exceptions to city zoning, planning, and height restrictions. Exceptions which, Harbor Towers stakeholders seem to feel, would set a negative precedent for never-before-seen development along the Boston Harbor.
What it is now:
What Chiofaro wants it to be:
And what it could ultimately become:
Alternative renderings courtesy of George Thrush; Harbor Square rendering courtesy of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
