EB: O&M

Sunday, June 28, 2009

As the world turns greener, more people even outside the real estate industry know what a LEED building is. Office tenants clamor for them. Students demand them at universities. Owners are shoving older buildings into the act under the U.S. Building Council's "Existing Building: Operations & Maintenance" standards. And there are four, so far, right in Boston. ... Also, Boston Shines, stimulating Boston buses, Bettering Government, and best to BRA architect Bob Kroin ...
 

Wind Power

Monday, June 8, 2009

NEWIRE, of which we're a proud member despite being male, had its annual meeting and a fantastic lunch, as usual, at the Mandarin Oriental hotel last week. And an equally fantastic program on wind power. "We have some of the best wind resources in the country," said Jennifer Puser, who is in Maine Gov. John Baldacci's Office of Energy Independence and Security. ... Also, the CREW convention coming to Boston this fall, parking on the Evelyn Moakley, and watching those Nevada gaming revenue trends for signs of an economic turnaround ...
 

Contrast

Friday, May 15, 2009

The Urban Land Institute Boston program last night was "Activating the Greenway: Past, Present, and Future, and besides reviewing some history it promised to "compare and contrast the Greenway with Millennium Park in Chicago." Boy, did it ever. ... Also, 50 West Broadway and Wheelock's new digs ...
 

People Factor

Sunday, May 3, 2009

About 1.9 million people work for the federal government, and almost half of them will be eligible for retirement in the next five years. Linda Bilmes, a lecturer at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, says in a new book that the government can look to two agencies in particular to learn how to treat and value workers, and to get the most out of them. ... Also, ULI's Marketplace is Monday at the Hynes; doing economic stimulus smart, and a note on the Journal ...
 

Stay or Stray II

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Besides announcing the news of a directive to streamline MEPA filings by transportation agencies, secretary Jim Aloisi mused on the state's $20 billion infrastructure shortfall, the difficulty of changing the political culture, and how public service isn't as much fun as it used to be. "I'm steeped in it," said Aloisi, who was general counsel of the Turnpike authority in the early 1990s. "People rise to the occasion," he said. "I think the people demand leadership."
 

Stay or Stray

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Jim Aloisi, the state secretary of transportation, is sometimes a little too candid for his own good. He told a packed house at this morning's MOVEMass meeting it's a matter of whether he will "stay" with the script his communications people give -- or "stray" with his remarks into what he sees are some controversial truths. He did a little of both, and more soon on his extensive talk, but he did announce something new today.

Rethinking Government Center

Sunday, April 19, 2009

"City Hall Plaza was never really completed. We never figured out how to activate it," said Kairos Shen, the city's chief planner, who of course wasn't even born when it was created. Now, as the Boston Redevelopment Authority reaches its 50th anniversary, he, his staff, and others are brainstorming about the surrounding Government Center district. "Whether we like it or not, this plan has been completed. It's useful life as far as I'm concerned is over. What could it be?" ... Also, The Greenway gears up, and Industrial Slump ...
 

Heaven in '11

Saturday, April 11, 2009

You have to be a glutton for punishment to attend all the current addresses and seminars on the current economy, and specifically the state of the real estate market. And there probably isn't anyone who attends more of them than we do. The optimists say recovery begins before the end of '09, but most experts are more cautious, saying some time in 2010. That's the consistent theme. Maybe it's true or maybe it's not, but last week we heard a bold prediction -- that "2011 will be phenomenal." Why not hope? ... Also, Liberating the Nose, Distressed Debt, and Fair Trade coffee ...
 

7 to 17

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Just as the Boston area's real estate picture was beginning to turn around, the global recession hit, and the office market in the suburbs is being hit hard. Even in prime areas, like the Central 128/MassPike submarket, a vacancy rate of 7.6 percent in the first quarter of 2006 has leapt to 17.2 percent in the quarter just completed. Even the tenants looking are seeking less space, and, "This has put quite a squeeze on the landlords," said Adam Meixner of Boston Realty Advisors. ... Also a ribbon-cutting at the Richard E. Griffin Academic Center on Huntington Avenue, Rating the Raters, MassDevelopment Brownfields, Nonantum Road, and WriteBoston ...

Carbon on Wheels

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Christian Jacqz says the Patrick administration is committed to reducing greenhouse gases. And vehicles contribute about 30 percent of that in Massachusetts. But how much do we drive -- how do we even figure it out? Jacqz has been measuring those miles, and studying policies that might reduce them. He described that research at the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston, at Harvard. Research applied to policy in an academic setting. Said institute executive director David Luberoff: "This to me is exactly what we are trying to do." ... Also, tenants in the Fort Point Channel, and Green is Black ...,/i>

Bridge to Somewhere

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

The stimulus begins. Work has already begun on replacement of the 73-year-old Chelsea Street Bridge, which connects East Boston and Chelsea. That is, when it isn't closed because a barge has slammed into its narrow opening. That will expand from 100 to 200 feet, an overdue improvement that local and state officials hailed this week as they kicked off Gov. Deval Patrick's Massachusetts Recovery Plan, and a total of some $10 billion in road and bridge improvements. ... Also, the Bertmans, a new Washington Beech, Boston's Restaurant Week ... and why you haven't been getting our emails ...

Good Greenway News

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Tom Powers got some good news this week. Having struggled for five years to put together a visitors center on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, the president of the Boston Harbor Island Alliance heard Congress is providing $5 million for the pavilion near Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Also, BLOOMS! ...
 

Making Lemonade

Thursday, March 4, 2009

"Dislocations and carnage like this yields lots of human suffering," said developer Jon Davis. "But if history is any indicator periods like this also yield opportunity ... to create new wealth."
 

Danger: Stormwater

Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009

"The scope of this program is pretty much unprecedented," said Seth Jaffe of Foley Hoag LLP. He was talking about the state's proposed stormwater regulations, and there are some fearsome unanswered questions, as the comment period draws to a close on March 11. "I am quite sure we don't now what they're going to mean until you have a specific piece of property and say, 'Does this apply to me?'" ... Also, BLOOMS! is coming ...
 

Understanding DIF

Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009

"In the recession we're in now, with a stimulus packaging coming our way, this concept of partnering is even more important than it's ever been," said Brian W. Blaesser of Robinson & Cole LLP, a connoisseur of district improvement financing.

Citizen Susette

Susette Kelo lost her little pink New London, Conn., home in a celebrated legal battle over eminent domain. "Susette took this from an abstract level of court proceedings about what are property rights down to a very human level. ... But in a sense Susette won." Also, the former mayor of Bogota, Colombia, backs buses, and Massachusetts' new transportation secretary, Jim Aloisi, says hello ...
 

Reaching Out

Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009

The Department of Conservation and Recreation, which despite its name is responsible for a number of important bridges, has been doing its homework with the public, winning high marks for keeping people informed about imminent work. We stopped in at a couple of them to listen. Also, Better Government, money for Charlestown, and transportation advocacy ....

Fine Form

Monday, Jan. 26, 2009

John Silber thinks original thoughts, and sometimes he just says what others may think but are too timid to say. "Firmness, commodity, and delight" are requirements of good architecture, he avows, quoting the Roman writer and architect Vitruvius. And his view is some of the modern celebrity architects are just fooling clients into accepting the absurd. Also, Greenway problems ....

 

Who Pays?

Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009

The subject was health care, specifically Massachusetts' entry into the everybody's-covered competition -- the Commonwealth Connector. "It's not just about an entitlement that somebody else pays for and you get," said Jon Kingsdale, executive director. Yet it's not clear who will foot the bill.

Patience

Friday, Jan. 16, 2009
The hands went up. Some thought economic recovery begins this year. More thought next year. A handful for 2011. "Practically everyone is de-leveraging," said Gary Leach, a senior vice president at Eastern Bank. "And that doesn't bode well for the economy."

The New West End

Monday, Jan. 12, 2009

For years, in planning and even in execution, the Big Dig was seen as a be-all and end-all. "What has come as a pleasant surprise to me," said Downtown North Association's Bob O'Brien, "is the development of the Central Artery has become a catalyst for development of other parts of the city that are going to be much more important."
 

Who Knows?

 Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009

"I don't think anyone has the intellectual horsepower to figure out what's going to happen over the next 24 months in the macro-economy." -- Jones Lang LaSalle managing director Bill Collins.

New Digs

Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008

The big buildings get all the attention when they go up, but substantial improvements happen in increments, on single floors, and draw little notice. Bergmeyer Associates, Inc., showed off its new green quarters in South Boston recently, and Leggat McCall Properties is looking pretty sustainable too. As the year ends, opportunity at Fort Devens, Harvard opens the "Ed Portal" in Allston, the Harbor Islands Pavilion, and more ...

Saving City Hall

Sunday, Dec. 21, 2008

What the heck should happen to Boston City Hall? Some say tear it down. Some say make it a school or a museum. Everybody says if we're going to keep it let's take care of it, not neglect it. And some say as big as it is it's just a small part of a larger problem, City Hall Plaza. Kairos Shen and Herb Gleason explained it all to us. Also, the Blackstone block takes shape ...

How Long Till the Long Term?

Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008

In the recession of the 1990s, the impact was particularly tough on real estate. Today it's much broader. But, in the '90s, "We had a pretty good sense of the extent of the liability," said Tufts University president Larry Bacow. "Today nobody knows the extent of the liability. It's actually quite scary." Also, the vanishing parking meter ...

Up Along the Greenway

Friday, Dec. 12, 2008

The Boston Redevelopment Authority has finally chosen a team to conduct its long-promised study of what is appropriate development along the brand new Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. The thoughtful and creative duo Ken Greenberg of Toronto and Tim Love of Utile Inc. -- both experienced in the Greenway's needs and its enormous and yet unfulfilled potential -- are it. Let's see how quickly they get to work and establish a vision. The new Boston Book Festival and more ...

No Common Ground

Monday, Dec. 8, 2008

To a large extent, the future of the Fort Point Channel district of Boston will be decided tomorrow night, when the Boston Landmarks Commission is expected to vote on a set of rules for new development.

Better in Boston

Friday, Dec. 5, 2008

Think there's a lot of interest in Boston about where the real estate market is headed? NAIOP Massachusetts and SIOR drew an SRO crowd at the Hyatt this week, 40 people stan ding outside the ballroom through six intense presentations. And it wasn't all bad news.

Lovely Park, But...

Sunday, Nov. 30, 2008

The South Boston Maritime Park at D Street on the South Boston Waterfront is a gem. But one of its interesting and innovative features isn't working."

Pete of Pioneer

Friday, Nov. 28, 2008

"I worry that economic growth has replaced limited government and individual liberty as the driving force of our movement. What makes America great, what America is all about, is liberty."

Whither the Channel

Monday, Nov. 24, 2008

Lots of development projects are going on hold till the economy shakes out and money loosens up. But a central pair of buildings in the Fort Point Channel that have been stalled are moving again. And the shape of the entire neighborhood for the future will be determined soon.

Traffic Studies

Monday, Nov. 17, 2008

The biggest objections to new developments are often about increased traffic. The "level of service" at an intersection might drop from A to B or C. Or to F. But what do those grades really mean?

The World and Us

Monday, Nov. 10, 2008

Alan Altshuler, former and first Massachusetts transportation secretary and now Harvard University sage, wanted to call his presentation for a world audience in Singapore "The Global Significance of US Urban Choices." But some of his advisers thought "Lessons Not to Learn From American Cities" was catchier -- and it's clear Altshuler doesn't object to that interpretation.

Debt and More Debt

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008

There have been a number of silver-linings presentations on the real-estate and economic outlook recently, but this was not one of them. "Hello, guys, we're in a recession, and it's only going to get worse," said Mark Holman, director of loan asset management for Archon Group, L.P.

Brighter Side

Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008

With the stock market delivering daily whiplash, and banks and investors sitting on the sidelines waiting for the ground to quit trembling, Bill Wheaton says all is not lost. "I'm not really that bearish, particularly on commercial real estate."

The Magic City

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Miami has its problems: tower upon tower of empty luxury condos, jammed streets and highways, residents speaking so many languages they often misunderstand each other.

What's in the Name

Monday, October 20, 2008

It used to be called "Adaptive Environments." But what was that? Neo-Darwinism? The new name is Institute for Human Centered Design. Now we get it.

W

Thursday, October 16, 2008

No, not the outgoing President. Not the magazine. Not the new Oliver Stone movie. Something much better. Boston's new W hotel topped off this week.

The Littlest Bar

Monday, October 13, 2008

The Littlest Bar lives again. News on that, the Greenway, Atelier|505, and ...

Transpostructure

Thursday, October 9, 2008

There's good news and bad news, state transportation secretary Bernard Cohen told a meeting of the Back Bay Association this week. The $15 billion Big Dig is finished. But there's $19 billion more statewide that needs to done.

Looking at the Law

Monday, October 6, 2008

The law is complicated, and new statutes just keep piling up. We once thought of suggesting that every time the Legislature writes a new law it has to find some antiquated and outdated one and take it off the books to make room -- and so maybe average folks would have a chance of grasping it all.

Sprucing Up

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Boston's office towers are aging, few new ones are under construction, and in the current climate of uncertainty it may be awhile before another shovel goes into the ground. But some of the old ones are keeping up with the times.

Where's The Money

Monday, September 29, 2008

Buildings are costly, and money's tight. The banks aren't lending, and government is strapped. But all is not lost.

Walk to the Sea

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Today at 11 a.m., at the tip of Long Wharf, The Norman B. Leventhal Walk to the Sea will be dedicated.

Adding Differences

Monday, September 22, 2008

One day last week the panel looked different than it usually does. Out of five, there were three black faces, and there were two women.

The Credit Mess

Thursday, September 18, 2008

On a day when a banner headline in The New York Times said, "Central Banks Inject Cash as Credit Dries Up," NAIOP's program at the Hyatt Regency Wednesday was: "Reality Check: Putting Today's Credit Crunch into Perspective."

Hudson Street Redux

Monday, September 15, 2008

If you grew up in the 1950s, the pictures from your neighborhood in that era look a lot alike, no matter what part of the country it was.

Top of the Class

Thursday, September 11, 2008

It's not just green buildings that are hot. It's intelligent ones too.

Bad, Could Be Worse

Monday, September 8, 2008
School's back in session, and the professors are lecturing. It's the same in the real estate world, and class kicked off on Friday with the 2008 Real Estate Finance Association Fall Conference, and "An Update of the Boston Suburban Markets."

"Wow, it's really slow. How long is this going to go on?" Hans Nordby, chief strategist of Property and Portfolio Research , said he was hearing a year ago.

This year, he told a crowd of about 150 (so many the parking garage filled up) at the Westin Waltham Hotel, he's hearing -- exactly the same thing.

Green Line Development

Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008
As everybody knows, the suburbs grew up in America along the interstate highways, flowering as if the highways were branches of a tree that had been watered and fertilized.
Transportation and development -- they go together.

A Greenway Opportunity

Monday, September 1, 2008
Our semiweekly account of development, transportation, and related goings-on in the Boston area begins today with some of what you might have missed over the summer.

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