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Boston Redevelopment Authonty
BOSTON PUBLIC JBRARY
The Jordan Marsh/Lafayette Place development is an unequivocal statement of confidence in the economic future of this city and Boston's viability as an office, retail and tourist center.
Boston is indeed fortunate that SEFRIUS, a development firm which has major projects under- way in five different countries, and Jordan Marsh, Boston's largest and oldest retail store, have joined forces to undertake this new development.
Jordan Marsh/Lafayette Place will produce many economic benefits. This is a project that will entail $220 million of public and private resources.
While 5800 jobs will be created during construction, nearly 11,500 jobs will be added perma- nently because of the development. And property taxes from the project area will more than double once the complex has been completed.
This cooperative venture is a significant effort to reshape the city using private resources and local initiative. The BRA has worked closely with Jordan Marsh and SEFRIUS over the past two years and will continue to be responsible for project coordination as the development proceeds.
The City of Boston will b'e an active partner in this enterprise. The new parking garage to be built east of Chauncy Street will replace several obsolete parking garages. A new Essex Street will provide easier access to the Central Business District from the South Station area. And the many pedestrian improvements proposed for Washington Street and other parts of downtown will make for a better, more attractive city for all who work in, hve in, or visit Boston.
Boston Redevelopment Authority
THE NEED FOR REVITALIZATION
The shift of the city's economy from manufacturing to services meant a loss of nearly 25,000 manufacturing jobs and a decline of 5000 jobs in retail and wholesale trade from 1960 to 1970. Although these losses were more than offset by increases in service occupations, they indicate a serious dislocation of the work force, with the consequent deterioration or demolition of ware- houses and industrial buildings.
Although the core of the retail area has remained stable, changes in the retail market have brought dechne in some sectors. This decHne is reflected in the physical condition of the Lafayette Place project area.
The area between Summer and Essex Streets derives its character from the many nineteenth- century buildings. These structures of granite, brick, and stone are remarkably similar in height, window arrangement, and setback from the street. The variety in texture, ornament, and style shows the evolution of building styles since the Great Fire of 1872 which destroyed most of the business district.
The cross streets between Washington and Tremont Streets, in particular, preserve the atmos- phere of nineteenth-century Boston. A few small-scale, early twentieth-century, brick buildings carry on the earlier architectural forms. Trees from the Common can be seen from every point on the cross streets. Narrow alleys, like Bumstead Court, Winter Place, and Haymarket Place, are part of the early street pattern. They still remain as charming, well-used walkways and service areas.
The buildings in Chinatown, just south of Essex Street, reflect the traditional mixture of manufacturing, commercial, and residential uses. The physical character of the area is determined by the brick structures built in the early twentieth century for Hght manufacturing and the three- to four-story, brick, residential buildings in the style of Late Greek Revival.
Since Boston's early years, lower Washington Street has been the entertainment center of the city. Two of the five theaters along Washington Street between West and Boylston Streets survived the fire of 1872.
Preservation of these important structures of Boston's past will require more than rehabilita- tion of these buildings. The economy of the area must be revitahzed or it will continue to stagnate and deteriorate as it has since World War 11.
Since 1946 the major economic change has been the decHne of manufacturing in the Central Business District (CBD). The half-empty buildings along Essex Street and Harrison Avenue offer testimony to the loss of the garment industry, for one.
The reasons for the underutilization of two city parking garages in the project area are evi- dent. Although the shrinl<:ing patronage may be due to the smaller number of businesses in the area, the outmoded design of these creaking, mechanical garages, which handle only one car at a time, is certainly a significant factor. A modem garage with well-planned access ramps should replace them.
The general lack of maintenance on lower Washington Street has been a concern for several years. The stabiHty of the non-entertainment businesses and the constancy of entertainment activities have not resulted in upgraded buildings. BRA studies in conjunction with Park Plaza and the creation of a zoning district for entertainment have focused attention on the problems of the area. The construction of Liberty Tree Park should provide the setting for additional public and private improvements as a result of this attention.
The $90 milHon redevelopment of South Station as a major transportation center will have a dynamic effect on the downtown. The BRA is continuing negotiations with Amtrak, the MBTA, and the private bus companies as this urban renewal project proceeds into the construction stage. Private development in the area by the Federal Reserve Bank and Stone and Webster is nearing completion. The garage and transit improvements at South Station will make access to the down- town easier, while the new jobs brought by development in the area will increase the in- town market for retailing.
The health and stabiHty of the downtown economy reqioire continual rebuilding to attract high-quahty office and commercial uses. Areas which have seen a decHne of business and a loss of jobs must be rewoven into the economic fabric if Boston's employment needs are to be met.
The development of new retail space on Washington Street should help the Central Business District to capture a better share of the expanding metropoHtan retail market. By 1985, per capita expenditures in the Boston area on shoppers' goods* are expected to increase by 40 percent over 1972. This increase, combined with growth in population, may mean a 50 percent increase in sales in the metropoHtan area. If new developments draw larger numbers of consumers to the down- town and existing stores maintain their current share of the area's market, then sales in the CBD may increase by 35 percent over 1972.
A new department store will strengthen the business district's central role in this type of retaiHng. About 80 percent of the city's department store sales take place in the CBD, while one- third of the metropoHtan area's department store sales are made there. These sales are important to the retail picture, accounting for about 45 percent of all CBD sales.
In addition to generating new jobs and income, rebuilding can have far-reaching effects. The image of the downtown will be enriched by the development of Jordan Marsh/Lafayette Place. This exciting, cosmopoHtan complex, providing a distinctive shopping environment and office and hotel f aciHties, reaffirms the fact that Boston is a good place to live, to work, and to visit.
Since Federal urban renewal funds are no longer available, local government must take the initiative to attract private sector financing to refurbish the city. The BRA has fostered an impor- tant partnership between the pubHc sector, the existing business community, and the developer to produce a major investment in the future of the city.
"Shoppers' goods include general merchandise, apparel, and home furnishings.
DESIGN AND PLANNING GOALS
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Woolworth Filene's Jordan Marsh Lafayette Place |
For the Central Business District
1 . Induce and encourage economic growth, in order to generate new jobs.
2. Reinforce and strengthen commercial activity near Washington Street.
3. Encourage a mixture of diversified uses to insure activity in the CBD at all hours of the day and evening.
4. Develop a continuous pedestrian system by improving links to activity centers and public transportation.
5. Improve both pedestrian and vehicular circulation.
Lafayette Place
1. Design an integrated project with a well-developed pedestrian circulation system which con- nects all elements of the project.
2. Provide a high-quality shopping environment.
3. Create an active frontage on Washington Street by providing generous display windows, many entrances, and continuous weather protection.
4. Preserve the character of Washington Street as a pedestrian area by building at a suitable height and scale.
5. Make the project correspond to plans for improving pedestrian and vehicular circulation.
6. Connect all parts of the project with the MBTA stations at Essex, Washington, and Park.
7. Consolidate parking in one efficient facility.
8. Integrate the garage with its surroundings by providing retail activity on Bedford and New Essex Streets, by breaking the facade at Kingston Street, and by connecting the garage both to Chinatown and to Lafayette Place with pedestrian bridges.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Private and public resources will be combined in a $220 million redevelopment program for downtown. The lordan Marsh/Lafayette Place project includes a consolidated Jordan Marsh facil- ity,- a new major retail, hotel, and office complex named Lafayette Place; a new City garage,- and other street and pedestrian improvements. The total project area contains approximately 12 acres, including property presently owned by Jordan Marsh, the BRA, the City of Boston, and the Boston Edison Company.
Approximately 85 percent of this major complex, or $185 million, will be financed by the private development elements, with the City's share amounting to nearly $30 milhon. The MBTA will invest almost $5 million in the project area.
The project is expected to commence in April, 1975, with the demohtion of the Jordan Marsh- owned Bristol Building and continue through 1980 with the completion of Lafayette Place.
Location. The Jordan Marsh/Lafayette Place development is in the center of downtown. The office buildings of Government Center and the Financial District are a few blocks to the north and northeast. The South Station area to the east is being redeveloped as a major transportation center with concurrent office and commercial development.
Retail activity borders the project on the north, west, and south, from the major department stores, to the small stores and specialty shops near Tremont Street, to the bookstores and restau- rants in the adult entertainment zone. Chinatown's commercial and entertainment area lies to the southeast.
Subway connections to the area include the major interchange point of the Washington Street station as well as the Essex Street station. Two stations on the Green Line are a short walk away.
The area is also easily accessible by car, with the terminus of the Massachusetts Turnpike nearby. Arterial streets such as Washington, Boylston, and Harrison Avenue lead to and from the project. Access from the South Station area will be provided by New Essex Street.
through its parent company AlUed Stores, will invest about $3 5 milUon in consoHdating its downtown facilities. The consolidation program includes the demolition of the Bristol Block, the Annex, the Old Main, and the Shuman buildings. Jordan Marsh will retain its buildings on Summer Street and Chauncy Street and construct new facilities along Washington Street. Although the amount of space will be decreased by 900,000 square feet, the consolidated store will be more efficient and attractive. SelHng areas will occupy a greater percentage of the renewed faciHty than of the present store.
The new structure, designed by Sumner Schein, Architects and Engineers, will be a con- temporary extension of the existing building on Summer Street. The matching red brick will add continuity to the facade and the 50-foot height of the building will match the height of the retail element of Lafayette Place.
Great emphasis will be placed on the details at pedestrian level. Generous overhangs of upper floors will shelter the walkways along Washington and Summer Streets from the weather. Win- dows with views of merchandise displays and graphics within the store and display windows lining the walkways will be surrounded with poUshed, gray granite. Large comer entrances will highlight the design. At each comer, a two-story opening, supported by the overlapping brick of a corbelled reveal, will be accentuated with sloping glass canopies and lighted by projecting globes.
As Jordan Marsh is refurbished, the loading docks will be removed from Chauncy Street. An existing ramp from that street will be extended to the sub-basement, where all Jordan's and Lafay- ette Place servicing will occur.
The schedule for demohtion and construction corresponds with the plans for Lafayette Place. The Jordan Marsh Annex will be used temporarily during construction from early 1976 to October 1977, and then will be demolished once the new building opens.
will feature a broad mixture of uses including a retail base, a hotel, and office space. This diversity of uses will make it possible to foster round-the-clock activ- ity. This investment of $150 million represents a significant effort to extend the life of Boston's retail center.
The development program attempts to integrate Lafayette Place into downtown Boston. The retail components will rejuvenate the retail area on Washington Street by providing a high-quality shopping environment and a magnet department store at the southern end of the project. The active retail frontage along Washington Street will provide continuity and interest in the pedes- trian environment. Plans for the project include an extensive pedestrian circulation system at three levels.
Lafayette Place will be generally compatible with its surroundings. The low element along Washington Street will have a cornice height of 52 feet, with the office buildings rising above in tiers to 200 feet. The hotel, a 410-foot tower, will be located on Chauncy Street at New Essex Street.
Nearly 2.5 milhon square feet of space will be developed. The resultant floor area ratio is com- patible with the density of the Central Business District and is permissible under existing zoning provisions.
Lafayette Place, designed by I. M. Pei and Partners and Cossutta &. Ponte, will feature gener- ous internal pedestrian spaces and dramatic visual interaction among the project elements. The design will be governed by the functional demands of the various uses and the pedestrian circula- tion system. The massing and setback of higher elements will help the project relate to its surround- ings.
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Pedestrian Circulation. The most important functional element in the project design is the system for pedestrian circulation. The three levels of this system connect all project elements and lead to the MBTA stations and Washington Street.
Shops will line the concourse which will run from the Essex Street MBTA station, through the new department store, to both Jordan's and Filene's basement stores. Passage through the concourse level will be possible during all hours the MBTA is in operation. The concourse between Filene's and Jordan Marsh will serve as the entrance to the Washington Street MBTA station.
Along Washington Street, the design will emphasize an active, pedestrian orientation in keep- ing with the character of the street as the focus of retail activity. Individual entrances to the stores from the street and continuous weather protection will therefore be provided. A major, covered, pedestrian passageway will cross through the project at Bedford Street. Within Lafayette Place a north-south pedestrian mall will lead from Jordan Marsh to the new department store.
The project will establish a pedestrian precinct, free of conflict with auto traffic. The amenities provided to encourage foot traffic in and around Lafayette Place will enhven the downtown shop- ping environment, just as the pedestrian activity in the area will strengthen the project.
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Streets and Service Vehicles. Modifications in the downtown street pattern, particularly through the construction of New Essex Street, will provide vehicular access to the hotel and the Lafayette garage. A staging lobby for the hotel with a drop-off and pick-up area will be located on the east side of Chauncy Street at the base of the garage.
Jordan's existing loading docks on Chauncy Street are a source of delay and congestion. With the construction of Lafayette Place, service functions will be accommodated entirely at the sub- basement level. Chauncy Street will be used for access to the service level via an extension of an existing ramp under Jordan Marsh.
SERVICE LEVEL-^
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Retail Components. A major department store of approximately 160,000 square feet will anchor the southern end of the project. The store will feature an important selling area at the basement level, with connections to the concourse. At the other end of the project, the retail uses will con- nect directly to Jordan Marsh.
Large and small stores will Une the interior mall at the street level and the second floor. While convenience stores and services, Hke drugstores and travel agencies, will be included, specialty shops and boutiques will predominate on the mall. A selection of international boutiques will offer a wide range of products at prices to appeal to shoppers of all income levels. The mall will combine the sophisticated flavor of European marketing with the practical design of an American shopping center.
Cafes, restaurants, movie theatres, and recreational facilities will be located primarily at the third floor for the convenience of hotel patrons.
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Hotel. A 750-room hotel of international repute, built along Chauncy Street, will feature a main lobby on the third floor with dramatic views of the retail areas below. A staging lobby across Chauncy Street at the base of the garage will be linked to the main lobby by a pedestrian bridge. The 30 floors of hotel rooms will have desirable views of the project, the Common, and the city. The hotel convention facilities, located on the east side of Chauncy Street above the garage, wdll meet one of Boston's important needs and thus contribute to the health of the city's economy. The 24-hour life of the hotel will add vitality to the entire development.
Office Space. Separate office buildings, developed over a period of time in accordance with de- mand, will be built above the retail center, each wdth its own identity and an independent lobby at the street level. The design will provide for a range of floor sizes to accommodate varying needs. Employees of firms occupying Lafayette Place office space will benefit from and be of benefit to the diverse retail uses on the site, hi keeping with the prevaiHng profile in the area, the office buildings will be relatively low in height, with tiered setbacks from the interior mall.
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PROPOSED CITY GARAGE
Elimination of Existing Garages. The Jordan Marsh/Lafayette Place project and the mew street pattern necessary for its development require that three existing City-owned parkmg garages be demohshed.
Two of these garages, the Bedford Street Garage with a capacity of 735 spaces and the Hayward Place Garage with a capacity of 700 spaces, are underutiHzed and do not function effectively due to their original design. Both of these elevator-type garages are unattractive and inefficient, with less than 35 percent occupancy during the day. Cars waiting to enter block traffic flow and obstruct pedestrian movement. The third garage, Lincoln-Essex, although used to its full capacity of 334 spaces during the day, must be removed to provide for the new westbound Essex Street.
Need for a New Garage. To compensate for the loss of over 2,000 spaces and to serve the antici- pated parking demands of the new developments, a new parking garage with a capacity of about 1,500 spaces is proposed between Bedford and New Essex Streets from Chauncy to Columbia Street. The City Real Property Department will build this $18 milUon facility.
The four- level garage will be built above and around the new Boston Edison sub-station. The garage, of the ramp type rather than the cumbersome mechanical type, will fill and discharge at an efficient rate, with main entrances on Kingston and Columbia Streets.
The garage will be integrated with the proposed hotel. The pick-up and drop-off area along Bedford Street and the pedestrian bridge over Chauncy Street to the hotel and the retail areas are ele- ments of the garage design.
The garage is designed to serve short-term parkers: business visitors and shoppers. Initially, the garage will be used equally by short-term and all-day parkers. When parking demands increase as project elements are completed, however, all-day parkers will be discouraged through increases in the all-day parking rate.
The garage will relate to its surroundings through its ground-floor design, the use of masonry construction, and treatment of the facade to impose a break where Kingston Street passes beneath the structure. Space for shops and restaurants along Bedford and Essex Streets will be provided. Another pedestrian bridge will cross Essex Street to Hnk the development with Chinatown.
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ACCOMPANYING PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS
A program of supportive public improvements is scheduled to coincide with the develop- ment of Jordan Marsh/Lafayette Place. These improvements represent the BRA's and the City's direct share in the development. Other scheduled projects show the cooperation and participa- tion of the MBTA and the Boston Edison Company in this major undertaking.
NECESSARY PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS
The Downtown Public Improvement Program (1975-1980) is designed to serve both new and existing commercial development in the Central Business District as part of a continued effort to provide improved vehicular and pedestrian access throughout the downtown. The BRA recom- mends a series of major street, sidewalk and related improvements. These public improvements are based upon approved urban renewal plans, the 1967 Traffic Circulation Plan, and the BRA Plarming Department's open space program. Examples of recent accomplishments in connection with these plans include the street reahgnments and open space additions at Washington and FrankHn Streets (Filene's Shoppers Park), at Washington and Milk Streets (Boston Five Park), and at Washington and Boylston Streets (Liberty Tree Park).
Together, the improvements included within this six-year program will accomplish the following:
• provide new hghting, street resurfacing, and sidewalk repaving for 23 blocks, many of which are in need of repair, in the Tremont-Devonshire Street area,
• create new landscaped plazas and provide a better road ahgnment at five intersections where space is now poorly utiHzed,
• provide wider sidewalks along three streets where pedestrian-carrying capacity is inade- quate or the street has excess width,
• create a pedestrian mall along Washington Street (with one lane for traffic and one for loading) to enhance the shopping environment, and
• create a new Essex Street to facihtate the movement of vehicles into the retail district from South Station and Dewey Square and, in particular, to provide better access to the proposed Lafayette garage.
Although 15 percent of the cost of this program will be financed through PubHc Works De- partment bond issues, construction of these projects will be coordinated and supervised by the BRA. The BRA will be responsible for integrating all improvements with the Jordan Marsh/ Lafayette Place development and the proposed garage.
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Washington Street Mall. Downtown is still the central marketplace for the Boston region. To compete with suburban centers, however, downtown must improve its image as a shopping place.
Nearly 75,000 pedestrians use Washington Street daily as opposed to about 10,000 cars and trucks. Thus, the trade-off of increasing the sidewalk width and narrowing the roadway appears warranted. Traffic on Washington Street should be restricted in order to reduce noise and air pollution in the immediate area.
The strongest arguments for downtown shopping malls are economic. Of the forty pedes- trian malls in the United States, all but one resulted in sales increases ranging from 10 to 30 per- cent in the first three years of operation. The Washington Street Mall should have a positive effect on the entire retail district, with the greatest sales increases on Washington Street.
But there are other benefits to a mall besides the economic ones. Washington Street is the key pedestrian Hnk in the retail district and thus in downtown. The activity on Washington Street makes it an exciting place to be; the special design will create a new atmosphere and make Washington Street a more pleasant place to walk by, stroll through, shop along, or just sit and watch people.
As proposed, the mall design will allow for one lane of traffic to proceed along Washington Street between wide sidewalks. Loading zones will be provided for unavoidable across- the- sidewalk servicing. From New Essex Street to School Street, Washington Street will be resurfaced from store- front to storefront. From Stuart-Kneeland to New Essex Street, from School to Court Street, the side-
walks will be repaved to match the mall. Brick paving will not only make the mall more attractive, but also indicate to motorists that the street has a special pedestrian purpose.
A new atmosphere for Washington Street will be created with attractive new Hghting, street furniture, and plantings. Pedestrian Hghting has been installed along part of Washington Street and should be extended from Kneeland to Court Street. This lighting system will provide a unifying de- sign element while making the area safer after dark. Special interest street furniture such as informa- tion kiosks, trash containers, and benches will add to the atmosphere of this busy area while provid- ing necessary services.
The changes in the street ahgnment will allow maj or landscaping. The clusters of trees will Hnk the miniparks, which not only enhance the appearance of Washington Street, but also create space for the important functions of lunching, waiting, sitting, relaxing, and watching downtown activity.
Phase I of the mall will begin in early 1976 with the widening of the west sidewalks between Winter and School Streets.
It is recognized, however, that the narrowing of Washington Street will directly affect the traffic and circulation of the downtown area. Other changes will have to occur to accommodate the reduc- tion of traffic on Washington Street.
A new circulation plan must be instituted to compensate for restrictions on Washington Street and to serve new development. Recognizing, however, that the development of Lafayette Place, the proposed new garage, and New Essex Street will have a significant impact on pedestrian and auto movement in the downtown, the BRA proposes that Phase U of the Washington Street Mall be de- ferred until completion of the above developments.
Private improvements to complement the design of the mall will be encouraged. Rehabilita- tion of storefronts, signs redesigned to conform to the sign code, and new awnings will reinforce the new image of Washington Street.
Street Facelifting. The recommended street and sidewalk improvements are concentrated between Tremont and Devonshire Streets, where pedestrian traffic is heaviest and many of the sidewalks are in poor condition. The facelifting program will include improved lighting, resurfaced streets, and repaved sidewalks. Brick paving is preferred since less maintenance is required, the material is more durable than concrete, and brick adds character and distinction to the area.
Phase I (BRA)
Court Street City Hall Avenue Pi Alley School Street Province Street Bromfield Street Spring Lane
Phase II (BRA) Hawley Street Snow Place Arch Street Chauncy Street (Bedford to Summer) West Street Phase III (PWD) Winter Street Temple Place Tremont Street (Court to Boylston)
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Landscaped Plazas. As changes in the street patterns and plans for new development occur, new open space can be created within large traffic intersections. These open spaces will greatly improve the park system downtown, without impeding the flow of vehicular traffic. This strategy should be ap- pHed to McKinley, Liberty, Phillips, and Post Office Squares and the Old State House site. For in- stance. Post Office Square will be redesigned to include additional landscaping, seating, and small kiosks which should greatly improve the only developed open space in the Financial District. Old State House Park, a small urban landscaped park at the intersection of Washington, State and Devonshire Streets will be created by redesigning one block of State Street ^o allow a safer and more pleasant pubHc access to the historic Old State House.
Sidewalk Widenings. While repaved sidewalks and new landscaped plazas will greatly improve and beautify the city's physical plant, there are several streets downtown— Broad, Franklin, and Sum- mer — where unusually heavy pedestrian traffic or unusuaUy wide rights-of-way, or both, make side- walk widening a very logical and much needed improvement. Since downtown Boston's street pattern is characterized by varying widths, vehicular rights-of-way within sections of a street (e.g. Frankhn and Broad) can be narrowed without reducing the traffic-carrying capacity of the street. In the case of Summer Street, the proposed sidewalk widening would reduce the traffic- carrying capa- city but facilitate the flow of pedestrian traffic.
New Essex Street. The proposed traffic and circulation plan includes a new 33-foot- wide roadway for westbound traffic from Lincoln to Washington Street that would greatly facilitate the movement of traffic into the retail and financial districts from the South Station-Dewey Square area. The con- struction of New Essex Street will be undertaken by the BRA beginning in 1978. The cost of the street, including acquisition, relocation, construction, and landscaping, is estimated at $6,175,000. Chatmcy and Kingston Streets will be widened between New Essex and Bedford Streets in conjunc- tion with this project.
COST OF THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM
The cost of the six-year program of Downtown PubHc Improvements is estimated at $12 mil- hon. Although most improvements can be financed as Urban Renewal Project Improvements, an additional bond issue through the PubHc Works Department will be required for the remainder. About 70 percent of the cost of the pedestrian elements in addition to New Essex Street can be fin- anced through existing BRA bond issues.
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PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM
Source of Schedule and Costs Year Cost Bonds
Washington Street Mall $ 2,300,000
Phase I 1976 500,000 BRA
Phase n 1980 1,800,000 BRA
Street Facelifting Phase I, School Street 1 975 Phase II, Chauncy-Arcb 1976 Phase m, Tremont St. 1976 Landscaped Plazas Post Office Square Old State House Park McKinley Square Liberty Square PhilUps Square Sidewalk Widenings Broad Street Summer Street FrankHn Street New Essex Street and street widenings
BRA Total
PWD Total
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EXISTING TRAFFIC CIRCULATION
PROPOSED TRAFFIC AND STREET ADJUSTMENTS
TRAFFIC AND CIRCULATION
The future traffic circulation plan for the Central Business District is based on several major objectives requiring adjustments to the existing street pattern.
The goal of providing improved pedestrian areas in the heart of the retail section of downtown, particularly on Washington Street, requires changes in traffic circulation. Improvements on Wash- ington Street, making the sidewalks safer and more attractive, will eventually hmit traffic to one moving lane and one loading lane.
An improved, northbound Chauncy-Arch Street could partially compensate for the loss in ca- pacity for northbound traffic. To gain the capacity needed to handle the displaced traffic from Wash- ington Street, two major bottlenecks must be removed from Chauncy Street. The Jordan Marsh de- velopment will remove the loading docks and provide a ramp for loading and unloading completely within the building. The other major obstruction on this street is the poor alignment across the in- tersection of Summer Street. The design of the new Charlestown Savings Bank will allow for realign- ing the connection of Chauncy Street and Arch Street as soon as the bank construction is finished.
The combination of a one-lane Washington Street with an improved Chauncy-Arch Street flowing northbound will provide adequate capacity, nearly equal to what Washington Street pro- vides today. The improvements for pedestrians and the attractiveness of these improvements to the downtown business community will off-set any shght loss in traffic capacity.
Another major change in downtown circulation is the closing of Avon and Bedford Streets be- tween Washington and Chauncy Streets for development needs.
New Essex Street. To compensate for these closings and to improve the traffic flow for the new devel- opments expected in the Jordan Marsh/Lafayette Place project, a new westbound street in the vicin- ity of Essex Street is required. This new street must provide a minimum of 33 feet of pavement. It would connect with the new Essex Street being built as part of the South Station Project, accommo- dating traffic flow between Atlantic Avenue and Washington Street. It would then connect to Avery Street for westbound traffic to continue to Tremont Street. The demand for vehicular access into the CBD is expected to increase as new development, such as the Lafayette Place project, proceeds.
The new Essex Street then would estabhsh the southern boundary of the proposed develop- ment parcel. All streets within the development parcel such as Avon Street, Bedford Street, Harrison Avenue, and Exeter Place would be discontinued and developed as part of the project area.
Service to the hotel and the parking garage would require widening Chauncy and Kingston Streets between New Essex and Bedford Streets. Kingston Street would remain a one-way, south- bound street and Bedford Street would be reversed to flow eastbound from Chauncy Street to Church Green. This change in the traffic flow pattern would best serve the area, estabhshing a clear and easy pattern for movement into and out of the proj ect and fitting into the overall traffic pattern for the en- tire Central Business District.
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MBTA IMPROVEMENTS
The MBTA stations in the retail area are the focus of much pedestrian activity. Connections between heavily used stations, and between these stations and centers of activity like department stores, should be improved. The A4BTA's station modernization program provides the opportunity to estabhsh a fare-free passageway between Jordan's and Filene's basement levels. Since many of the people using Lafayette Place, especially shoppers and out-of-town visitors, are expected to be MBTA riders, the modernization program is an integral part of the plans for the Jordan Marsh/Lafayette Place development.
Washington Street. The $2 million program for the Washington Street Station includes both mod- ernization and construction of new facilities connecting Filene's and Jordan's. The Orange Line platform will be refurbished with colored end walls, photomurals, new benches, fluorescent light- ing, and acoustic baffles at track level. The new transfer passages will also receive special graphic treatment and new Hghting. New display windows and lighting will brighten the concourse area. The concession areas will be rearranged to conform to the new circulation pattern. The entire station —walls, columns, floors, and ceilings — will be refinished.
Creation of a free passageway through the concourse will require new circulation elements. New entrances to the stores and street, new stairs and escalators, and new fare collection points will be constructed, along with the rearrangement of graphics and directional signs. Transfers between the Orange Line and Red Line will use refurbished, under-track passageways rather than the con- course.
Park Street. The existing tunnel between the southbound Orange Line platform and the Park Street Station will be modernized to create a pedestrian link. The cost of opening and refurbishing the tun- nel is estimated to be $150,000.
Essex Street. The modernization of the Essex Street Station will take place in two stages. The first stage, to begin in July, 1975, will include new murals, maps, and signs, improved lighting, and refurb- ished walls, floors, and ceilings on the southbound side of the station. The cost of the improvements to the Forest Hills side is approximately $500,000.
Improvements to the Everett (northbound) side of the station will require opening a tunnel along Washington Street and adding new circulation elements to connect with Lafayette Place. The second stage construction, in conjunction with modernization, will cost about $2 million.
Lafayette Place. A concoiirse-level link between the Essex Street Station and the Washington Street Station will be provided by SEFRIUS as part of Lafayette Place. Plans will be coordinated with the MBTA improvements at the Essex Street Station. This concourse will provide weather-protected passage from Lafayette Place to Jordan Marsh to Filene's ,as well as connections between the MBTA stations.
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PUBLIC UTILITIES
Adjustments in public utilities for the Lafayette Place project will be minimal. An easement allowing for the maintenance of utiHties will be provided along Bedford Street. The utilities under- neath the other streets to be closed — Avon Street and Harrison Avenue Extension — will be closed off and abandoned. The Jordan Marsh/Lafayette Place development will then be served by utilities along the project periphery — on Washington Street, Summer Street, and Chauncy Street.
Any minor relocation of utilities due to project construction will be made at the expense of the developer with the approval of the City or the private utility company.
Boston Edison Facilities. Boston Edison has begun a new downtown facility within the project area in response to ever-increasing load demands. This $13 million investment will add bulk distribu- tion and switching facilities to supply the downtown network distribution substations. The first phase of the new f aciHty, under construction near Bedford and Kingston Streets, was redesigned in late 1974 to include supporting columns for a garage to be constructed above it.
Planning of subsequent phases has been revised to coordinate with the construction of the pro- posed garage. Additional f acihties will be located elsewhere near the Lafayette Place development.
Boston Edison will retain the site of the Bedford- Kingston station while selHng the surrounding parcel and the air- rights to the City for the garage site.
IMPLEMENTATION
The BRA will be the coordinating agency for the Jordan Marsh/Lafayette Place development to be carried out by three entities : Jordan Marsh/ Allied Stores, SEFRIUS, and the City of Boston. The Jordan Marsh consoHdation program will be carried out under the auspices of a corporation organized under Chapter 121A of the Massachusetts General Laws. All improvements will therefore be sub- ject to Chapter 121A property tax provisions. SEFRIUS, the developer of Lafayette Place, is the American subsidiary of SEFRI, a Paris-based development firm. The Real Property Department of the City of Boston will build the parking garage, while the pedestrian and street improvements will be made by the BRA in conjunction with the PubHc Works Department.
ACQUISITION
The Jordan Marsh/Lafayette Place development will take place on land now owned by Jordan Marsh, the BRA, Code Realty, Inc., and the City of Boston. The construction of New Essex Street and the Lafayette garage, however, will require the acquisition of ten privately owned properties and property owned by the Boston Edison Company. The City vdll also acquire the right to build the garage above the Edison substation.
The sites of three City garages will be required for the Jordan Marsh/Lafayette Place project. The lease of the Hayward Place garage will be acquired by SEFRIUS from Code Realty, Inc., and then SEFRIUS will acquire title to the land from the City and demolish the garage. The leases of the Kingston-Bedford and Lincoln-Essex garages will be terminated. The Kingston-Bedford parcel is part of the site of the proposed City garage.
Due to its proximity to the Lafayette garage, the site of the Lincoln-Essex garage should be re- used for private development. The Real Property Board will dispose of the property at private sale, upon approval by the Mayor and the City Council, in order to ensure the highest and best use of this parcel. If necessary, the site may be used for relocation of businesses within the project area.
Several pubhc rights-of-way will be officially closed so that they can be incorporated in the Lafayette Place site. These include Avon and Bedford Streets, Harrison Avenue Extension, and Exeter Place.
RELOCATION
The City of Boston and the BRA will be responsible for the relocation of tenants in the four struc- tures to be acquired for the garage and the New Essex Street right-of-way. The cost of relocating the approximately 125 tenants is estimated to be $2.5 million. Tenants in this area are predominately associated with the garment industry, from fabric supply to formal wear rental.
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ACQUISITION
:'^^^!^■?^■^^^
m BYSEFRIUS
1. Bristol Block
2. Annex
3. BRA (Raymond's site)
4. Hayward Place garage and lots Public streets: Avon, Bedford,
Harrison Avenue, and Exeter Place
SITE AREA 28,500 sq. ft. 55,900 sq. ft. 51,300 sq.ft. 35,700 sq.ft.
49,400 sq. ft.
WM BY CITY OF BOSTON
5. 89-99 Chauncy Street
6. 90-100 Chauncy Street
7. 84-86 Essex Street
8. Edison property
9. 80-100 Kingston St. and
adjoining lot 10, 76-82 Essex Street
PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT
SITE AREA 9,000 sq. ft.
10,800 sq. ft. 4,100 sq.ft.
58,000 sq. ft.
23,400 sq. ft. 3,200 sq. ft.
17
DEMOLITION
Five acres for Lafayette Place, two acres for the proposed garage, one-half acre for New Essex Street, and one-half acre for private development will be cleared. Approximately half of this area is now vacant lots or pubHc streets and another twenty percent is occupied by the City-owned garages. Jordan Marsh wdll clear about 50,000 square feet of land to make room for new facilities along Washington Street.
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REQUIRED LEGISLATION
The Jordan Marsh/Lafayette Place development will require City Council authorization for pubHc improvements and Home Rule Petitions requesting powers to carry out certain improve- ments.
New Parking Garage. City Council approval is required to authorize the Real Property Board to appropriate $13 milhon from its existing bonding capacity for the construction of the new parking facihty. This appropriation coupled with the existing unexpended appropriation is expected to cover the costs of design, land assembly, and construction of the facility. The $13 milHon appro- priation, however, would deplete the City's bonding capacity for parking facihties. The City Council should therefore approve a Home Rule Petition to the State legislature which would increase the bonding capacity for parking facilities by an additional $20 milHon, thus replenish- ing the City's bonding capacity and enabling the City to construct other parking facilities in the future. The City Council is also requested to approve a Home Rule Petition which would allow the Real Property Board to sell or lease airspace, or other surplus space, in or over a parking facihty for purposes other than parking. At the present time, the City or Real Property Board is prohibited from selling or leasing such space by State legislation. The use of such space for shops and com- mercial activities is important in integrating a garage with its surroundings and leads to the highest and best use of the land.
Disposition of Lincoln-Essex Garage. According to existing legislation, the Real Property Board is required to dispose of land previously used for parking facilities by pubhc auction. Approval of a Home Rule Petition by the State legislature would allow the Real Property Board to dispose of the Lincoln-Essex garage site, with the approval of the City Council and Mayor, by private sale based upon an independently appraised value. Chapter 456 of the 1974 Acts of the General Court al- ready authorizes the Real Property Board to sell certain properties which are no longer required for parking purposes. Such terms for private sale, if applied to the Lincoln-Essex site, would allow the City to ensure its use for appropriate development.
Project Improvements. The City Council is requested to appropriate approximately $12 milHon for the construction of New Essex Street and other CBD street improvements. These improve- ments are essential to Lafayette Place and the new garage and represent the City's participation in this major redevelopment program.
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SCHEDULE
Construction of the proj ect will be staged over six years. MBTA station modernization and the garage construction will be scheduled to be ready for use when the associated project elements are completed, and the development of Lafayette Place will be coordinated with the Jordan Marsh con- solidation program.
JORDAN MARSH /LAFAYETTE PLACE
CONSTRUCT
19'
J F M AM J ,
JORDAN MARSH
LAFAYETTE PLACE
DEMOLITION OF BRISTOL BUILDING (JORDANS/SEFRIUS)
DEMOLITION OF OLD MAIN AND SHUMAN BUILDINGS (JORDANS)
DEMOLITION OF HAYWARD PLACE GARAGE (SEFRIUS)
CONSTRUCTION OF NEW MAIN BUILDING (JORDANS)
CONSTRUCTION OF LAFAYETTE PLACE — PHASE I RETAIL HOTEL SOUTH OF BEDFORD STREET (SEFRIUS )
DEMOLITION OF ANNEX BUILDING (JORDANS)
CONSTRUCTION OF LAFAYETTE PLACE - NORTH OF BEDFORD STREET (SEFRIUS)
NEW
CITY
GARAGE
ACQUISITION
RELOCATION
DEMOLITION
CONSTRUCTION
NEW ESSEX STREET
WASHINGTON STREET MALL
M.B.TA. IMPROVE- MENTS
DESIGN
ACQUISITION
RELOCATION
DEMOLITION
CONSTRUCTION
PHASE I
WIDENING OF WEST SIDEWALK FROM WINTER STREET TO SCHOOL STREET TO ALLOW FOR
TWO MOVING LANES & ONE LOADING LANE
PHASE II
^K,'2^^,W^9,x9^ ?9'^^ SIDEWALKS FROM WINTER STREET TO NEW ESSEX STREET TO ALLOW
SniS-rMPYi'^Sr-t^'l^.'^'^^ ^^'^ LOADING LANE. WIDENING OF EAST SIDEWALK FROM
wx,F*^ STREET TO SCHOOL STREET TO ALLOW ONE MOVING LANE AND ONE LOADING
LANE.
^^ISK.^'^°'^ STREET STATION — CONSTRUCTION OF NEW FACILITIES CONNECTING
wrrm^ PRFSFN "^^"^^ '^° ^^^ ^^^^ * development of free zone concourse
f-^?-|-,^J^'IFI^'^'^'^'°N~^^'^ELOPMENT of PEDESTRIAN LINK TO WASHINGTON STREET STATION UNDER WINTER STREET.
ESSEX STREET STATION ^ MODERNIZATION OF OUTBOUND PASSENGER PLATFORM
^???^r^iP?|.^T ^I'^'^'^N — MODERNIZATION OF INBOUND PLATFORM & CONSTRUCTION OF KIOSK AT LAFAYETTE PLACE
STREET FACELIFTING — PHASE I (SCHOOL STREET AREA)
STREET FACELIFTING — PHASE II & III (CHAUNCY & ARCH STREETS , LADDER BLOCKS)
PEDESTRIAN IMPROVE- MENTS
LANDSCAPED PLAZAS
OLD STATE HOUSE POST OFFICE SQUARE
McKINLEY SQUARE
LIBERTY SQUARE PHILLIPS SQUARE
SIDEWALK WIDENINGS FRANKLIN STREET BROAD STREET
SUMMER STREET
30
•-/ ^f s 9
I I if;
\ I i III i I i B
MO] TION SCHEDULE
SCHEDULE
Construction of the proj ect will be staged over six years. MBTA station modernization and the garage construction will be scheduled to be ready for use when the associated project elements are completed, and the development of Lafayette Place will be coordinated with the Jordan Marsh con- solidation program.
LAFAYETTE
NEW
CITY
GARAGE
NEW ESSEX STREET
WASHINGTON STREET MALL
M.B.T.A. IMPROVE- MENTS
PEDESTRIAN IMPROVE- MENTS
JORDAN MARSH /LAFAYETTE PLACE
CONSTRL :
DEMOLITION OF BRISTOL BUILDING (JORDANS/SEFRIUS)
DEMOLITION OF OLD MAIN AND SHUMAN BUILDINGS (JORDANS)
DEMOLITION OF HAYWARD PLACE GARAGE (SEFRIUS)
CONSTRUCTION OF NEW MAIN BUILDING (JORDANS)
CONSTRUCTION OF LAFAYETTE PLACE — PHASE I RETAIL HOTEL SOUTH OF BEDFORD STREET (SEFRIUS)
DEMOLITION OF ANNEX BUILDING (JORDANS)
CONSTRUCTION OF LAFAYETTE PLACE — PHASE II NORTH OF BEDFORD STREET (SEFRIUS)
J F M A J J
DESIGN
ACQUISITION
RELOCATION
DEMOLITION
CONSTRUCTION
DESIGN
ACQUISITION
RELOCATION
DEMOLITION
CONSTRUCTION
PHASE I
WIDENING OF WEST SIDEWALK FROM WINTER STREET TO SCHOOL STREET TO ALLOW FOR
TWO MOVING LANES & ONE LOADING LANE
PHASE II
WIDENING OF BOTH SIDEWALKS FROM WINTER STREET TO NEW ESSEX STREET TO ALLOW
ONE MOVING LANE AND ONE LOADING LANE. WIDENING OF EAST SIDEWALK FROM
WINTER STREET TO SCHOOL STREET TO ALLOW ONE MOVING LANE AND ONE LOADING
LANE.
WASHINGTON STREET STATION — CONSTRUCTION OF NEW FACILITIES CONNECTING FILENES AND JORDANS TO RED LINE & DEVELOPMENT OF FREE ZONE CONCOURSE WITHIN PRESENT STATION.
PARK STREET STATION — DEVELOPMENT OF PEDESTRIAN LINK TO WASHINGTON STREET STATION UNDER WINTER STREET.
ESSEX STREET STATION— MODERNIZATION OF OUTBOUND PASSENGER PLATFORM
ESSEX STREET STATION — MODERNIZATION OF INBOUND PLATFORM & CONSTRUCTION OF KIOSK AT LAFAYETTE PLACE
STREET FACELIFTING — PHASE I (SCHOOL STREET AREA)
STREET FACELIFTING — PHASE II & III (CHAUNCY & ARCH STREETS , LADDER BLOCKS)
LANDSCAPED PLAZAS
OLD STATE HOUSE POST OFFICE SQUARE
McKINLEY SQUARE
LIBERTY SQUARE PHILLIPS SQUARE
SIDEWALK WIDENINGS FRANKLIN STREET BROAD STREET
SUMMER STREET
30
i i I I I
• I \ It
EMOLITION SCHEDULE
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