Universal Hub
Olives on fire in Charlestown
By adamg - 5/27/10 - 9:00 pm
The Boston Fire Department reports a two-alarm fire that broke out shortly after 7 p.m. shut down Olives Restaurant at 10 City Square and caused an estimated $200,000 in damage.
The department says firefighters arrived to find fire coming out of external ductwork on the third floor of the six-floor building and from the roof. Inside the building, most of the damage was due to smoke and water running down the ducts into the restaurant from the hoses used to battle the blaze.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Kelly's opens in Allston
Allston City Limits via Universal Hub
Kelly’s grand opening!
Posted by nathanael on May 27th, 2010. Filed Under restaurants
Very much later, Kelly’s on the corner of Harvard and Commonwealth is opening to the general public this morning at 10am. They’ve been doing a soft opening for VIPs for the last few days but now it’s time for the non-special among us to kick-start their cholesterol issues.
Let’s peruse the (relatively adjective devoid) menu for the vegetarian options. There are a few salad options, (kraft branded) mac & cheese plate for both kids and as a side and some coronary threatening fried options (mozzarella sticks, cheese fries & potato skins). And frappes! The soup of the day has potential but it’s dangerous to count on that.
Anyway, welcome to the neighborhood! I’m glad this corner is a little less vacant than it was before.
Kelly’s grand opening!
Posted by nathanael on May 27th, 2010. Filed Under restaurants
Very much later, Kelly’s on the corner of Harvard and Commonwealth is opening to the general public this morning at 10am. They’ve been doing a soft opening for VIPs for the last few days but now it’s time for the non-special among us to kick-start their cholesterol issues.
Let’s peruse the (relatively adjective devoid) menu for the vegetarian options. There are a few salad options, (kraft branded) mac & cheese plate for both kids and as a side and some coronary threatening fried options (mozzarella sticks, cheese fries & potato skins). And frappes! The soup of the day has potential but it’s dangerous to count on that.
Anyway, welcome to the neighborhood! I’m glad this corner is a little less vacant than it was before.
2nd Jerry Remy's set for Seaport; Cheers at Fanieul Hall up for sale
Second Jerry Remy’s set for waterfront
Also, last call near for Sam’s Cafe
By Donna Goodison / Turning the Tables | Friday, May 28, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
A second Hub location for Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill is in the works for the Seaport District.
The NESN Red Sox [team stats] color analyst and former Sox second baseman’s company has a handshake deal with the Cronin Group to open a 200-seat Remy’s at Liberty Wharf, the $43 million waterfront development in South Boston.
The 5,000-square-foot sports bar and restaurant will be patterned after the larger Remy’s that opened in March on Boylston Street, in the shadow of Fenway Park [map], with Sox memorabilia, huge high-def TVs and upscale comfort food.
Jon Cronin, the largest investor in the original Remy’s, reignited that $5 million project after a planned opening for the 2009 Red Sox season was stalled due to a lack of financing.
“We’re going to do two restaurants down on the old Jimmy’s Harborside site: One is going to be a Remy’s and the other is going to be upscale Mexican,” Cronin said. “With the (Boston Convention & Exhibition Center) and people coming into town - and the Red Sox obviously being a national team - I think that personality and concept will be a good fit.”
The RemDawg’s business partner, LTS Sports president John O’Rourke, confirmed the plans.
“We have a very good relationship with Jon Cronin, and we would give him the opportunity of franchising the brand,” O’Rourke said. “Jerry would be involved heavily in that, and we may or may not have an ownership piece of that as well.”
Cronin also owns Atlantic Beer Garden and the recently opened Whiskey Priest just down the street on the waterfront, among other properties in Boston, Pittsburgh and Ireland.
He’ll spend $5 million to build out Remy’s and the 200-seat Mexican restaurant. James Beard Award-winner Todd Hall, who had been culinary director for the first Remy’s, will be the executive chef of the as-yet-unnamed Mexican eatery. Hall was the opening chef for La Hacienda at the Fairmont Scottsdale hotel in Arizona, a four-star Mobil restaurant that’s since been revamped.
Both restaurants will be on the first floor of Liberty Wharf’s west building and will split 140 waterfront patio seats. December openings are planned.
The two restaurants will join a three-story, 20,000-square-foot Legal Sea Foods restaurant and California-based Tavistock Group’s ZED451 steakhouse at Liberty Wharf, a project by Boston’s Cresset Development.
“With the addition of Remy’s next to Legal Sea Foods’ newest restaurant, the Seaport District is really going to take off next summer,” said Vivien Li, executive director of the Boston Harbor Association. “We now have Louis on the waterfront . . . and there’s discussion of a future extension of the convention center. It really provides tourists a destination on this part of the waterfront.”
#
#
# Sam’s Cafe at Cheers is on its swan song after seven years at Faneuil Hall Marketplace.
Owner Thomas Kershaw has put the restaurant and bar space - named after Sam Malone, the beloved bartender and former Sox relief pitcher in the “Cheers” TV sitcom - up for sale 1 years before his lease expires.
The 175-seat Sam’s Cafe and its 70-seat patio are on the northwest corner of the Quincy Market Building, opposite Kershaw’s “replica” Cheers bar, which will remain open.
“Cheers is better than Sam’s - it always has been,” said Kershaw, who also owns the original Cheers on Beacon Hill, the former Bull & Finch Pub that was the inspiration for the TV series. “We feel that Sam’s is cutting into the potential for Cheers.”
Sam’s lacked an identity, said Kershaw, who originally opened it as TK’s Jazz Cafe in 2002 before changing the concept a year later.
“I can describe the Cheers side very well,” he said. “(Sam’s) just never had a personality of its own.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1257846
Also, last call near for Sam’s Cafe
By Donna Goodison / Turning the Tables | Friday, May 28, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
A second Hub location for Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill is in the works for the Seaport District.
The NESN Red Sox [team stats] color analyst and former Sox second baseman’s company has a handshake deal with the Cronin Group to open a 200-seat Remy’s at Liberty Wharf, the $43 million waterfront development in South Boston.
The 5,000-square-foot sports bar and restaurant will be patterned after the larger Remy’s that opened in March on Boylston Street, in the shadow of Fenway Park [map], with Sox memorabilia, huge high-def TVs and upscale comfort food.
Jon Cronin, the largest investor in the original Remy’s, reignited that $5 million project after a planned opening for the 2009 Red Sox season was stalled due to a lack of financing.
“We’re going to do two restaurants down on the old Jimmy’s Harborside site: One is going to be a Remy’s and the other is going to be upscale Mexican,” Cronin said. “With the (Boston Convention & Exhibition Center) and people coming into town - and the Red Sox obviously being a national team - I think that personality and concept will be a good fit.”
The RemDawg’s business partner, LTS Sports president John O’Rourke, confirmed the plans.
“We have a very good relationship with Jon Cronin, and we would give him the opportunity of franchising the brand,” O’Rourke said. “Jerry would be involved heavily in that, and we may or may not have an ownership piece of that as well.”
Cronin also owns Atlantic Beer Garden and the recently opened Whiskey Priest just down the street on the waterfront, among other properties in Boston, Pittsburgh and Ireland.
He’ll spend $5 million to build out Remy’s and the 200-seat Mexican restaurant. James Beard Award-winner Todd Hall, who had been culinary director for the first Remy’s, will be the executive chef of the as-yet-unnamed Mexican eatery. Hall was the opening chef for La Hacienda at the Fairmont Scottsdale hotel in Arizona, a four-star Mobil restaurant that’s since been revamped.
Both restaurants will be on the first floor of Liberty Wharf’s west building and will split 140 waterfront patio seats. December openings are planned.
The two restaurants will join a three-story, 20,000-square-foot Legal Sea Foods restaurant and California-based Tavistock Group’s ZED451 steakhouse at Liberty Wharf, a project by Boston’s Cresset Development.
“With the addition of Remy’s next to Legal Sea Foods’ newest restaurant, the Seaport District is really going to take off next summer,” said Vivien Li, executive director of the Boston Harbor Association. “We now have Louis on the waterfront . . . and there’s discussion of a future extension of the convention center. It really provides tourists a destination on this part of the waterfront.”
#
#
# Sam’s Cafe at Cheers is on its swan song after seven years at Faneuil Hall Marketplace.
Owner Thomas Kershaw has put the restaurant and bar space - named after Sam Malone, the beloved bartender and former Sox relief pitcher in the “Cheers” TV sitcom - up for sale 1 years before his lease expires.
The 175-seat Sam’s Cafe and its 70-seat patio are on the northwest corner of the Quincy Market Building, opposite Kershaw’s “replica” Cheers bar, which will remain open.
“Cheers is better than Sam’s - it always has been,” said Kershaw, who also owns the original Cheers on Beacon Hill, the former Bull & Finch Pub that was the inspiration for the TV series. “We feel that Sam’s is cutting into the potential for Cheers.”
Sam’s lacked an identity, said Kershaw, who originally opened it as TK’s Jazz Cafe in 2002 before changing the concept a year later.
“I can describe the Cheers side very well,” he said. “(Sam’s) just never had a personality of its own.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1257846
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Ducklings statue vandalized and quickly cleaned up by City
WBUR
A Duck Tale: City Makes Quick Work Of Fowl Vandalism
By Andrew Phelps
Monday, 3:47 PM UPDATED 10:53 PM
The graffiti is cleaned up now, but whoever defaced the “Make Way for Ducklings” statuettes could face fines or jail time.
Nancy Schön, who sculpted the ducklings to commemorate Robert McCloskey’s children’s book, has her own punishment in mind for the perpetrator: 100 hours of waxing all the sculptures in the Public Garden.
About 8:30 AM: Mrs. Mallard is one of the statuettes spray painted with the tag "Better Prey."
A woman named Rachel Blumenthal (@blumie) discovered the tags “BP” and “Better Prey” painted on Mrs. Mallard and her ducklings this morning (“quite a mess”). She snapped and tweeted a photo; outrage ensued.
In a phone interview, Schön described the vandalism as “terrible,” “sick” and “mean.”
Then we sent someone to the Garden to verify the vandalism actually happened. The report back: no vandalism here. I couldn’t believe the Twitter tipster would fabricate this, so I called Mary Hines, spokeswoman for the city’s Park & Rec Department.
Hines said the ducks were, indeed, defaced. (“When I first heard about it, I was horrified.”) The Public Garden work crew discovered the vandalism first thing this morning. “They called for backup,” Hines tells me. The case was elevated to highest priority. The tags were washed clean off.
“The mayor really loves the sculpture,” Schön says. I wouldn’t be surprised if Menino himself expedited the cleanup.
The ducks famously have been stolen (and returned), but never before vandalized, Schön says.
“When the last duck was stolen,” she says, “the mayor said this is no longer a prank, this is a crime. And if the person who did this is caught, they’re gonna look at six months in jail or a $25,000 fine.”
I asked Schön why people like to pick on her ducks so much. She doesn’t understand.
On the other hand: “The strange part of it is … there is some very mysterious person or persons who are constantly putting hats on them and scarves decorating them and doing all sorts of things every time there’s any sort of a holiday,” Schön says. (Blumenthal tweeted a picture of the ducks in happier times.)
“When the Red Sox won the pennant, there were immediately Red Sox hats on them.”
Update: Intrigued by a comment from HB, who wondered whether the vandalism was a political statement about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, I called Nancy Schön again for a response.
“Oh, for Heaven’s sakes, that’s possible, I suppose,” she says, fascinated by the idea. But: “There are different ways to make statements and not to deface ducks.”
A Duck Tale: City Makes Quick Work Of Fowl Vandalism
By Andrew Phelps
Monday, 3:47 PM UPDATED 10:53 PM
The graffiti is cleaned up now, but whoever defaced the “Make Way for Ducklings” statuettes could face fines or jail time.
Nancy Schön, who sculpted the ducklings to commemorate Robert McCloskey’s children’s book, has her own punishment in mind for the perpetrator: 100 hours of waxing all the sculptures in the Public Garden.
About 8:30 AM: Mrs. Mallard is one of the statuettes spray painted with the tag "Better Prey."
A woman named Rachel Blumenthal (@blumie) discovered the tags “BP” and “Better Prey” painted on Mrs. Mallard and her ducklings this morning (“quite a mess”). She snapped and tweeted a photo; outrage ensued.
In a phone interview, Schön described the vandalism as “terrible,” “sick” and “mean.”
Then we sent someone to the Garden to verify the vandalism actually happened. The report back: no vandalism here. I couldn’t believe the Twitter tipster would fabricate this, so I called Mary Hines, spokeswoman for the city’s Park & Rec Department.
Hines said the ducks were, indeed, defaced. (“When I first heard about it, I was horrified.”) The Public Garden work crew discovered the vandalism first thing this morning. “They called for backup,” Hines tells me. The case was elevated to highest priority. The tags were washed clean off.
“The mayor really loves the sculpture,” Schön says. I wouldn’t be surprised if Menino himself expedited the cleanup.
The ducks famously have been stolen (and returned), but never before vandalized, Schön says.
“When the last duck was stolen,” she says, “the mayor said this is no longer a prank, this is a crime. And if the person who did this is caught, they’re gonna look at six months in jail or a $25,000 fine.”
I asked Schön why people like to pick on her ducks so much. She doesn’t understand.
On the other hand: “The strange part of it is … there is some very mysterious person or persons who are constantly putting hats on them and scarves decorating them and doing all sorts of things every time there’s any sort of a holiday,” Schön says. (Blumenthal tweeted a picture of the ducks in happier times.)
“When the Red Sox won the pennant, there were immediately Red Sox hats on them.”
Update: Intrigued by a comment from HB, who wondered whether the vandalism was a political statement about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, I called Nancy Schön again for a response.
“Oh, for Heaven’s sakes, that’s possible, I suppose,” she says, fascinated by the idea. But: “There are different ways to make statements and not to deface ducks.”
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Hollywood filming down in Massachusetts
Bay State’s film biz hits a rough patch
By Gayle Fee & Laura Raposa | Tuesday, May 25, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | The Inside Track
The movie-making season is here and, unlike last year when Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, Mark Wahlberg, Brooke Shields, Christian Bale, Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock and Richard Dreyfuss rolled into the Bay State, if you want to see stars this summer, you better buy a telescope.
Thus far only one (semi) big-budget production is slated to shoot in Massachusetts: the Anna Faris-Joel McHale- Chris Evans romantic comedy “What’s Your Number,” which has been filming in and around town since last week. (Yesterday Faris & Co. spent the day at Financial District hotspot Sanctuary, today, they’re due on the Northern Avenue bridge.)
And two made-in-Boston TV pilots - “The Quinn Tuplets” for CBS, starring Amber Tamblyn and Molly Parker, and ABC’s “Boston’s Finest,” with “24’s” Katee Sackhoff and “ER” hunk Goran Visnjic - weren’t picked up by the networks.
Which left the Mass. Film Office only one bit of good news to tout yesterday: That two movies made here last year - the Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz action-comedy “Knight & Day” and the Adam Sandler & Co.’s “Grown Ups” - will open on the same day, June 25. That’s a first for Massachusetts, but industry types are hoping it’s not a last.
State film office head Nick Paleologos admits the bid to put a cap on the state’s generous tax incentives for filmmakers hurt business. The measure died on Beacon Hill last month so Paleologos is hoping things will turn around later this year.
“Lots of interest, now that the debate over incentives is in the rear view mirror,” he told the Track in an e-mail. “Second half of year should be pretty busy.”
The producers of “Moneyball,” starring Brad Pitt, had looked at Massachusetts but ultimately decided to shoot in L.A. They might do a week here in September. A couple of reality shows and an indie horror flick are also in play. But that’s a far cry from 2009, which saw 10 big productions and five TV episodes filmed in the state.
BTW, CBS did pick up “Blue Bloods,” a TV pilot starring two Bay Staters - New Kid on the Block Donnie Wahlberg and Tom Brady [stats]’s baby mama Bridget Moynahan . Sadly, it will be filmed in New York.
File Under: Lights, Camera, No Action.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view.bg?articleid=1257132
By Gayle Fee & Laura Raposa | Tuesday, May 25, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | The Inside Track
The movie-making season is here and, unlike last year when Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, Mark Wahlberg, Brooke Shields, Christian Bale, Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock and Richard Dreyfuss rolled into the Bay State, if you want to see stars this summer, you better buy a telescope.
Thus far only one (semi) big-budget production is slated to shoot in Massachusetts: the Anna Faris-Joel McHale- Chris Evans romantic comedy “What’s Your Number,” which has been filming in and around town since last week. (Yesterday Faris & Co. spent the day at Financial District hotspot Sanctuary, today, they’re due on the Northern Avenue bridge.)
And two made-in-Boston TV pilots - “The Quinn Tuplets” for CBS, starring Amber Tamblyn and Molly Parker, and ABC’s “Boston’s Finest,” with “24’s” Katee Sackhoff and “ER” hunk Goran Visnjic - weren’t picked up by the networks.
Which left the Mass. Film Office only one bit of good news to tout yesterday: That two movies made here last year - the Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz action-comedy “Knight & Day” and the Adam Sandler & Co.’s “Grown Ups” - will open on the same day, June 25. That’s a first for Massachusetts, but industry types are hoping it’s not a last.
State film office head Nick Paleologos admits the bid to put a cap on the state’s generous tax incentives for filmmakers hurt business. The measure died on Beacon Hill last month so Paleologos is hoping things will turn around later this year.
“Lots of interest, now that the debate over incentives is in the rear view mirror,” he told the Track in an e-mail. “Second half of year should be pretty busy.”
The producers of “Moneyball,” starring Brad Pitt, had looked at Massachusetts but ultimately decided to shoot in L.A. They might do a week here in September. A couple of reality shows and an indie horror flick are also in play. But that’s a far cry from 2009, which saw 10 big productions and five TV episodes filmed in the state.
BTW, CBS did pick up “Blue Bloods,” a TV pilot starring two Bay Staters - New Kid on the Block Donnie Wahlberg and Tom Brady [stats]’s baby mama Bridget Moynahan . Sadly, it will be filmed in New York.
File Under: Lights, Camera, No Action.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view.bg?articleid=1257132
Andale Express to open by aquarium
Boston Restaurant Talk
Monday, May 24, 2010
Andale Express to Open at the Rose Kennedy Greenway
It looks like a Mexican quick-food restaurant in the Financial District of Boston is going to be opening a second location nearby. Andale, which is at 125 Summer Street (just west of the Rose Kennedy Greenway and South Station), is soon going to have a sister restaurant called Andale Express, which will be located at the Rose Kennedy Greenway in front of the New England Aquarium. According to the owner of the restaurant, Andale Express could be open sometime around June 7.
Based on the menu at the High Street Andale, the new Andale Express may have such items as enchiladas, burritos, and quesadillas, as well as soup and nachos.
Andale first opened in the Financial District in late 2003, bringing to the area a place to get authentic Mexican food to go. Both Andale and the soon-to-open Andale Express are connected with Zocalo, a pair of full-service restaurants with locations in Arlington, and soon, the Back Bay of Boston (their Brighton location recently closed).
The website for Andale can be found at: http://www.andaleboston.com/
posted by Marc at 11:20 AM
Monday, May 24, 2010
Andale Express to Open at the Rose Kennedy Greenway
It looks like a Mexican quick-food restaurant in the Financial District of Boston is going to be opening a second location nearby. Andale, which is at 125 Summer Street (just west of the Rose Kennedy Greenway and South Station), is soon going to have a sister restaurant called Andale Express, which will be located at the Rose Kennedy Greenway in front of the New England Aquarium. According to the owner of the restaurant, Andale Express could be open sometime around June 7.
Based on the menu at the High Street Andale, the new Andale Express may have such items as enchiladas, burritos, and quesadillas, as well as soup and nachos.
Andale first opened in the Financial District in late 2003, bringing to the area a place to get authentic Mexican food to go. Both Andale and the soon-to-open Andale Express are connected with Zocalo, a pair of full-service restaurants with locations in Arlington, and soon, the Back Bay of Boston (their Brighton location recently closed).
The website for Andale can be found at: http://www.andaleboston.com/
posted by Marc at 11:20 AM
Zocalo to reopen in Back Bay
Boston Restaurant Talk
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Zocalo Cocina Mexicana to Reopen in the Back Bay
A Mexican restaurant in Brighton that recently closed will soon be open once again, though at a new location in another section of Boston. According to the restaurant's website, Zocalo Cocina Mexicana is going to be opening somewhere in the Back Bay in early June. A note on the Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook page from the owner of the restaurant mentions that the new spot should be open on June 4, though the restaurant's website says June 1.
The space on Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton that has been vacated by Zocalo will soon be taken over by a new French bistro called Chez Jacky, with a possible opening before the end of this month. The people behind Chez Jacky also run Petit Robert Bistro in the South End, Kenmore Square, and Needham.
[May 24 update: A message from the owner of the restaurant indicates the address of the new Zocalo will be 35 Stanhope Street, which is where Stix Restaurant and Lounge currently resides.]
posted by Marc at 3:47 PM
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Zocalo Cocina Mexicana to Reopen in the Back Bay
A Mexican restaurant in Brighton that recently closed will soon be open once again, though at a new location in another section of Boston. According to the restaurant's website, Zocalo Cocina Mexicana is going to be opening somewhere in the Back Bay in early June. A note on the Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook page from the owner of the restaurant mentions that the new spot should be open on June 4, though the restaurant's website says June 1.
The space on Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton that has been vacated by Zocalo will soon be taken over by a new French bistro called Chez Jacky, with a possible opening before the end of this month. The people behind Chez Jacky also run Petit Robert Bistro in the South End, Kenmore Square, and Needham.
[May 24 update: A message from the owner of the restaurant indicates the address of the new Zocalo will be 35 Stanhope Street, which is where Stix Restaurant and Lounge currently resides.]
posted by Marc at 3:47 PM
Wollensky's Grill may come to waterfront development
Wollensky's Grill May Be Coming to the Boston Waterfront
It looks like a chain of high-end steakhouses may be looking to bring a more casual eatery to Boston's Waterfront.
According to Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who was mentioned in a Boston Globe article on retail resurgence in Boston, Smith & Wollensky is apparently checking out Atlantic Wharf as a place to open Wollensky's Grill, a new, lower-priced concept from the steakhouse that currently has a location in the Midtown East section of Manhattan (on E 49th Street). Wollensky's Grill features steaks as well as burgers, club sandwiches, ribs, lamb chops, and pan-roasted chicken, with prices for entrees being mostly in the teens and twenties (steaks are in the thirties).
Smith & Wollensky currently has one location for their steakhouse in Boston, at 101 Arlington Street in an historic building that is known to many as "The Castle."
Atlantic Wharf is a mixed-use residential, retail, and office development wedged between the Rose Kennedy Greenway and Fort Point Channel by Congress Street, about a block north of South Station. The redeveloped building sits on what used to be called Russia Wharf.
posted by Marc at 10:22 AM
It looks like a chain of high-end steakhouses may be looking to bring a more casual eatery to Boston's Waterfront.
According to Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who was mentioned in a Boston Globe article on retail resurgence in Boston, Smith & Wollensky is apparently checking out Atlantic Wharf as a place to open Wollensky's Grill, a new, lower-priced concept from the steakhouse that currently has a location in the Midtown East section of Manhattan (on E 49th Street). Wollensky's Grill features steaks as well as burgers, club sandwiches, ribs, lamb chops, and pan-roasted chicken, with prices for entrees being mostly in the teens and twenties (steaks are in the thirties).
Smith & Wollensky currently has one location for their steakhouse in Boston, at 101 Arlington Street in an historic building that is known to many as "The Castle."
Atlantic Wharf is a mixed-use residential, retail, and office development wedged between the Rose Kennedy Greenway and Fort Point Channel by Congress Street, about a block north of South Station. The redeveloped building sits on what used to be called Russia Wharf.
posted by Marc at 10:22 AM
Man charged in assault on Doubletree hotel housekeeper
Universal Hub
DA: Would-be hotel rapist threatened to sue when confronted by employees
By adamg - 5/24/10 - 2:12 pm
Leonard Hall, of no particular address, was ordered held in lieu of $75,000 bail today at his arraignment on charges he tried to rape an employee at the Doubletree Hotel on Washington Street, the Suffolk County DA's office reports.
According to the DA's office, a maid was cleaning a bathroom in a fifth-floor guestroom around noon on May 9 when she head the room door shut. Assistant DA David Deakin, chief of Conley's Family Protection and Sexual Assault Bureau, provided this account:
When she asked him what he wanted, he put his hand around her waist and then sexually assaulted her. The victim tried to get away, and she began screaming for help. Hall allegedly slammed the victim's hand in the door before fleeing the room. A male employee who heard the victim's screams followed Hall as he tried to exit the hotel. When he and a second male employee confronted Hall and tried to detain him after calling Boston Police, Hall allegedly threatened, "I'm going to sue' before leaving the hotel.
The DA's office says Hall then fled into the Tufts Medical Center T stop and got away on an Orange Line train before police arrived. Photos and videos led police to local homeless shelters, one of which was able to provide a lead on his whereabouts, the DA's office says.
Innocent, etc.
DA: Would-be hotel rapist threatened to sue when confronted by employees
By adamg - 5/24/10 - 2:12 pm
Leonard Hall, of no particular address, was ordered held in lieu of $75,000 bail today at his arraignment on charges he tried to rape an employee at the Doubletree Hotel on Washington Street, the Suffolk County DA's office reports.
According to the DA's office, a maid was cleaning a bathroom in a fifth-floor guestroom around noon on May 9 when she head the room door shut. Assistant DA David Deakin, chief of Conley's Family Protection and Sexual Assault Bureau, provided this account:
When she asked him what he wanted, he put his hand around her waist and then sexually assaulted her. The victim tried to get away, and she began screaming for help. Hall allegedly slammed the victim's hand in the door before fleeing the room. A male employee who heard the victim's screams followed Hall as he tried to exit the hotel. When he and a second male employee confronted Hall and tried to detain him after calling Boston Police, Hall allegedly threatened, "I'm going to sue' before leaving the hotel.
The DA's office says Hall then fled into the Tufts Medical Center T stop and got away on an Orange Line train before police arrived. Photos and videos led police to local homeless shelters, one of which was able to provide a lead on his whereabouts, the DA's office says.
Innocent, etc.
Major retailers and restaurants eyeing expansion in Boston
Fenway, Roxbury projects signaling retail resurgence
By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff | May 25, 2010
High-profile merchant Target Corp. and natural-foods grocer Whole Foods Market Inc. are eyeing major expansions in the Fenway, while Kohl’s Corp. is considering a smaller version of its discount department store in Roxbury — all signs of a renewed optimism in the Hub retail market.
The plans were described yesterday by Mayor Thomas M. Menino and other city officials familiar with the development plans. Menino, who this week is drumming up business for the city at a retail convention in Las Vegas, also reported that Panera Bread Co. is planning to open a restaurant in part of the shuttered Circuit City at South Bay Center in Dorchester.
And CB2, a home furnishings chain by Crate & Barrel aimed at young adults, is vying to locate in Fenway, at one of the new projects on Boylston Street by Boston developer Steve Samuels, the mayor said.
“We see the economy is getting a little better this year and people are thinking about expansions, new locations, and new concepts,’’ Menino said. “Whole Foods, Target, and CB2 — they’re really excited about the Fenway area. They see the demographic and the great potential with the medical centers and college students.’’
It’s a striking difference in tone from last year, when Menino, for the first time in 16 years, didn’t even attend the annual Global Retail Real Estate Convention because of the tough economic climate.
The recession has hit the Boston retail market particularly hard, with vacancies soaring to 11.6 percent in 2009, compared with 9.7 percent for Eastern Massachusetts, according to KeyPoint Partners LLC, a market research firm.
But there is cautious optimism as consumers slowly resume their shopping habits. Nearly 70 percent of US retailers believe that the overall economy is improving, and 92 percent are planning to increase store openings, according to a survey released last week by CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. Newbury Street has already started to see the uptick: More than a dozen new shops opened in recent months, and another 14 businesses are set to debut in the coming months.
Although no deals have been finalized, Target, Whole Foods, and CB2 have been in serious negotiations for months to move into a planned complex at the Goodyear site located at 1345 Boylston St. and an adjacent property at 1325 Boylston St., according to city officials, including Susan Elsbree, a spokeswoman for the Boston Redevelopment Authority.
Target is considering a three-story urban format with upwards of 130,000 square feet, which would make the store one of just about 40 Target shops nationwide that are spread over multiple floors or have a unique floor plan, the officials said. The project will soon start the permitting process, and developers are hoping to complete the site over the next three years.
Target, which has about 31 stores in Massachusetts, declined to confirm plans for Fenway, but Sarah Bakken, company spokeswoman, said, “Boston is a market that Target continues to be interested in for future expansion.’’
Robin Rehfield, a Whole Foods spokeswoman, also declined to confirm plans to move to the Fenway, but said, “We’re always exploring new sites in and around Boston, but we don’t comment on speculation surrounding specific store sites.’’
Samuels, who developed Trilogy and 1330 Boylston Street in Fenway, said: “We’re working with a big discount store, a grocery store, some other furniture stores, and other national retailers who are showing significant renewed interest in the Fenway.’’
“People are finally starting to realize there’s great transportation and demographics. It’s been overlooked for many, many years as the domain of the ballpark and medical centers,’’ said Samuels.
Madison Riley, a retail analyst with Kurt Salmon Associates in Boston, said Fenway is an appealing market for many retailers because there is a good neighborhood in addition to all the foot traffic that comes with the Red Sox games. Upgrades to Fenway Park that include more seats and expanded food options, along with new retail and residential projects in the neighborhood, “give a lot of people confidence that this is a good place to invest,’’ Riley said.
Tasty Burger and Citizen, a gastropub launched by the owners of Franklin Cafe in the South End, are two of the latest restaurants expected to open in the Fenway later this summer.
Retailers are also pursuing other sites across the city. In addition to the South Bay location, Panera has plans to open restaurants on Boylston Street in the Back Bay and Huntington Avenue near Northeastern University. Panera declined to confirm these locations, but John Maguire, the company’s co-chief operating officer, said in a statement, “We view Boston as one of Panera’s strongest development opportunities in the country and hope to open three more locations this year.’’
Smith & Wollensky steakhouse is also eyeing the Atlantic Wharf on the waterfront to test its new, lower-priced concept, Wollensky’s Grill, according to Menino. A Smith & Wollensky spokeswoman declined to comment.
In past years, Downtown Crossing has been a focal point of Menino’s pitch to retailers. But plans for a neighborhood revival spearheaded by the redevelopment of the Filene’s block at One Franklin Street are coming up short since the project lost financing.
In the meantime, city officials are aggressively marketing the former Tello’s site on Washington Street and hope momentum in other parts of Downtown Crossing will eventually breathe life into the Filene’s redevelopment.
“It’s frustrating. No questions about it,’’ Menino said. “They can’t just sit idly by.’’
Jenn Abelson can be reached at abelson@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff | May 25, 2010
High-profile merchant Target Corp. and natural-foods grocer Whole Foods Market Inc. are eyeing major expansions in the Fenway, while Kohl’s Corp. is considering a smaller version of its discount department store in Roxbury — all signs of a renewed optimism in the Hub retail market.
The plans were described yesterday by Mayor Thomas M. Menino and other city officials familiar with the development plans. Menino, who this week is drumming up business for the city at a retail convention in Las Vegas, also reported that Panera Bread Co. is planning to open a restaurant in part of the shuttered Circuit City at South Bay Center in Dorchester.
And CB2, a home furnishings chain by Crate & Barrel aimed at young adults, is vying to locate in Fenway, at one of the new projects on Boylston Street by Boston developer Steve Samuels, the mayor said.
“We see the economy is getting a little better this year and people are thinking about expansions, new locations, and new concepts,’’ Menino said. “Whole Foods, Target, and CB2 — they’re really excited about the Fenway area. They see the demographic and the great potential with the medical centers and college students.’’
It’s a striking difference in tone from last year, when Menino, for the first time in 16 years, didn’t even attend the annual Global Retail Real Estate Convention because of the tough economic climate.
The recession has hit the Boston retail market particularly hard, with vacancies soaring to 11.6 percent in 2009, compared with 9.7 percent for Eastern Massachusetts, according to KeyPoint Partners LLC, a market research firm.
But there is cautious optimism as consumers slowly resume their shopping habits. Nearly 70 percent of US retailers believe that the overall economy is improving, and 92 percent are planning to increase store openings, according to a survey released last week by CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. Newbury Street has already started to see the uptick: More than a dozen new shops opened in recent months, and another 14 businesses are set to debut in the coming months.
Although no deals have been finalized, Target, Whole Foods, and CB2 have been in serious negotiations for months to move into a planned complex at the Goodyear site located at 1345 Boylston St. and an adjacent property at 1325 Boylston St., according to city officials, including Susan Elsbree, a spokeswoman for the Boston Redevelopment Authority.
Target is considering a three-story urban format with upwards of 130,000 square feet, which would make the store one of just about 40 Target shops nationwide that are spread over multiple floors or have a unique floor plan, the officials said. The project will soon start the permitting process, and developers are hoping to complete the site over the next three years.
Target, which has about 31 stores in Massachusetts, declined to confirm plans for Fenway, but Sarah Bakken, company spokeswoman, said, “Boston is a market that Target continues to be interested in for future expansion.’’
Robin Rehfield, a Whole Foods spokeswoman, also declined to confirm plans to move to the Fenway, but said, “We’re always exploring new sites in and around Boston, but we don’t comment on speculation surrounding specific store sites.’’
Samuels, who developed Trilogy and 1330 Boylston Street in Fenway, said: “We’re working with a big discount store, a grocery store, some other furniture stores, and other national retailers who are showing significant renewed interest in the Fenway.’’
“People are finally starting to realize there’s great transportation and demographics. It’s been overlooked for many, many years as the domain of the ballpark and medical centers,’’ said Samuels.
Madison Riley, a retail analyst with Kurt Salmon Associates in Boston, said Fenway is an appealing market for many retailers because there is a good neighborhood in addition to all the foot traffic that comes with the Red Sox games. Upgrades to Fenway Park that include more seats and expanded food options, along with new retail and residential projects in the neighborhood, “give a lot of people confidence that this is a good place to invest,’’ Riley said.
Tasty Burger and Citizen, a gastropub launched by the owners of Franklin Cafe in the South End, are two of the latest restaurants expected to open in the Fenway later this summer.
Retailers are also pursuing other sites across the city. In addition to the South Bay location, Panera has plans to open restaurants on Boylston Street in the Back Bay and Huntington Avenue near Northeastern University. Panera declined to confirm these locations, but John Maguire, the company’s co-chief operating officer, said in a statement, “We view Boston as one of Panera’s strongest development opportunities in the country and hope to open three more locations this year.’’
Smith & Wollensky steakhouse is also eyeing the Atlantic Wharf on the waterfront to test its new, lower-priced concept, Wollensky’s Grill, according to Menino. A Smith & Wollensky spokeswoman declined to comment.
In past years, Downtown Crossing has been a focal point of Menino’s pitch to retailers. But plans for a neighborhood revival spearheaded by the redevelopment of the Filene’s block at One Franklin Street are coming up short since the project lost financing.
In the meantime, city officials are aggressively marketing the former Tello’s site on Washington Street and hope momentum in other parts of Downtown Crossing will eventually breathe life into the Filene’s redevelopment.
“It’s frustrating. No questions about it,’’ Menino said. “They can’t just sit idly by.’’
Jenn Abelson can be reached at abelson@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Monday, May 24, 2010
Coast Guard rescues Super Duck Tours boat
First District Public Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard
Department of Homeland Security
News Release
Date: May 22, 2010
Coast Guard assists disabled tour boat in Boston Harbor
A Station Boston 25-foot response boat towed a 40-foot tour boat with 33 people on board to the Mystic Fuel Pier in Boston Harbor at 12:21 p.m. today after the vessel lost steering.
There are no reports of any injuries. A pier manager at the launch ramp in Little Mystic River Channel noticed the boat operated by Super Duck Tours was having problems and called the Coast Guard at 11:48 p.m.
The Station Boston rescue boat arrived on scene at 11:57 p.m. and towed the boat to the fuel pier where all the passengers got off safely and were picked up by another vehicle operated by Super Duck Tours.
The disabled vessel last passed a Coast Guard inspection March 11, 2010. The vessel, delivered to the tour company in 2009, will not be allowed back into service until the mechanical problems are corrected and it must pass another Coast Guard inspection.
Coast Guard investigators from Sector Boston’s prevention division will also investigate why the vessel lost its ability to steer.
“We are glad everyone on the tour boat was able to get off safely,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Joaquin R. Alayoa, who works in the First Coast Guard District command center. “Luckily the vessel was close to shore and Station Boston when it lost its steering. We will work closely with the tour boat company to find out why this happened and make sure the boat is safe before it is allowed back into service.”
Saving Lives and Guarding the Coast Since 1790.
The United States Coast Guard -- Proud History. Powerful Future.
U.S. Coast Guard
Department of Homeland Security
News Release
Date: May 22, 2010
Coast Guard assists disabled tour boat in Boston Harbor
A Station Boston 25-foot response boat towed a 40-foot tour boat with 33 people on board to the Mystic Fuel Pier in Boston Harbor at 12:21 p.m. today after the vessel lost steering.
There are no reports of any injuries. A pier manager at the launch ramp in Little Mystic River Channel noticed the boat operated by Super Duck Tours was having problems and called the Coast Guard at 11:48 p.m.
The Station Boston rescue boat arrived on scene at 11:57 p.m. and towed the boat to the fuel pier where all the passengers got off safely and were picked up by another vehicle operated by Super Duck Tours.
The disabled vessel last passed a Coast Guard inspection March 11, 2010. The vessel, delivered to the tour company in 2009, will not be allowed back into service until the mechanical problems are corrected and it must pass another Coast Guard inspection.
Coast Guard investigators from Sector Boston’s prevention division will also investigate why the vessel lost its ability to steer.
“We are glad everyone on the tour boat was able to get off safely,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Joaquin R. Alayoa, who works in the First Coast Guard District command center. “Luckily the vessel was close to shore and Station Boston when it lost its steering. We will work closely with the tour boat company to find out why this happened and make sure the boat is safe before it is allowed back into service.”
Saving Lives and Guarding the Coast Since 1790.
The United States Coast Guard -- Proud History. Powerful Future.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Sports Depot to become Pizzeria Regina
It’s game over for Sports Depot
By Donna Goodison | Friday, May 21, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Allston’s Sports Depot is in its final inning after 22 years.
The Cambridge Street sports bar and restaurant will close to make way for a Regina Pizza.
Boston Restaurant Associates, owner of the brick-oven pizza chain that started in the North End in 1926, will spend about $1.5 million to open a 300-plus-seat pizzeria in the former train depot in September.
“We really like the site itself, the historic nature of it and the good visibility on the (Mass.) Turnpike,” said Bob Taft, CEO of the Lynnfield-based company. “It’s got good parking, and it’s a nice fit for us, because of all the young people there in the colleges.”
Sports Depot co-owner Jay Arcand, whose family will retain ownership of the property, says it’s time for a new concept.
“I’ve been working in the restaurant business in that location since 1972,” Arcand said. “When we opened the Sports Depot it was cutting edge, and now it needs a shot in the arm.”
Arcand opened the Sports Depot in 1988 after operating the Allston Depot Steakhouse in the depot since 1972.
Built in 1887, the former Boston & Albany Railroad depot is a designated Boston landmark. The pink granite building was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style popularized by architect Henry Hobson Richardson, who designed Boston’s Trinity Church in Copley Square.
The new, 7,000-square-foot Regina Pizza will be the second of a sit-down prototype restaurant launched by the chain in Medford about three years ago.
“We took a lot of the ambiance and elements of the (original) North End location and put it into a larger footprint, and we integrated a full bar and . . . the Vino Room,” Taft said. “It’s fun, it’s comfortable, and it’s casual.”
The Allston location will be the 21st for the privately held Boston Restaurant Associates, which also operates 15 Regina Pizzeria mall locations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and three Polcari’s restaurants.
The Sports Depot will close once the liquor license transfer, which was approved by the Boston Licensing Board yesterday, gets clearance from the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1256261
By Donna Goodison | Friday, May 21, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Allston’s Sports Depot is in its final inning after 22 years.
The Cambridge Street sports bar and restaurant will close to make way for a Regina Pizza.
Boston Restaurant Associates, owner of the brick-oven pizza chain that started in the North End in 1926, will spend about $1.5 million to open a 300-plus-seat pizzeria in the former train depot in September.
“We really like the site itself, the historic nature of it and the good visibility on the (Mass.) Turnpike,” said Bob Taft, CEO of the Lynnfield-based company. “It’s got good parking, and it’s a nice fit for us, because of all the young people there in the colleges.”
Sports Depot co-owner Jay Arcand, whose family will retain ownership of the property, says it’s time for a new concept.
“I’ve been working in the restaurant business in that location since 1972,” Arcand said. “When we opened the Sports Depot it was cutting edge, and now it needs a shot in the arm.”
Arcand opened the Sports Depot in 1988 after operating the Allston Depot Steakhouse in the depot since 1972.
Built in 1887, the former Boston & Albany Railroad depot is a designated Boston landmark. The pink granite building was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style popularized by architect Henry Hobson Richardson, who designed Boston’s Trinity Church in Copley Square.
The new, 7,000-square-foot Regina Pizza will be the second of a sit-down prototype restaurant launched by the chain in Medford about three years ago.
“We took a lot of the ambiance and elements of the (original) North End location and put it into a larger footprint, and we integrated a full bar and . . . the Vino Room,” Taft said. “It’s fun, it’s comfortable, and it’s casual.”
The Allston location will be the 21st for the privately held Boston Restaurant Associates, which also operates 15 Regina Pizzeria mall locations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and three Polcari’s restaurants.
The Sports Depot will close once the liquor license transfer, which was approved by the Boston Licensing Board yesterday, gets clearance from the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1256261
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Christian Science Church redevelopment to include three new buildings, a revamped reflecting pool, and ice skating
A reflection of the times
Boston church plans user-friendly revamp of famed pool, plaza
By Matt Byrne, Globe Correspondent | May 19, 2010
The Christian Science Church is launching a major redevelopment of its Back Bay headquarters, with plans to remake one of Boston’s most famous landmarks: the 686-foot-long reflecting pool that anchors the church’s sprawling concrete plaza at Massachusetts and Huntington avenues.
The church plans to build a more modern, shallower version of an infinity pool. But most significant will be the addition of a 20-foot wide path across the pool, built so that, from a distance, people crossing it will look as if they are walking on water.
“When we started this process, people said: ‘It’s so beautiful. Why would you want to change anything?’ ’’ said Barbara Burley, the church’s senior manager for real estate planning and operations. “Times are different than they were 40 years ago. It really matters to have more trees and more places to sit.’’
Another change the church will encourage: ice skating in winter on one section of the divided pool.
The new pool is part of a massive redevelopment the Christian Science leadership has been working on for more than a year. Its current plan is to build three buildings, with one taller than 500 feet. Proceeds from the lease or sale of the buildings would be used to finance the estimated $40 million redesign of the plaza and pool.
There is no firm timetable yet for beginning construction, but the church expects to release more details this summer after it concludes working with a citizens group in a process organized by City Hall.
Beyond being a signature work of modernism, the plaza and reflecting pool have become part of the public realm of Boston. So any changes the church proposes will probably be subject to intense scrutiny and undergo extensive review by city agencies.
The new pool would be a few feet shorter and use much less water than the current 38-year-old basin, which is expensive to maintain and leaking into the underground garage below it. It currently holds 1 million gallons of water, and goes through three times that much during the course of the year. Church officials said it costs $2 million a year to maintain the plaza.
The new pool would be 12 inches deep, compared with the existing 28-inch pool. Around plans call for adding benches, trees, and a lawn to make the plaza more welcoming. While community members involved in the planning process over the past 15 months have not raised major objections to the changes, some professionals caution the church to tread carefully.
Tim Love, principal of the architectural and design firm Utile Inc., said adding the path across the pool and making it shallower than the current 28 inches could rob it of its surreal qualities.
“The pool is successful now because you can’t see the bottom, and it acts as a mirror,’’ Love said. “It might be the right thing to do, but it would have to be done carefully.’’
And the church may soon face an even more involved process to get the changes to the pool approved.
The Boston Landmarks Commission is scheduled to issue a preliminary report June 22 on the plaza, in response to a petition signed by dozens of architects and others in January 2007 asking to have the site designated as a landmark. If granted, the landmark status would force the church to get the commission’s input and approval for any final design, said Ellen Lipsey, the commission’s executive director.
The commission has scheduled a public hearing on the petition July 13.
The plaza and pool were originally designed by architects I.M. Pei & Partners and Araldo Cossutta, Associate Architects and built in 1972. Araldo Cossutta, the lead architect for the plaza, told the Globe in 1973 that he wanted to create a space with “dignity.’’
His solution? “A large piece of water,’’ he told the Globe.
In a recent interview the 85-year-old Cossutta said he’s been briefed by church officials on the proposed changes and has mixed feelings. He supports adding a walkway across the pool, but opposes making the pool shallower.
“That is a ridiculous idea,’’ Cossutta said. “It has been tried out in some projects; I saw one in France, where the pool is very shallow, and it becomes sewage, mostly, because of all of the pollution in the air. It becomes a mud pool, not a water pool.’’
Although the plaza has been popular since its opening, church officials believe that time has shown it to be a less welcoming public space than others in the city, such as the Boston Common or Public Garden. Thick concrete benches and planters block pedestrian access along Huntington Avenue, funneling foot traffic to a few narrower passages. And, outside the pool, much of the open space in the plaza is blank pavement.
Chief architect Robert A. Herlinger said the pool is integral in providing easier access to the church property, as well as connecting the different architectural styles of buildings on the grounds.
“With this crossing it gives us a landing point and an ability to actually enter the site,’’ Herlinger said. “We’re looking at some paving changes that will draw people in,’’ including paths to lead people to the reflecting pool area.
Moreover, the walkway over the pool evokes a grass path that was part of the landscaped grounds that were cleared to make way for the current plaza.
In its current plan, the church would construct three new buildings, totaling around 1 million square feet.
Development options include long-term leasing of the three parcels to developers who will share some of the proceeds from what they build with the church. But no firm plans have been released yet.
The tallest would be a 531-foot tower near the corner of Belvidere and Dalton streets, and adjacent to that would go the shortest of the three, a 270-foot building. The third is a 311-foot glass edifice planned for the corner of Massachusetts and Huntington avenues that may house condominiums and apartments.
The church is nearing the end of its work with the neighborhood group. Next is the formal submission of official redevelopment plans to city regulators.
Cambridge architect Alex Krieger, who is also interim chairman of urban planning and design at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, urged the church to make sure it has perfected the design of a new pool before submitting it to the city for review.
“As you start to approach the area of the reflecting pool itself,’’ Krieger said, “I think you have to be very, very cautious not to tamper with the kind of aura of the place.’’
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Boston church plans user-friendly revamp of famed pool, plaza
By Matt Byrne, Globe Correspondent | May 19, 2010
The Christian Science Church is launching a major redevelopment of its Back Bay headquarters, with plans to remake one of Boston’s most famous landmarks: the 686-foot-long reflecting pool that anchors the church’s sprawling concrete plaza at Massachusetts and Huntington avenues.
The church plans to build a more modern, shallower version of an infinity pool. But most significant will be the addition of a 20-foot wide path across the pool, built so that, from a distance, people crossing it will look as if they are walking on water.
“When we started this process, people said: ‘It’s so beautiful. Why would you want to change anything?’ ’’ said Barbara Burley, the church’s senior manager for real estate planning and operations. “Times are different than they were 40 years ago. It really matters to have more trees and more places to sit.’’
Another change the church will encourage: ice skating in winter on one section of the divided pool.
The new pool is part of a massive redevelopment the Christian Science leadership has been working on for more than a year. Its current plan is to build three buildings, with one taller than 500 feet. Proceeds from the lease or sale of the buildings would be used to finance the estimated $40 million redesign of the plaza and pool.
There is no firm timetable yet for beginning construction, but the church expects to release more details this summer after it concludes working with a citizens group in a process organized by City Hall.
Beyond being a signature work of modernism, the plaza and reflecting pool have become part of the public realm of Boston. So any changes the church proposes will probably be subject to intense scrutiny and undergo extensive review by city agencies.
The new pool would be a few feet shorter and use much less water than the current 38-year-old basin, which is expensive to maintain and leaking into the underground garage below it. It currently holds 1 million gallons of water, and goes through three times that much during the course of the year. Church officials said it costs $2 million a year to maintain the plaza.
The new pool would be 12 inches deep, compared with the existing 28-inch pool. Around plans call for adding benches, trees, and a lawn to make the plaza more welcoming. While community members involved in the planning process over the past 15 months have not raised major objections to the changes, some professionals caution the church to tread carefully.
Tim Love, principal of the architectural and design firm Utile Inc., said adding the path across the pool and making it shallower than the current 28 inches could rob it of its surreal qualities.
“The pool is successful now because you can’t see the bottom, and it acts as a mirror,’’ Love said. “It might be the right thing to do, but it would have to be done carefully.’’
And the church may soon face an even more involved process to get the changes to the pool approved.
The Boston Landmarks Commission is scheduled to issue a preliminary report June 22 on the plaza, in response to a petition signed by dozens of architects and others in January 2007 asking to have the site designated as a landmark. If granted, the landmark status would force the church to get the commission’s input and approval for any final design, said Ellen Lipsey, the commission’s executive director.
The commission has scheduled a public hearing on the petition July 13.
The plaza and pool were originally designed by architects I.M. Pei & Partners and Araldo Cossutta, Associate Architects and built in 1972. Araldo Cossutta, the lead architect for the plaza, told the Globe in 1973 that he wanted to create a space with “dignity.’’
His solution? “A large piece of water,’’ he told the Globe.
In a recent interview the 85-year-old Cossutta said he’s been briefed by church officials on the proposed changes and has mixed feelings. He supports adding a walkway across the pool, but opposes making the pool shallower.
“That is a ridiculous idea,’’ Cossutta said. “It has been tried out in some projects; I saw one in France, where the pool is very shallow, and it becomes sewage, mostly, because of all of the pollution in the air. It becomes a mud pool, not a water pool.’’
Although the plaza has been popular since its opening, church officials believe that time has shown it to be a less welcoming public space than others in the city, such as the Boston Common or Public Garden. Thick concrete benches and planters block pedestrian access along Huntington Avenue, funneling foot traffic to a few narrower passages. And, outside the pool, much of the open space in the plaza is blank pavement.
Chief architect Robert A. Herlinger said the pool is integral in providing easier access to the church property, as well as connecting the different architectural styles of buildings on the grounds.
“With this crossing it gives us a landing point and an ability to actually enter the site,’’ Herlinger said. “We’re looking at some paving changes that will draw people in,’’ including paths to lead people to the reflecting pool area.
Moreover, the walkway over the pool evokes a grass path that was part of the landscaped grounds that were cleared to make way for the current plaza.
In its current plan, the church would construct three new buildings, totaling around 1 million square feet.
Development options include long-term leasing of the three parcels to developers who will share some of the proceeds from what they build with the church. But no firm plans have been released yet.
The tallest would be a 531-foot tower near the corner of Belvidere and Dalton streets, and adjacent to that would go the shortest of the three, a 270-foot building. The third is a 311-foot glass edifice planned for the corner of Massachusetts and Huntington avenues that may house condominiums and apartments.
The church is nearing the end of its work with the neighborhood group. Next is the formal submission of official redevelopment plans to city regulators.
Cambridge architect Alex Krieger, who is also interim chairman of urban planning and design at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, urged the church to make sure it has perfected the design of a new pool before submitting it to the city for review.
“As you start to approach the area of the reflecting pool itself,’’ Krieger said, “I think you have to be very, very cautious not to tamper with the kind of aura of the place.’’
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Fan Pier developer hopes Cirque will draw people to waterfront
Fan Pier builder’s strategy: Show off
By Thomas Grillo | Wednesday, May 19, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
It might have seemed strange to see a juggler on Fan Pier tossing yellow spools in the air yesterday, but to Joseph Fallon it made sense.
Fallon, whose $3 billion Fan Pier project is stalled, will temporarily transform one of his vacant parcels into the summer home for Cirque du Soleil. The Quebec-based troupe will set up its big top in the parking lot next door to Fallon’s 18-story office building in the hopes of luring people to the waterfront location.
French juggler Tony Frebourg gave a crowd that included Mayor Thomas M. Menino a preview yesterday.
The addition of Cirque du Soleil is the latest effort to fill spaces that await development of 21 acres of Fan Pier spanning nine city blocks. While one 500,000-square-foot office tower has been completed, Fallon has city approval for two more office buildings and a 20-story, 175-room luxury hotel with 100 residential units overlooking the harbor, as well as marinas and green space.
“I know once people come to visit this location they will want to live here,” said Fallon. “I’ve already heard from many people who come to shop or eat here that this is the place they want to call home.”
Earlier this month, luxury retailer LouisBoston moved from the city’s chic shopping district on Newbury Street to Fan Pier. The boutique will temporarily occupy 20,000 square feet of prime waterfront space behind One Marina Park Drive.
Filling these vacant parcels with temporary structures is a good remedy to a down economy and gets people to the site, which will bring success in filling these buildings later, said William McCall, a commercial real estate broker at McCall & Almy.
“Activity begets activity,” he said. “When the economy improves, the fact that people are more familiar with the location will get people to live and rent office space there.”
Benjamin Heller, a senior vice president at Jones Lang LaSalle, said Fallon is thinking creatively to draw attention to the waterfront.
“Any way to get people down to Fan Pier will only help,” he said. “Joe hosted the Volvo Ocean Race last summer and that was a unique event. He’s thinking outside normal marketing.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1255775
By Thomas Grillo | Wednesday, May 19, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
It might have seemed strange to see a juggler on Fan Pier tossing yellow spools in the air yesterday, but to Joseph Fallon it made sense.
Fallon, whose $3 billion Fan Pier project is stalled, will temporarily transform one of his vacant parcels into the summer home for Cirque du Soleil. The Quebec-based troupe will set up its big top in the parking lot next door to Fallon’s 18-story office building in the hopes of luring people to the waterfront location.
French juggler Tony Frebourg gave a crowd that included Mayor Thomas M. Menino a preview yesterday.
The addition of Cirque du Soleil is the latest effort to fill spaces that await development of 21 acres of Fan Pier spanning nine city blocks. While one 500,000-square-foot office tower has been completed, Fallon has city approval for two more office buildings and a 20-story, 175-room luxury hotel with 100 residential units overlooking the harbor, as well as marinas and green space.
“I know once people come to visit this location they will want to live here,” said Fallon. “I’ve already heard from many people who come to shop or eat here that this is the place they want to call home.”
Earlier this month, luxury retailer LouisBoston moved from the city’s chic shopping district on Newbury Street to Fan Pier. The boutique will temporarily occupy 20,000 square feet of prime waterfront space behind One Marina Park Drive.
Filling these vacant parcels with temporary structures is a good remedy to a down economy and gets people to the site, which will bring success in filling these buildings later, said William McCall, a commercial real estate broker at McCall & Almy.
“Activity begets activity,” he said. “When the economy improves, the fact that people are more familiar with the location will get people to live and rent office space there.”
Benjamin Heller, a senior vice president at Jones Lang LaSalle, said Fallon is thinking creatively to draw attention to the waterfront.
“Any way to get people down to Fan Pier will only help,” he said. “Joe hosted the Volvo Ocean Race last summer and that was a unique event. He’s thinking outside normal marketing.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1255775
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Cirque du Soleil to play at Fan Pier
Cirque du Soleil coming to Boston waterfront, Menino says
May 18, 2010 02:09 PM
By Shana Wickett, Globe Correspondent
Cirque du Soleil is bringing its blue-and-yellow big top to the South Boston waterfront this summer, Mayor Thomas Menino announced today, in the latest move to inject vitality in the area.
insect.jpg
Photo/David L. Ryan
Mayor Thomas Menino today with Cirque du Soleil performer Diabolos
OVO, Cirque du Soleil’s latest touring production, will open July 22 for a limited time at Fan Pier and Pier 4. The show will take up about three acres of waterfront land near the popular Institute of Contemporary Art, said Joseph Fallon, president and CEO of the Fallon Co., the developer of Fan Pier.
“Cirque du Soleil is one of the greatest attractions to have when people come to the city,” Menino said.
“[Over the summer], people won’t be able to travel far because of the economy, but they’ll be able to visit the South Boston waterfront,” he said. “That's always our intention.”
Andre Cote, vice president of marketing for Cirque du Soleil, said the event marks the attraction’s return to Fan Pier, where it first appeared in Boston with “Saltimbanco” in 1993.
“This place has changed a lot. It’s a very exciting place,” Cote said, noting that visitors can dine before and after the shows and stay at nearby hotels.
The location features “all of the different visions of where we want to go,” Cote said. “It’s kind of the perfect storm.”
The show's theme, OVO -- “egg” in Portuguese -- is the life cycle of insects, according to Cirque du Soleil. Its website calls the show “an immersion into the teeming and energetic world of insects.”
For information on the show and tickets, click here.
May 18, 2010 02:09 PM
By Shana Wickett, Globe Correspondent
Cirque du Soleil is bringing its blue-and-yellow big top to the South Boston waterfront this summer, Mayor Thomas Menino announced today, in the latest move to inject vitality in the area.
insect.jpg
Photo/David L. Ryan
Mayor Thomas Menino today with Cirque du Soleil performer Diabolos
OVO, Cirque du Soleil’s latest touring production, will open July 22 for a limited time at Fan Pier and Pier 4. The show will take up about three acres of waterfront land near the popular Institute of Contemporary Art, said Joseph Fallon, president and CEO of the Fallon Co., the developer of Fan Pier.
“Cirque du Soleil is one of the greatest attractions to have when people come to the city,” Menino said.
“[Over the summer], people won’t be able to travel far because of the economy, but they’ll be able to visit the South Boston waterfront,” he said. “That's always our intention.”
Andre Cote, vice president of marketing for Cirque du Soleil, said the event marks the attraction’s return to Fan Pier, where it first appeared in Boston with “Saltimbanco” in 1993.
“This place has changed a lot. It’s a very exciting place,” Cote said, noting that visitors can dine before and after the shows and stay at nearby hotels.
The location features “all of the different visions of where we want to go,” Cote said. “It’s kind of the perfect storm.”
The show's theme, OVO -- “egg” in Portuguese -- is the life cycle of insects, according to Cirque du Soleil. Its website calls the show “an immersion into the teeming and energetic world of insects.”
For information on the show and tickets, click here.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Newbury Street business occupancy up
Spring revival on Newbury Street
By Johnny Diaz, Globe Staff | May 17, 2010
Boston’s most coveted retail address is back on the map.
So far this year, more than a dozen new shops have opened on Newbury Street — from Cotelac women’s apparel to British clothier Ben Sherman — giving the street a 95 percent occupancy rate among more than 300 retail properties.
An additional 14 businesses are coming this year, including Converse, Levi’s, Jack Wills clothing, and Met Bar & Grill.
“Newbury is still hot,’’ said Tom Brennan, vice president of C. Talanian Realty Co., which owns and manages about 30 properties on Newbury. “The best locations are the last to drop and the first to come back.’’
It is certainly a reversal of fortune for Newbury Street.
The influx of businesses comes about a year after several chain stores, galleries, and boutiques closed along the street, renowned for its historic charm and haute mix of luxury shops, salons, and restaurants, which stretch eight blocks from Arlington Street to Massachusetts Avenue. Gaping holes were left as retailers like the Gap and LouisBoston departed, causing Newbury’s occupancy rate to fall to about 80 percent.
Real estate observers and merchants say many of the businesses left because of sluggish sales during a deep recession that made it difficult to afford the rent, which, depending on the block, can be from $50 to $240 per square foot.
Newbury Street has the highest retail rents in Boston, according to city officials.
But the departures opened up prime retail space that city officials and property owners could pitch to international brands looking to establish a presence on Newbury. Indeed, some of the new entrants, including British clothiers AllSaints Spitafields and Ted Baker, are based in Europe, and their Newbury stores are the first in New England.
“It’s aggressive promotion and leasing,’’ said Meg Mainzer-Cohen, president of the Back Bay Association, which spent $20,000 to launch a website last summer to better market Newbury and the Back Bay as destinations for “culture, cuisine, couture, and commerce.’’
UrbanMeritage, which owns 22 buildings on Newbury, has been aggressively courting tenants. The company in August launched a website, thenewburyline.com, to better promote the 02116 ZIP code as a shopping destination.
Michael Jammen, principal of UrbanMeritage, said it has spent $200,000 on the website and neighborhood branding.
“The level of marketing to go and attract those tenants is much more sophisticated than the old guard of Newbury Street who simply stick a sign in the window and wait for someone to call.’’
The UrbanMeritage promotion, he said, targeted retail conferences domestically as well as overseas, where Newbury Street is already something of a brand name.
Newbury is “the street to be on,’’ said Catherine Groener, US marketing manager for Cotelac, based in France. “A lot of people know the brand from Europe. If you go to Boston to visit a college, or you want to walk around, you go to Newbury Street. That is the obvious place to be.’’
The city has also helped the district rebound. Last summer, Mayor Thomas M. Menino toured Newbury with 70 retailers, brokers, and developers as a prelude to the International Conference of Shopping Centers’ New England Idea Exchange meeting in Boston. Menino highlighted some of the street’s vacancies and the critical need to fill them.
Dot Joyce, a spokeswoman for the mayor, said some of the new retailers heard about the openings during the tour.
Last week, the city proposed sprucing up the street later this summer by replacing all of its street lamps with 17-foot decorative acorn lamps, at a cost of about $300,000.
The mayor has also raised the possibility of closing Newbury Street to vehicle traffic during some summer days and inviting artists for street fairs, but that is still being discussed.
“We are constantly looking at Newbury and all of our business districts and how to improve them,’’ Joyce said.
Signs announcing store openings dot Newbury Street. Converse, for example, has a giant “Coming Soon’’ sign emblazoned on its black wooden fence in the 300 block. Walk another block, and construction workers are renovating the former home of Nora’s Convenient Store at 303 Newbury for an Ibex Outdoor Clothing store, which plans to move in later this year.
Farther down, scaffolding envelops the side of three former town homes where the Met Bar & Grill is being built at Dartmouth and Newbury streets.
Owner Kathy Sidell Trustman said she has been waiting two years for the 7,600-square-foot location to become available. It had been the home of Joe’s American Bar and Grill, which relocated in March to 181 Newbury.
“The space dictates and really speaks to old Boston and New England,’’ said Sidell Trustman, who owns three other Metropolitan restaurants — at the Natick Collection, Legacy Place, and Chestnut Hill.
Shoppers have noticed Newbury’s comeback.
Eleanor Mason, the owner of an alterations business in Brookline, recently visited the 7,500-square-foot AllSaints Spitafields store, which opened last month, replacing the home decor store Pottery Barn. The store, which has more than 100 antique sewing machines in the window and sells vintage-inspired clothes, was abuzz one recent afternoon.
“It’s bringing more fashion to Boston,’’ said Mason. “It has a European flair. It’s going to be huge competition for other shops. This is good for Newbury Street.’’
Still, some darkened storefronts remain, marked by “For Lease’’ and “Space Available’’ signs. The former home of the Gap clothing store remains empty at 201 Newbury. Earlier this month, Too Timid, an adult sex accessories store at 297 Newbury St., shut its doors.
And after 38 years, Marcoz, an antiques store at 173 Newbury, recently posted a “Moving Sale’’ sign after the owner, Marc Glasberg, said his landlord had doubled the rent on the 900-square-foot store. He said he is negotiating a new lease in the Back Bay, but not on Newbury.
Rachel Walsh has mixed feelings about old businesses closing and new ones opening. She and her husband own Rick Walker’s Boots, which is across the street from the future home of the Ibex Outdoor Clothing store.
“I’m glad to see some of the empty spaces being filled up, but at the same time, just the fact that the other ones all closed makes us take pause,’’ she said.
Mark Juliano, owner of Highlights Salon on Newbury, agrees. He said his $8,000-a-month rent went up to about $11,000 this past year, but because of the closings he was able to find a cheaper space one block away.
“I am not happy to see these billionaires come in and scoop up these buildings and ask for ridiculous rents,’’ said Juliano, whose hair salon is a 10-year fixture on Newbury. “But also the economy has pushed people out and has created opportunities for people like me.’’
Johnny Diaz can be reached at jodiaz@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
By Johnny Diaz, Globe Staff | May 17, 2010
Boston’s most coveted retail address is back on the map.
So far this year, more than a dozen new shops have opened on Newbury Street — from Cotelac women’s apparel to British clothier Ben Sherman — giving the street a 95 percent occupancy rate among more than 300 retail properties.
An additional 14 businesses are coming this year, including Converse, Levi’s, Jack Wills clothing, and Met Bar & Grill.
“Newbury is still hot,’’ said Tom Brennan, vice president of C. Talanian Realty Co., which owns and manages about 30 properties on Newbury. “The best locations are the last to drop and the first to come back.’’
It is certainly a reversal of fortune for Newbury Street.
The influx of businesses comes about a year after several chain stores, galleries, and boutiques closed along the street, renowned for its historic charm and haute mix of luxury shops, salons, and restaurants, which stretch eight blocks from Arlington Street to Massachusetts Avenue. Gaping holes were left as retailers like the Gap and LouisBoston departed, causing Newbury’s occupancy rate to fall to about 80 percent.
Real estate observers and merchants say many of the businesses left because of sluggish sales during a deep recession that made it difficult to afford the rent, which, depending on the block, can be from $50 to $240 per square foot.
Newbury Street has the highest retail rents in Boston, according to city officials.
But the departures opened up prime retail space that city officials and property owners could pitch to international brands looking to establish a presence on Newbury. Indeed, some of the new entrants, including British clothiers AllSaints Spitafields and Ted Baker, are based in Europe, and their Newbury stores are the first in New England.
“It’s aggressive promotion and leasing,’’ said Meg Mainzer-Cohen, president of the Back Bay Association, which spent $20,000 to launch a website last summer to better market Newbury and the Back Bay as destinations for “culture, cuisine, couture, and commerce.’’
UrbanMeritage, which owns 22 buildings on Newbury, has been aggressively courting tenants. The company in August launched a website, thenewburyline.com, to better promote the 02116 ZIP code as a shopping destination.
Michael Jammen, principal of UrbanMeritage, said it has spent $200,000 on the website and neighborhood branding.
“The level of marketing to go and attract those tenants is much more sophisticated than the old guard of Newbury Street who simply stick a sign in the window and wait for someone to call.’’
The UrbanMeritage promotion, he said, targeted retail conferences domestically as well as overseas, where Newbury Street is already something of a brand name.
Newbury is “the street to be on,’’ said Catherine Groener, US marketing manager for Cotelac, based in France. “A lot of people know the brand from Europe. If you go to Boston to visit a college, or you want to walk around, you go to Newbury Street. That is the obvious place to be.’’
The city has also helped the district rebound. Last summer, Mayor Thomas M. Menino toured Newbury with 70 retailers, brokers, and developers as a prelude to the International Conference of Shopping Centers’ New England Idea Exchange meeting in Boston. Menino highlighted some of the street’s vacancies and the critical need to fill them.
Dot Joyce, a spokeswoman for the mayor, said some of the new retailers heard about the openings during the tour.
Last week, the city proposed sprucing up the street later this summer by replacing all of its street lamps with 17-foot decorative acorn lamps, at a cost of about $300,000.
The mayor has also raised the possibility of closing Newbury Street to vehicle traffic during some summer days and inviting artists for street fairs, but that is still being discussed.
“We are constantly looking at Newbury and all of our business districts and how to improve them,’’ Joyce said.
Signs announcing store openings dot Newbury Street. Converse, for example, has a giant “Coming Soon’’ sign emblazoned on its black wooden fence in the 300 block. Walk another block, and construction workers are renovating the former home of Nora’s Convenient Store at 303 Newbury for an Ibex Outdoor Clothing store, which plans to move in later this year.
Farther down, scaffolding envelops the side of three former town homes where the Met Bar & Grill is being built at Dartmouth and Newbury streets.
Owner Kathy Sidell Trustman said she has been waiting two years for the 7,600-square-foot location to become available. It had been the home of Joe’s American Bar and Grill, which relocated in March to 181 Newbury.
“The space dictates and really speaks to old Boston and New England,’’ said Sidell Trustman, who owns three other Metropolitan restaurants — at the Natick Collection, Legacy Place, and Chestnut Hill.
Shoppers have noticed Newbury’s comeback.
Eleanor Mason, the owner of an alterations business in Brookline, recently visited the 7,500-square-foot AllSaints Spitafields store, which opened last month, replacing the home decor store Pottery Barn. The store, which has more than 100 antique sewing machines in the window and sells vintage-inspired clothes, was abuzz one recent afternoon.
“It’s bringing more fashion to Boston,’’ said Mason. “It has a European flair. It’s going to be huge competition for other shops. This is good for Newbury Street.’’
Still, some darkened storefronts remain, marked by “For Lease’’ and “Space Available’’ signs. The former home of the Gap clothing store remains empty at 201 Newbury. Earlier this month, Too Timid, an adult sex accessories store at 297 Newbury St., shut its doors.
And after 38 years, Marcoz, an antiques store at 173 Newbury, recently posted a “Moving Sale’’ sign after the owner, Marc Glasberg, said his landlord had doubled the rent on the 900-square-foot store. He said he is negotiating a new lease in the Back Bay, but not on Newbury.
Rachel Walsh has mixed feelings about old businesses closing and new ones opening. She and her husband own Rick Walker’s Boots, which is across the street from the future home of the Ibex Outdoor Clothing store.
“I’m glad to see some of the empty spaces being filled up, but at the same time, just the fact that the other ones all closed makes us take pause,’’ she said.
Mark Juliano, owner of Highlights Salon on Newbury, agrees. He said his $8,000-a-month rent went up to about $11,000 this past year, but because of the closings he was able to find a cheaper space one block away.
“I am not happy to see these billionaires come in and scoop up these buildings and ask for ridiculous rents,’’ said Juliano, whose hair salon is a 10-year fixture on Newbury. “But also the economy has pushed people out and has created opportunities for people like me.’’
Johnny Diaz can be reached at jodiaz@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Sagamore Bridge Construction finishes ahead of schedule, summer tourism season
STARTS & STOPS
Work crews beat the tourist rush, finish Sagamore fixes early
By Eric Moskowitz, Globe Staff | May 16, 2010
Cape travelers can breathe a sigh of relief.
On Thursday afternoon at about 2:30, laborers from R. Zoppo Corp. put the finishing touches on the Sagamore Bridge repair project and took down their work-in-progress sign.
The $5.5 million redecking project wrapped up two weeks ahead of schedule, leaving the bridge unfettered before Memorial Day weekend, which traditionally marks the start of the busy summer season.
The work, which began at the tail end of last year’s tourist season, included grinding, repaving, and re-waterproofing the existing bridge deck as well as replacing and rehabilitating the sidewalks, parapet walls, curbing, and lighting.
The US Army Corps of Engineers, which operates the bridge, had originally hoped to perform the work at the same time that the state replaced the traffic-choking Sagamore Rotary with a flyover earlier this decade, but it had trouble winning the federal funding necessary, said Tim Dugan, an Army Corps spokesman.
That changed with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provided nearly $3.5 million in federal stimulus funds for the work.
The Army Corps tried to minimize the traffic impact — work did not begin until after Labor Day, and the crews typically kept one lane open in each direction. Nonetheless, the project initially created delays of as long as an hour for travelers leaving Cape Cod, prompting workers to pause the project on busy travel days and open both lanes.
When construction resumed in March, after a winter break, the Army Corps and state Department of Transportation partnered to install camera-equipped traffic “iCones’’ on the bridge to provide motorists with real-time views and travel-time estimates online.
“It was kind of a learning experience to get this done,’’ Dugan said.
The 75-year-old Sagamore last received a face lift in 1981. The Army Corps will next turn its attention to the Bourne Bridge, which was last repaved and repainted in 1980.
The bridges carry a total of about 36 million vehicles over the Cape Cod Canal annually, with the Sagamore the busier of the two, Dugan said. On a peak summer day, it can see 75,000 trips.
The Sagamore and Bourne bridge projects were each included in a combined $5.5 million contract awarded last year to Zoppo, which is based in Stoughton.
Work crews beat the tourist rush, finish Sagamore fixes early
By Eric Moskowitz, Globe Staff | May 16, 2010
Cape travelers can breathe a sigh of relief.
On Thursday afternoon at about 2:30, laborers from R. Zoppo Corp. put the finishing touches on the Sagamore Bridge repair project and took down their work-in-progress sign.
The $5.5 million redecking project wrapped up two weeks ahead of schedule, leaving the bridge unfettered before Memorial Day weekend, which traditionally marks the start of the busy summer season.
The work, which began at the tail end of last year’s tourist season, included grinding, repaving, and re-waterproofing the existing bridge deck as well as replacing and rehabilitating the sidewalks, parapet walls, curbing, and lighting.
The US Army Corps of Engineers, which operates the bridge, had originally hoped to perform the work at the same time that the state replaced the traffic-choking Sagamore Rotary with a flyover earlier this decade, but it had trouble winning the federal funding necessary, said Tim Dugan, an Army Corps spokesman.
That changed with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provided nearly $3.5 million in federal stimulus funds for the work.
The Army Corps tried to minimize the traffic impact — work did not begin until after Labor Day, and the crews typically kept one lane open in each direction. Nonetheless, the project initially created delays of as long as an hour for travelers leaving Cape Cod, prompting workers to pause the project on busy travel days and open both lanes.
When construction resumed in March, after a winter break, the Army Corps and state Department of Transportation partnered to install camera-equipped traffic “iCones’’ on the bridge to provide motorists with real-time views and travel-time estimates online.
“It was kind of a learning experience to get this done,’’ Dugan said.
The 75-year-old Sagamore last received a face lift in 1981. The Army Corps will next turn its attention to the Bourne Bridge, which was last repaved and repainted in 1980.
The bridges carry a total of about 36 million vehicles over the Cape Cod Canal annually, with the Sagamore the busier of the two, Dugan said. On a peak summer day, it can see 75,000 trips.
The Sagamore and Bourne bridge projects were each included in a combined $5.5 million contract awarded last year to Zoppo, which is based in Stoughton.
Tasty Burger looks to open in the Fenway
Boston Restaurant Talk
Friday, May 14, 2010
Tasty Burger Coming to Boston's Fenway Neighborhood
It looks like a new burger place is going to be opening in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston.
Based on information from a business license post on the EveryBlock Boston site, Tasty Burger is looking to open on Boylston Street (at the Yawkey Way/Jersey Street intersection), about one block south of Fenway Park. No further information has been made to the public yet, but we are working on finding out more and will post updates as we get them.
The address for this upcoming burger place in Boston's Fenway neighborhood will be: Tasty Burger, 1301-05 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, 02215.
posted by Marc at 9:38 AM | 1 comments links to this post
Friday, May 14, 2010
Tasty Burger Coming to Boston's Fenway Neighborhood
It looks like a new burger place is going to be opening in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston.
Based on information from a business license post on the EveryBlock Boston site, Tasty Burger is looking to open on Boylston Street (at the Yawkey Way/Jersey Street intersection), about one block south of Fenway Park. No further information has been made to the public yet, but we are working on finding out more and will post updates as we get them.
The address for this upcoming burger place in Boston's Fenway neighborhood will be: Tasty Burger, 1301-05 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, 02215.
posted by Marc at 9:38 AM | 1 comments links to this post
Friday, May 14, 2010
Scollay Square owners propose Seaport mexican restaurant
Universal Hub
Is the Seaport ready for 'a New York style hip trendy Mexican restaurant'?
By adamg - 5/12/10 - 11:59 am
Maybe so, but maybe not one open until 2 a.m.
The Licensing Board today considered an application for a restaurant, to be called Pappa Gallo's, at 283 Summer St. Manager Brad Dalbeck told the board the concept would couple a "sophisticated lounge area" with "interpretations of freshly prepared Mexican cuisine" (with more traditional fare for the less adventurous) catering to thirsty, hungry young professionals from the Financial District and the neighboring convention center.
But Licensing Board Chairman Daniel Pokasksi said it was too early to consider granting the restaurant a liquor license - if it even has one to grant - because the restaurant does not yet have a lease and has not yet met with neighbors, as required by board regulations.
Pokaski held up a packet of letters from nearby residents opposed to a restaurant open to 2 a.m. and expressing concern that the area not become another Lansdowne Street consisting entirely of bars and restaurants. The people who have moved into the area are pioneers, he said, and want to see some other sorts of retail on Summer, he said.
The owner of a nearby building said he thought the proposed restaurant could work but not with a 2 a.m. closing time. He said residents are particularly concerned by a series of one-night events at 283 Summer, which he said are typically "huge parties" that end in "a huge mess," complete with public urination.
Representatives from the mayor's office and City Councilor Bill Linehan said they could not support the proposal until after the company meets with neighbors.
Dalbeck said the project will not go forward unless it has a liquor license. If the city is out - it only has a set number - the company would seek to buy a license from another location.
Is the Seaport ready for 'a New York style hip trendy Mexican restaurant'?
By adamg - 5/12/10 - 11:59 am
Maybe so, but maybe not one open until 2 a.m.
The Licensing Board today considered an application for a restaurant, to be called Pappa Gallo's, at 283 Summer St. Manager Brad Dalbeck told the board the concept would couple a "sophisticated lounge area" with "interpretations of freshly prepared Mexican cuisine" (with more traditional fare for the less adventurous) catering to thirsty, hungry young professionals from the Financial District and the neighboring convention center.
But Licensing Board Chairman Daniel Pokasksi said it was too early to consider granting the restaurant a liquor license - if it even has one to grant - because the restaurant does not yet have a lease and has not yet met with neighbors, as required by board regulations.
Pokaski held up a packet of letters from nearby residents opposed to a restaurant open to 2 a.m. and expressing concern that the area not become another Lansdowne Street consisting entirely of bars and restaurants. The people who have moved into the area are pioneers, he said, and want to see some other sorts of retail on Summer, he said.
The owner of a nearby building said he thought the proposed restaurant could work but not with a 2 a.m. closing time. He said residents are particularly concerned by a series of one-night events at 283 Summer, which he said are typically "huge parties" that end in "a huge mess," complete with public urination.
Representatives from the mayor's office and City Councilor Bill Linehan said they could not support the proposal until after the company meets with neighbors.
Dalbeck said the project will not go forward unless it has a liquor license. If the city is out - it only has a set number - the company would seek to buy a license from another location.
Georges Island to open new visitor center
Georges Island center getting makeover
By Thomas Grillo | Thursday, May 13, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Real Estate
Day trippers to Georges Island this summer will be greeted with a new visitor center and concession stand serving fare from celebrity chef Jasper White.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Boston Harbor Alliance are close to completing an $8 million project that will transform the island’s original 8,300-square-foot brick administration building into a visitor center with restrooms and a gift shop. The second floor will house a conference room, caretaker apartment and ranger rooms.
Next door to the visitor center, a 3,000-square-foot building will become a Jasper White’s Summer Shack with outdoor seating. The menu is expected to include clam and lobster rolls, chowder, hamburgers and french fries.
“Lots of Bostonians grew up going to Georges Island on school field trips and family outings,” said Thomas Powers, president of the Boston Harbor Island Alliance. “But until now they never had a first-class visitor center.”
Georges Island is served by a ferry from Long Wharf and is open through Columbus Day. The centerpiece of the 30-acre island is Fort Warren, a national historic landmark. The pentagonal, Civil War-era fort is named after the man who dispatched Paul Revere on his famous midnight ride.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1254475
By Thomas Grillo | Thursday, May 13, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Real Estate
Day trippers to Georges Island this summer will be greeted with a new visitor center and concession stand serving fare from celebrity chef Jasper White.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Boston Harbor Alliance are close to completing an $8 million project that will transform the island’s original 8,300-square-foot brick administration building into a visitor center with restrooms and a gift shop. The second floor will house a conference room, caretaker apartment and ranger rooms.
Next door to the visitor center, a 3,000-square-foot building will become a Jasper White’s Summer Shack with outdoor seating. The menu is expected to include clam and lobster rolls, chowder, hamburgers and french fries.
“Lots of Bostonians grew up going to Georges Island on school field trips and family outings,” said Thomas Powers, president of the Boston Harbor Island Alliance. “But until now they never had a first-class visitor center.”
Georges Island is served by a ferry from Long Wharf and is open through Columbus Day. The centerpiece of the 30-acre island is Fort Warren, a national historic landmark. The pentagonal, Civil War-era fort is named after the man who dispatched Paul Revere on his famous midnight ride.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1254475
Paradise Rock Club to close for renovations in July
NAMES
By Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein | May 13, 2010
Renovating the Paradise
With the Paradise Rock Club getting a makeover this summer, it begs the question: Is the venerable concert venue simply responding to its competitors, including the shiny new Royale, which was formerly the Roxy? “No, Boston has always had competing clubs, including the Roxy, for as long as I can remember,’’ said a Paradise insider. “We felt it was time to restore the venue to what it should be.’’ Paradise partner Joe Dunne echoed the statement. “It has nothing to do with Royale. We had planned to do this a while ago,’’ he said by e-mail. Those plans include increasing the capacity (currently 728) by shifting the layout of the club while maintaining a front bar area where the Paradise Lounge is. The club, which opened in 1977 and has a long history of hosting major acts, will be closed in early July and reopen after Labor Day.
Steve Greenlee and James Reed of the Globe staff contributed. Read the Names blog at www.boston.com/namesblog. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
By Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein | May 13, 2010
Renovating the Paradise
With the Paradise Rock Club getting a makeover this summer, it begs the question: Is the venerable concert venue simply responding to its competitors, including the shiny new Royale, which was formerly the Roxy? “No, Boston has always had competing clubs, including the Roxy, for as long as I can remember,’’ said a Paradise insider. “We felt it was time to restore the venue to what it should be.’’ Paradise partner Joe Dunne echoed the statement. “It has nothing to do with Royale. We had planned to do this a while ago,’’ he said by e-mail. Those plans include increasing the capacity (currently 728) by shifting the layout of the club while maintaining a front bar area where the Paradise Lounge is. The club, which opened in 1977 and has a long history of hosting major acts, will be closed in early July and reopen after Labor Day.
Steve Greenlee and James Reed of the Globe staff contributed. Read the Names blog at www.boston.com/namesblog. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Turf dispute possible in Boylston Street killing outside Walgreens
Turf dispute may have led to killing
Two men fought before stabbing
By Milton J. Valencia, Globe Staff | May 11, 2010
In the rough underworld of Boston’s homeless, a dispute over coveted turf may have led to a deadly fight between two panhandlers, authorities said yesterday.
As 43-year-old Kevin James was arraigned yesterday on charges of killing a homeless man, police said they were investigating whether the fight began over who would claim the trendy area of Boylston Street in the Back Bay. The two men may also have been arguing over a cellphone, authorities said.
Police said the case remains under investigation, but one thing is clear: 22-year-old Beau Youngs was stabbed in the heart during the April 30 fight with James. Youngs was transported to Boston Medical Center and was pronounced dead the morning of May 1.
James appeared in Boston Municipal Court yesterday morning and was ordered held without bail. The case was continued to June 10. A not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf.
The killing has pained local homeless support workers who knew both men and who say the story behind the killing is a sad example of the world of Boston’s homeless, where violence is too often the answer to disputes and where the homeless too often live and die anonymously.
“It’s awful; life on the street is horrible; there’s no other way to say it,’’ said Lyndia Downie, president and executive director of the Pine Street Inn, a downtown homeless shelter where Youngs often stayed.
“It’s violent; it’s unpredictable,’’ she said. “I wish nobody was out there.’’
The stabbing occurred at 11:50 p.m. on a Friday in front of the Walgreens at 841 Boylston St., not far from the Prudential Center and Copley Square.
Witnesses told police that two men at first started wrestling, and that at one point Youngs was stabbed in the heart.
The culprit, whom witnesses later identified as James, fled from the scene.
Police detectives arrested James Saturday. In the week since the killing, he had shaved his facial hair in an apparent attempt to disguise himself, Jennifer Hickman, an assistant Suffolk district attorney, said in court yesterday.
Hickman said James admitted to the fight, but he told detectives it was Youngs who brandished the knife. She said James told detectives he “took the knife from Mr. Youngs and that’s when Mr. Youngs got stabbed.’’
James, his face and head shaven and wearing a prison jumpsuit, said little in court. He said disparaging remarks about two detectives and asked for correction officers to return his prescription glasses.
His court-appointed lawyer, Michael A. Collora, did not contest the murder charge. He said that while James has “a couch to sleep on somewhere,’’ he has no family and no job.
Local homeless support workers said yesterday that James was new to the streets. He has criminal cases in Roxbury and Cambridge on charges of assault and battery, breaking and entering, and carrying a dangerous weapon that date back to 2000 and 2002, but he has not reported to court since and had outstanding warrants for his arrest.
His arrest was significant for a homeless community that tends to live anonymously and in the shadow of the general public. Two years ago, a homeless man was killed after a fight with other vagrants near a crowded Faneuil Hall Marketplace during Fourth of July festivities, yet police found few witnesses willing to talk about the crime. The killing remains unsolved.
Elaine Driscoll, police spokeswoman, said yesterday that in this case, “the swift arrest made by homicide detectives can be attributed to the level of community cooperation that investigators received in order to quickly move forward.’’
Youngs was well known to fellow homeless and support workers, even if they did not know his full story. His birth family could not be reached for comment yesterday, but his adoptive father told local blog site Universal Hub that Youngs had been abused as a child, that he suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome, and that he had an attachment disorder that caused him to want to live on the streets.
Youngs had been convicted in recent years in Boston for trespassing and for punching someone in the face after he was accused of taking drugs. But Downie said he had started to do the things society would ask him to do: He had applied for jobs and housing, Downie said.
When told he needed a copy of his birth certificate for applications, Downie said, he tracked one down and had it mailed to him.
It arrived the day after he was stabbed.
Milton Valencia can be reached at mvalencia@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Two men fought before stabbing
By Milton J. Valencia, Globe Staff | May 11, 2010
In the rough underworld of Boston’s homeless, a dispute over coveted turf may have led to a deadly fight between two panhandlers, authorities said yesterday.
As 43-year-old Kevin James was arraigned yesterday on charges of killing a homeless man, police said they were investigating whether the fight began over who would claim the trendy area of Boylston Street in the Back Bay. The two men may also have been arguing over a cellphone, authorities said.
Police said the case remains under investigation, but one thing is clear: 22-year-old Beau Youngs was stabbed in the heart during the April 30 fight with James. Youngs was transported to Boston Medical Center and was pronounced dead the morning of May 1.
James appeared in Boston Municipal Court yesterday morning and was ordered held without bail. The case was continued to June 10. A not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf.
The killing has pained local homeless support workers who knew both men and who say the story behind the killing is a sad example of the world of Boston’s homeless, where violence is too often the answer to disputes and where the homeless too often live and die anonymously.
“It’s awful; life on the street is horrible; there’s no other way to say it,’’ said Lyndia Downie, president and executive director of the Pine Street Inn, a downtown homeless shelter where Youngs often stayed.
“It’s violent; it’s unpredictable,’’ she said. “I wish nobody was out there.’’
The stabbing occurred at 11:50 p.m. on a Friday in front of the Walgreens at 841 Boylston St., not far from the Prudential Center and Copley Square.
Witnesses told police that two men at first started wrestling, and that at one point Youngs was stabbed in the heart.
The culprit, whom witnesses later identified as James, fled from the scene.
Police detectives arrested James Saturday. In the week since the killing, he had shaved his facial hair in an apparent attempt to disguise himself, Jennifer Hickman, an assistant Suffolk district attorney, said in court yesterday.
Hickman said James admitted to the fight, but he told detectives it was Youngs who brandished the knife. She said James told detectives he “took the knife from Mr. Youngs and that’s when Mr. Youngs got stabbed.’’
James, his face and head shaven and wearing a prison jumpsuit, said little in court. He said disparaging remarks about two detectives and asked for correction officers to return his prescription glasses.
His court-appointed lawyer, Michael A. Collora, did not contest the murder charge. He said that while James has “a couch to sleep on somewhere,’’ he has no family and no job.
Local homeless support workers said yesterday that James was new to the streets. He has criminal cases in Roxbury and Cambridge on charges of assault and battery, breaking and entering, and carrying a dangerous weapon that date back to 2000 and 2002, but he has not reported to court since and had outstanding warrants for his arrest.
His arrest was significant for a homeless community that tends to live anonymously and in the shadow of the general public. Two years ago, a homeless man was killed after a fight with other vagrants near a crowded Faneuil Hall Marketplace during Fourth of July festivities, yet police found few witnesses willing to talk about the crime. The killing remains unsolved.
Elaine Driscoll, police spokeswoman, said yesterday that in this case, “the swift arrest made by homicide detectives can be attributed to the level of community cooperation that investigators received in order to quickly move forward.’’
Youngs was well known to fellow homeless and support workers, even if they did not know his full story. His birth family could not be reached for comment yesterday, but his adoptive father told local blog site Universal Hub that Youngs had been abused as a child, that he suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome, and that he had an attachment disorder that caused him to want to live on the streets.
Youngs had been convicted in recent years in Boston for trespassing and for punching someone in the face after he was accused of taking drugs. But Downie said he had started to do the things society would ask him to do: He had applied for jobs and housing, Downie said.
When told he needed a copy of his birth certificate for applications, Downie said, he tracked one down and had it mailed to him.
It arrived the day after he was stabbed.
Milton Valencia can be reached at mvalencia@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Ultimate Valet face Boston Licensing Board hearing over incidents
Universal Hub
City cracking down on lazy valets who clog streets instead of bringing cars to garages, lots
By adamg - 5/11/10 - 12:10 pm
The Mistral customer was upset, Sgt. Robert Mulvey said. He'd paid extra to have a valet park his brand new BMW X5 SUV in a garage. Instead, he came out around 9 p.m. on March 15 to find the car damaged and the interior in disarray from where a woman had been rummaging around it - as it sat untended on Stanhope Street.
The Boston Licensing Board today heard reports on incidents at three separate Back Bay restaurants in which valets working for Ultimate Valet left cars on the street, in violation of city regulations that require them to move the vehicles to off-street facilities.
In the Mistral case, the customer had every right to be upset, board Chairman Daniel Pokaski said. "He paid for a valet, he paid for it to go into a secure spot, not for it going into the street."
Joshua Lemay of Ultimate agreed - especially since the garage used by Mistral valets is just an easy walk away. "For the record, there is no excuse whatsoever, sheer laziness is the culprit."
Mulvey said on March 11, an Ultimate valet at Stephanie's on Newbury Street left two cars parked out front for almost 40 minutes - city regulations require them to be moved within 10. The worker claimed he didn't know about the requirement. The day before, he said, a valet at Grille 23 on Stuart Street simply moved a car to an open space across the street, which is also against regulation. Mulvey said the valet - who has worked for Ultimate for 12 years - he did so because "it's a legal space" and a shorter walk than the garage.
Lemay said the company held a seminar for all its managers and employees last month to re-educate them on city valet laws. City officials and police were among the presenters.
Pokaski warned restaurant owners that if the board levies punishments, it will be their licenses that are affected, not the valet companies. He told one restaurant manager he should be having his workers check outside periodically to ensure the valets are doing their jobs. It's especially vital, he said, in a congested area like the Back Bay, he said.
City cracking down on lazy valets who clog streets instead of bringing cars to garages, lots
By adamg - 5/11/10 - 12:10 pm
The Mistral customer was upset, Sgt. Robert Mulvey said. He'd paid extra to have a valet park his brand new BMW X5 SUV in a garage. Instead, he came out around 9 p.m. on March 15 to find the car damaged and the interior in disarray from where a woman had been rummaging around it - as it sat untended on Stanhope Street.
The Boston Licensing Board today heard reports on incidents at three separate Back Bay restaurants in which valets working for Ultimate Valet left cars on the street, in violation of city regulations that require them to move the vehicles to off-street facilities.
In the Mistral case, the customer had every right to be upset, board Chairman Daniel Pokaski said. "He paid for a valet, he paid for it to go into a secure spot, not for it going into the street."
Joshua Lemay of Ultimate agreed - especially since the garage used by Mistral valets is just an easy walk away. "For the record, there is no excuse whatsoever, sheer laziness is the culprit."
Mulvey said on March 11, an Ultimate valet at Stephanie's on Newbury Street left two cars parked out front for almost 40 minutes - city regulations require them to be moved within 10. The worker claimed he didn't know about the requirement. The day before, he said, a valet at Grille 23 on Stuart Street simply moved a car to an open space across the street, which is also against regulation. Mulvey said the valet - who has worked for Ultimate for 12 years - he did so because "it's a legal space" and a shorter walk than the garage.
Lemay said the company held a seminar for all its managers and employees last month to re-educate them on city valet laws. City officials and police were among the presenters.
Pokaski warned restaurant owners that if the board levies punishments, it will be their licenses that are affected, not the valet companies. He told one restaurant manager he should be having his workers check outside periodically to ensure the valets are doing their jobs. It's especially vital, he said, in a congested area like the Back Bay, he said.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Flight times increase as airlines deal with new ash cloud
Bypassing ash cloud adds time to US-European flights
By Shawn Pogatchnik, Associated Press | May 8, 2010
DUBLIN — A mammoth cloud of volcanic ash stretching 1,250 miles across the North Atlantic is forcing most flights between North America and Europe to divert into a sky-high traffic jam, Irish and European air authorities said yesterday.
Forecasters warned that the rapidly spreading cloud of ash from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokul volcano was projected to reach southern Greenland and the northwest tip of Spain by today.
The obstacle was already forcing about 600 daily flights operated by more than 40 airlines to carry extra fuel, because the diversions were lengthening flights by as much as two hours.
Air safety officials stressed that the cloud does not pose any immediate threat to shut airports or ground aircraft once again.
But they said the expanding obstacle would force trans-Atlantic flights into air corridors that run unusually south into Spanish airspace or north into the Arctic.
US and European airlines said they were taking the latest inconveniences in stride, even though each extra hour in the Atlantic air would mean burning more than $5,000 worth of aviation fuel, or about 2,250 gallons, per plane.
“We’re having to fly around it like everybody else,’’ Continental spokesman Andrew Ferraro said.
American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith said its trans-Atlantic flights were traveling 90 minutes to two hours longer on average. He said one flight to London’s Heathrow Airport had to be canceled because it would not arrive in time for the airport’s overnight curfew on operations.
Delta Air Lines Inc. said its approximately 20 to 25 trans-Atlantic flights daily were arriving 30 minutes to an hour late because of the new ash diversions. Delta spokesman Anthony Black said Delta is working with other airlines to keep passengers from missing connections.
In Ireland, Aer Lingus canceled two Saturday flights to and from Boston, citing the exceptionally circuitous routes to get around the cloud, and planned to combine passengers from two flights onto one.
Ireland has borne the brunt of this week’s renewed presence of Icelandic ash into European airspace. It shut down six western airports yesterday, but rapidly reopened them as the cloud remained sufficiently west of its Atlantic coastline.
Ireland and Scotland also experienced airport shutdowns Tuesday and Wednesday. They were the first such closures since a majority of European air links were shut down April 14-20, stranding 10 million passengers.
The Irish government’s emergency task force on the ash crisis said the cloud already measured 1,250 miles by 800 miles and was being pushed by winds both northwest and southeast.
The Irish Aviation Authority produced interactive maps illustrating how the cloud should grow even larger, running from Greenland to Spain, within the next 24 hours. It said Irish flights to and from the US should operate today but would experience delays because of the particularly circuitous routes required.
In Brussels, the European air traffic management agency Eurocontrol said trans-Atlantic airlines could no longer safely fly over the Atlantic ash cloud because it has reached 35,000 feet, the typical cruising altitude of aircraft. Until this week, the ash had remained below 20,000 feet.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
By Shawn Pogatchnik, Associated Press | May 8, 2010
DUBLIN — A mammoth cloud of volcanic ash stretching 1,250 miles across the North Atlantic is forcing most flights between North America and Europe to divert into a sky-high traffic jam, Irish and European air authorities said yesterday.
Forecasters warned that the rapidly spreading cloud of ash from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokul volcano was projected to reach southern Greenland and the northwest tip of Spain by today.
The obstacle was already forcing about 600 daily flights operated by more than 40 airlines to carry extra fuel, because the diversions were lengthening flights by as much as two hours.
Air safety officials stressed that the cloud does not pose any immediate threat to shut airports or ground aircraft once again.
But they said the expanding obstacle would force trans-Atlantic flights into air corridors that run unusually south into Spanish airspace or north into the Arctic.
US and European airlines said they were taking the latest inconveniences in stride, even though each extra hour in the Atlantic air would mean burning more than $5,000 worth of aviation fuel, or about 2,250 gallons, per plane.
“We’re having to fly around it like everybody else,’’ Continental spokesman Andrew Ferraro said.
American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith said its trans-Atlantic flights were traveling 90 minutes to two hours longer on average. He said one flight to London’s Heathrow Airport had to be canceled because it would not arrive in time for the airport’s overnight curfew on operations.
Delta Air Lines Inc. said its approximately 20 to 25 trans-Atlantic flights daily were arriving 30 minutes to an hour late because of the new ash diversions. Delta spokesman Anthony Black said Delta is working with other airlines to keep passengers from missing connections.
In Ireland, Aer Lingus canceled two Saturday flights to and from Boston, citing the exceptionally circuitous routes to get around the cloud, and planned to combine passengers from two flights onto one.
Ireland has borne the brunt of this week’s renewed presence of Icelandic ash into European airspace. It shut down six western airports yesterday, but rapidly reopened them as the cloud remained sufficiently west of its Atlantic coastline.
Ireland and Scotland also experienced airport shutdowns Tuesday and Wednesday. They were the first such closures since a majority of European air links were shut down April 14-20, stranding 10 million passengers.
The Irish government’s emergency task force on the ash crisis said the cloud already measured 1,250 miles by 800 miles and was being pushed by winds both northwest and southeast.
The Irish Aviation Authority produced interactive maps illustrating how the cloud should grow even larger, running from Greenland to Spain, within the next 24 hours. It said Irish flights to and from the US should operate today but would experience delays because of the particularly circuitous routes required.
In Brussels, the European air traffic management agency Eurocontrol said trans-Atlantic airlines could no longer safely fly over the Atlantic ash cloud because it has reached 35,000 feet, the typical cruising altitude of aircraft. Until this week, the ash had remained below 20,000 feet.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Downtown Crossing businesses push to establish business improvement district
Getting the Hub’s heart pumping again
Businesses push downtown plan
By Casey Ross, Globe Staff | May 8, 2010
In Downtown Crossing, the city’s long-languishing central shopping district, hundreds of business owners are coming together to clean its streets, hire guides to assist tourists, and lift an area that has for years felt gritty and worn.
Shopkeepers, colleges, and commercial landlords in the area are on the verge of forming Boston’s first business improvement district, a voluntary association that aims to raise $4 million a year for stepped-up services, landscaping, and security in hope of attracting a better mix of stores and the customers to fill them.
Beyond beautification, the effort is meant to reestablish a sense of place in a shopping area that has struggled to find a winning formula and is just beginning to climb back. Progress has been slowed by an economic downturn that has hurt sales and stalled the $700 million redevelopment of the former Filene’s property, leaving a hole in the heart of the district.
But recession or no, store owners say they are tired of waiting for a renaissance.
“We have to band together to make it happen,’’ said Ken Gloss, whose family has operated the Brattle Book Shop in Downtown Crossing since the 1960s. “I’ve seen things go down and up and back down again. We need to do something to move us in the right direction and not let the area slide back.’’
Boston is one of the few major cities in the country without a business improvement district, a designated area in which commercial property owners vote to pay to supplement basic city services. Elsewhere, this has become a common method of transforming crime-ridden and blighted neighborhoods: Times Square in New York is a famous example. Once filled with seedy taverns and nightclubs, Times Square is now a vibrant shopping and dining destination.
Downtown Crossing was a shopping mecca in the 1960s and 70s, but over the years it has struggled with crime, empty storefronts, and changing consumer tastes that led to the departure of longtime magnet stores such as Filene’s and other standard-bearers.
The trend has begun to shift in recent years with the opening of several new restaurants on Temple Place and Washington Street and renovation of the once dilapidated Boston Opera House and the Modern and Paramount theatres.
Two previous efforts to establish a business improvement district in Downtown Crossing in the 1990s faltered because of legislative snags and lack of support among merchants. They also faced opposition from police union officials concerned that plans for private security forces would undermine their work in the area.
But this time there is no organized opposition to the plan, which is being advanced by a committee of downtown businesses. Private security has been dropped in favor of “ambassadors,’’ who will assist tourists and work with police to identify trouble spots.
Also included in the plan is a uniformed cleaning staff that will work from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. to pick up trash, remove graffiti, and powerwash the streets and sidewalks.
To satisfy city requirements, business leaders trying to form the new improvement district need 400, or 60 percent, of commercial property owners to join and agree to pay a special tax based on the value of their properties. Organizers of the effort said landowners would be taxed $1.10 per thousand dollars on the first $70 million in value. Any value above that would be taxed 50 cents per thousand dollars.
So far, about 200 owners in the 20-block area, tired of the area’s battered reputation, have signed up without public outreach. The effort has strong support from Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who says he is determined to make it succeed.
“The heart of Boston should be a special place,’’ Menino said during a press conference Thursday to launch the final phase of signature gathering. “A business improvement district will make people more proud and excited to work here, live here, and have fun here.’’
Other supporters include a broad mix of property owners, from Wildie Ceccherini, a Haitian immigrant who owns Boston Hair Design on Kingston Street, to Ronald Druker, a developer who owns the Corner Mall and other properties totaling about 600,000 square feet. Also on board are neighborhood stalwarts such as Macy’s, E.B. Horn, Emerson College, and the Omni Parker House hotel.
“We are all banking on the business improvement district creating a new atmosphere,’’ Druker said. “It will enhance the maintenance, security, and promotion of this area.’’
Suffolk University, one of the largest landowners, said it expects to pay $25,000 a year to fund the improvement district. “It’s going to pay back tenfold in dividends,’’ said John Nucci, director of external affairs for the university. “Downtown Crossing used to be the place where all of Boston’s neighborhoods came together. And there’s no reason we can’t get back to that again.’’
Even in the economic downturn, organizers said they are confident that they will get enough people to sign up. They said they expect to submit a petition to the City Council for final approval by the end of July.
“I think the question for most people has become, how can we afford not to do this?’’ said John Rattigan, a lawyer for the Boston firm DLA Piper LLP who cochairs a committee leading the effort. “This is a way to take charge of the neighborhood and improve property values.’’
Casey Ross can be reached at cross@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Businesses push downtown plan
By Casey Ross, Globe Staff | May 8, 2010
In Downtown Crossing, the city’s long-languishing central shopping district, hundreds of business owners are coming together to clean its streets, hire guides to assist tourists, and lift an area that has for years felt gritty and worn.
Shopkeepers, colleges, and commercial landlords in the area are on the verge of forming Boston’s first business improvement district, a voluntary association that aims to raise $4 million a year for stepped-up services, landscaping, and security in hope of attracting a better mix of stores and the customers to fill them.
Beyond beautification, the effort is meant to reestablish a sense of place in a shopping area that has struggled to find a winning formula and is just beginning to climb back. Progress has been slowed by an economic downturn that has hurt sales and stalled the $700 million redevelopment of the former Filene’s property, leaving a hole in the heart of the district.
But recession or no, store owners say they are tired of waiting for a renaissance.
“We have to band together to make it happen,’’ said Ken Gloss, whose family has operated the Brattle Book Shop in Downtown Crossing since the 1960s. “I’ve seen things go down and up and back down again. We need to do something to move us in the right direction and not let the area slide back.’’
Boston is one of the few major cities in the country without a business improvement district, a designated area in which commercial property owners vote to pay to supplement basic city services. Elsewhere, this has become a common method of transforming crime-ridden and blighted neighborhoods: Times Square in New York is a famous example. Once filled with seedy taverns and nightclubs, Times Square is now a vibrant shopping and dining destination.
Downtown Crossing was a shopping mecca in the 1960s and 70s, but over the years it has struggled with crime, empty storefronts, and changing consumer tastes that led to the departure of longtime magnet stores such as Filene’s and other standard-bearers.
The trend has begun to shift in recent years with the opening of several new restaurants on Temple Place and Washington Street and renovation of the once dilapidated Boston Opera House and the Modern and Paramount theatres.
Two previous efforts to establish a business improvement district in Downtown Crossing in the 1990s faltered because of legislative snags and lack of support among merchants. They also faced opposition from police union officials concerned that plans for private security forces would undermine their work in the area.
But this time there is no organized opposition to the plan, which is being advanced by a committee of downtown businesses. Private security has been dropped in favor of “ambassadors,’’ who will assist tourists and work with police to identify trouble spots.
Also included in the plan is a uniformed cleaning staff that will work from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. to pick up trash, remove graffiti, and powerwash the streets and sidewalks.
To satisfy city requirements, business leaders trying to form the new improvement district need 400, or 60 percent, of commercial property owners to join and agree to pay a special tax based on the value of their properties. Organizers of the effort said landowners would be taxed $1.10 per thousand dollars on the first $70 million in value. Any value above that would be taxed 50 cents per thousand dollars.
So far, about 200 owners in the 20-block area, tired of the area’s battered reputation, have signed up without public outreach. The effort has strong support from Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who says he is determined to make it succeed.
“The heart of Boston should be a special place,’’ Menino said during a press conference Thursday to launch the final phase of signature gathering. “A business improvement district will make people more proud and excited to work here, live here, and have fun here.’’
Other supporters include a broad mix of property owners, from Wildie Ceccherini, a Haitian immigrant who owns Boston Hair Design on Kingston Street, to Ronald Druker, a developer who owns the Corner Mall and other properties totaling about 600,000 square feet. Also on board are neighborhood stalwarts such as Macy’s, E.B. Horn, Emerson College, and the Omni Parker House hotel.
“We are all banking on the business improvement district creating a new atmosphere,’’ Druker said. “It will enhance the maintenance, security, and promotion of this area.’’
Suffolk University, one of the largest landowners, said it expects to pay $25,000 a year to fund the improvement district. “It’s going to pay back tenfold in dividends,’’ said John Nucci, director of external affairs for the university. “Downtown Crossing used to be the place where all of Boston’s neighborhoods came together. And there’s no reason we can’t get back to that again.’’
Even in the economic downturn, organizers said they are confident that they will get enough people to sign up. They said they expect to submit a petition to the City Council for final approval by the end of July.
“I think the question for most people has become, how can we afford not to do this?’’ said John Rattigan, a lawyer for the Boston firm DLA Piper LLP who cochairs a committee leading the effort. “This is a way to take charge of the neighborhood and improve property values.’’
Casey Ross can be reached at cross@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Boston tourism industry looks up as economy improves
Morning Edition, NPR
As Tourism Picks Up, Boston's Economy Improves
LISTEN NOW
By Chris Arnold
May 7, 2010 4:00 AM
Like most of America, Boston was hit hard by the recession. But it appears to be clawing its way back. The tourism industry is optimistic that hiring will pick up as the weather warms and visitors return for the first time in a couple of years.
RENEE MONTAGNE, host:
CHRIS ARNOLD: And I'm Chris Arnold in Boston, where things aren't totally great, but there are some signs that parts of the local economy are starting to see some growth again. Tourism, in particular, is starting to pick back up, which bodes well for jobs.
Down here at Boston's waterfront, you can see more tourists around these days. I'm actually on a ferry boat that's leaving the dock with a group of retirees on the top deck.
Hey, are you guy's tourists?
Mr. TROY STRICKLAND: We are.
Ms. CORINNE STRICKLAND: We are.
ARNOLD: The map of Boston in your front pocket gave it away, I think.
Ms. STRICKLAND: Was that a (unintelligible)?
Mr. STRICKLAND: Now, you mean we dont look like we're locals, is that correct?
(Soundbite of ferry boat horn)
Ms. STRICKLAND: Whoa. Did you do that?
ARNOLD: Troy Strickland and his wife Corinne are here from Birmingham, Alabama. They just finished a tour of the famous sailing gun ship, the USS Constitution.
ARNOLD: How are you enjoying the trip to Boston so far?
Mr. STRICKLAND: It's fantastic. Weve been here before and we brought a couple with us that's not been.
ARNOLD: The airport here reports a 7.1 percent increase in passengers so far this year. The State Office of Travel and Tourism says visits to Massachusetts from other countries are up 11 percent. And all that helps to create more jobs. There's hotels, taxi drivers, restaurants and all sorts of other small businesses that you might not think of.
Mr. ANDY CHASON (Founder, SleepAfloat.com): Well, this is one of the newer houseboats that weve just had built.
ARNOLD: Over on the shore, Andy Chason is walking is walking along a dock. He's the founder of SleepAfloat.com. He has a growing fleet of houseboats here in Boston Harbor. He rents them out to tourists, he says, as a more fun alternative to hotel rooms.
Mr. CHASON: You get more space than you get in a regular hotel. Plus, you get a full kitchen. They can sit up on that roof deck and, you know, have a nice cup of coffee on the water in the morning.
ARNOLD: Chason says with business and bookings for this summer picking up, he started hiring people. He used to just run the company with one assistant.
Mr. CHASON: And now we have about six to eight people and we hope to double and triple that over the next year or two.
ARNOLD: Chason shows me around the inside of one of the houseboats.
Mr. CHASON: Back here is the main bedroom.
ARNOLD: Oh, nice.
Mr. CHASON: It's got two windows that are stained glass. We sunk a fortune into it, and eventually, if things work, we'll get a nice return on it.
ARNOLD: This is what economists are looking for; an upward spiral where more business activity leads to more jobs and more investments as companies plow more money again into expansion. Overall though, it's still pretty fragile, and even in Massachusetts, the unemployment rate remains up around nine percent, but it is starting to move in the right direction.
Chris Arnold, NPR News, Boston.
Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.
Boston Ballet " Ultimate Balanchine" review
Boston does ‘Ultimate’ justice
By Keith Powers / Dance Review | Saturday, May 8, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Arts & Culture
Boston Ballet’s latest, “Ultimate Balanchine,” is a breathtaking homage to George Balanchine, the man whose choreography paved the way for today’s neoclassical ballet and modern dance.
The show, on stage until May 16, features three works. “Apollo,” the earliest surviving Balanchine piece, is from the 1920s. “The Four Temperaments” is a series of episodes set to music by Hindemith. The lush “Theme and Variations” features music by Tchaikovsky.
As you would expect with Balanchine, the stages and costumes are tastefully simple. The focus is on the dancing. Lighting designer John Cuff imagined the three works as a unit,
bathing them in a bluish wash. A large backdrop of the same color fills the rear of the stage. “The Four Temperaments” opens with a brief prologue, three duets that create a somber mood. The men wear white T-shirts and black tights, while the women are in dark leotards. But the monochromatic stage still seems alive with tension.
In Thursday’s performance, John Lam gracefully expanded that mood in “Melancholy,” the first of the “Temperaments.” Next, Erica Cornejo and Nelson Madrigal duetted in “Sanguinic,” sculpted with curvy, bold body lines and challenging lifts. Carlos Molina soloed beautifully in the third section, “Phlegmatic,” and it kept getting better as Kathleen Breen Combes charged the finale, “Choleric,” with wistful articulation. The supporting ensemble played an extensive role, showing off the almost embarrassing depth of the company.
Often for Balanchine the body is the subject, not just a vehicle for revealing the subject. High kicks, excessive arm extensions, unusual and striking hand positions challenge dancers and create a unique visual language. The troupe seems to have internalized this formal strategy and creatively explores the potential within it.
“Apollo” featured the impressive Pavel Gurevich, who physically embodies all that Balanchine could want in a male dancer: long limbs, expressive hands and a regal bearing. The evening closed with “Theme and Variations,” taken from the final movement of Tchaikovsky’s third symphony. It was a feast for the eyes and ears. The costumes became a little more elaborate - women in tutus and tiaras, men in splendid waist jackets. The stage was draped and adorned with a glittering chandelier. But the focus on the movement and the arched lines of the dancers’ bodies remained. James Whiteside and Misa Kuranaga starred, but once again the ensemble was the real strength.
“ULTIMATE BALANCHINE”
Presented by Boston Ballet at Boston Opera House, Thursday night. Through May 16.
By Keith Powers / Dance Review | Saturday, May 8, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Arts & Culture
Boston Ballet’s latest, “Ultimate Balanchine,” is a breathtaking homage to George Balanchine, the man whose choreography paved the way for today’s neoclassical ballet and modern dance.
The show, on stage until May 16, features three works. “Apollo,” the earliest surviving Balanchine piece, is from the 1920s. “The Four Temperaments” is a series of episodes set to music by Hindemith. The lush “Theme and Variations” features music by Tchaikovsky.
As you would expect with Balanchine, the stages and costumes are tastefully simple. The focus is on the dancing. Lighting designer John Cuff imagined the three works as a unit,
bathing them in a bluish wash. A large backdrop of the same color fills the rear of the stage. “The Four Temperaments” opens with a brief prologue, three duets that create a somber mood. The men wear white T-shirts and black tights, while the women are in dark leotards. But the monochromatic stage still seems alive with tension.
In Thursday’s performance, John Lam gracefully expanded that mood in “Melancholy,” the first of the “Temperaments.” Next, Erica Cornejo and Nelson Madrigal duetted in “Sanguinic,” sculpted with curvy, bold body lines and challenging lifts. Carlos Molina soloed beautifully in the third section, “Phlegmatic,” and it kept getting better as Kathleen Breen Combes charged the finale, “Choleric,” with wistful articulation. The supporting ensemble played an extensive role, showing off the almost embarrassing depth of the company.
Often for Balanchine the body is the subject, not just a vehicle for revealing the subject. High kicks, excessive arm extensions, unusual and striking hand positions challenge dancers and create a unique visual language. The troupe seems to have internalized this formal strategy and creatively explores the potential within it.
“Apollo” featured the impressive Pavel Gurevich, who physically embodies all that Balanchine could want in a male dancer: long limbs, expressive hands and a regal bearing. The evening closed with “Theme and Variations,” taken from the final movement of Tchaikovsky’s third symphony. It was a feast for the eyes and ears. The costumes became a little more elaborate - women in tutus and tiaras, men in splendid waist jackets. The stage was draped and adorned with a glittering chandelier. But the focus on the movement and the arched lines of the dancers’ bodies remained. James Whiteside and Misa Kuranaga starred, but once again the ensemble was the real strength.
“ULTIMATE BALANCHINE”
Presented by Boston Ballet at Boston Opera House, Thursday night. Through May 16.
Segway Tours report from WBUR
WBUR
Criticized In The North End, A Segway Owner Rides On
LISTEN NOW
By SONARI GLINTON
Published May 5, 2010
BOSTON — The saying goes that a prophet is never appreciated in his hometown.
Allan Danley is no prophet. That doesn’t keep people in the North End from not appreciating him or his Segways. And he knows it.
“You could ride down this road, Commercial Street, (a) one-way street, on a bike the wrong way and no one would bat an eye,” Danley says. “But if you do that on a Segway, ooh boy, you’re gonna get roasted, toasted and deep fried.”
(OK, Danley is a little prone to exaggeration. And bicyclists have their own issues in this town.)
Danley runs Boston Gliders, which offers guided tours on Segways. On one, you can see in a few hours what it can take days to see walking. They’re fun to ride, futuristic, even energy efficient. All good, right? Well, not so fast.
“I think it’s dangerous for the city and someone’s gonna get hurt,” says Salvatore LaMattina, the North End’s City Council representative. “The issue is safety for me. You know someone is on it, and they’re going 12 mph. And if they hit a senior or a little kid someone could get hurt. I wanna address this issue before someone gets hurt or someone gets killed on these Segways.”
Boston Gliders proprietor Allan Danley on his custom Segway (Sonari Glinton for WBUR)
LaMattina is looking into ways to curtail the use of Segways — possibly even banning them altogether in the North End.
But to prove his point, Danley runs over his assistant’s hand. This is one of the many demonstrations he uses to show how safe Segways are. He rolls over my hand — I’d say it felt like a pinch. Not something I’d want to happen all day long, but not bad.
To further prove how safe they are, Danley wants to take me out on Segway tour. But first we’ve got to have orientation. I tell him I’m a little afraid of falling.
“You’re six inches off the ground,” Danley says, “so we’re going to talk to you about what you should and shouldn’t do in case you felt like you may fall, and how to disembark the Segway properly to ensure that you wouldn’t get hurt.”
I never really got over my fear of falling but I did begin to feel a more comfortable. So we went out for our ride around the North End. As we ride we see lots of fans of the Segway, and for the most part we stick to side streets.
Riding a Segway is pretty fun and it’s kind of hard to see exactly what the problem is. Councilor LaMattina has some insight.
“I have no problem with Al,” LaMattina says. “I know that he doesn’t have a lot of friends in the particular neighborhood that he’s operating in, in the North End.”
Essentially, Danley rubs people the wrong way. He admits he’s found himself in the middle of a few neighborhood feuds.
Even Segway — the company — has a problem with him.
“It wasn’t until his presence was there that there was any sort of an issue,” says Eric Fleming, a Segway spokesman. The company is lobbying the state and the city to keep Segways from being banned. Fleming worries the real problem is not the product, but Danley.
“As an entrepreneur, as a member of that local society, you have to have this two-way relationship with the place in which you operate,” Fleming says.
For Danley, the fight is personal. It’s a fight about his livelihood, and he thinks people shouldn’t make up their minds about Segways because they don’t like him or they think his Segways look annoying.
When Segways were first introduced, their inventor said they would change the world. Al Danley still thinks they can.
WBUR Topics: Boston
Criticized In The North End, A Segway Owner Rides On
LISTEN NOW
By SONARI GLINTON
Published May 5, 2010
BOSTON — The saying goes that a prophet is never appreciated in his hometown.
Allan Danley is no prophet. That doesn’t keep people in the North End from not appreciating him or his Segways. And he knows it.
“You could ride down this road, Commercial Street, (a) one-way street, on a bike the wrong way and no one would bat an eye,” Danley says. “But if you do that on a Segway, ooh boy, you’re gonna get roasted, toasted and deep fried.”
(OK, Danley is a little prone to exaggeration. And bicyclists have their own issues in this town.)
Danley runs Boston Gliders, which offers guided tours on Segways. On one, you can see in a few hours what it can take days to see walking. They’re fun to ride, futuristic, even energy efficient. All good, right? Well, not so fast.
“I think it’s dangerous for the city and someone’s gonna get hurt,” says Salvatore LaMattina, the North End’s City Council representative. “The issue is safety for me. You know someone is on it, and they’re going 12 mph. And if they hit a senior or a little kid someone could get hurt. I wanna address this issue before someone gets hurt or someone gets killed on these Segways.”
Boston Gliders proprietor Allan Danley on his custom Segway (Sonari Glinton for WBUR)
LaMattina is looking into ways to curtail the use of Segways — possibly even banning them altogether in the North End.
But to prove his point, Danley runs over his assistant’s hand. This is one of the many demonstrations he uses to show how safe Segways are. He rolls over my hand — I’d say it felt like a pinch. Not something I’d want to happen all day long, but not bad.
To further prove how safe they are, Danley wants to take me out on Segway tour. But first we’ve got to have orientation. I tell him I’m a little afraid of falling.
“You’re six inches off the ground,” Danley says, “so we’re going to talk to you about what you should and shouldn’t do in case you felt like you may fall, and how to disembark the Segway properly to ensure that you wouldn’t get hurt.”
I never really got over my fear of falling but I did begin to feel a more comfortable. So we went out for our ride around the North End. As we ride we see lots of fans of the Segway, and for the most part we stick to side streets.
Riding a Segway is pretty fun and it’s kind of hard to see exactly what the problem is. Councilor LaMattina has some insight.
“I have no problem with Al,” LaMattina says. “I know that he doesn’t have a lot of friends in the particular neighborhood that he’s operating in, in the North End.”
Essentially, Danley rubs people the wrong way. He admits he’s found himself in the middle of a few neighborhood feuds.
Even Segway — the company — has a problem with him.
“It wasn’t until his presence was there that there was any sort of an issue,” says Eric Fleming, a Segway spokesman. The company is lobbying the state and the city to keep Segways from being banned. Fleming worries the real problem is not the product, but Danley.
“As an entrepreneur, as a member of that local society, you have to have this two-way relationship with the place in which you operate,” Fleming says.
For Danley, the fight is personal. It’s a fight about his livelihood, and he thinks people shouldn’t make up their minds about Segways because they don’t like him or they think his Segways look annoying.
When Segways were first introduced, their inventor said they would change the world. Al Danley still thinks they can.
WBUR Topics: Boston
Friday, May 7, 2010
House of Blues and Cask to be shut down temporarily for underage drinking
Universal Hub
Cask'n Flagon, House of Blues punished for underaged drinking
By adamg - 5/6/10 - 4:04 pm
The Boston Licensing Board today ordered Cask'n Flagon to shut three days for an incident in which 11 underage Northeastern students were able to order beers and told the House of Blues to shut for one day for an incident in which an underaged BC student was found with beer in hand.
The establishments can appeal the punishments to the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.
The House of Blues will shut for three days next month for a separate incident in which fire inspectors had the place shut down in the middle of a concert after they found two partially blocked exits and band members smoking backstage.
Cask'n Flagon, House of Blues punished for underaged drinking
By adamg - 5/6/10 - 4:04 pm
The Boston Licensing Board today ordered Cask'n Flagon to shut three days for an incident in which 11 underage Northeastern students were able to order beers and told the House of Blues to shut for one day for an incident in which an underaged BC student was found with beer in hand.
The establishments can appeal the punishments to the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.
The House of Blues will shut for three days next month for a separate incident in which fire inspectors had the place shut down in the middle of a concert after they found two partially blocked exits and band members smoking backstage.
Sam Adams stock goes to zero and then up again
Friday, May 7, 2010, 9:13am EDT | Modified: Friday, May 7, 2010, 9:17am
Boston Beer recovers from fall to 'zero'
Boston Business Journal - by Tim McLaughlin
Boston Beer Co. investors got a scare Thursday when, for reasons still unknown, the wild ride on Wall Street sent the company’s stock to zero.
Boston Beer’s (NYSE: SAM) stock opened at $59.44 when trading began and traded as high as $63.17 during the day. But after 2:40 p.m., the Dow plunged nearly 1,000 points.
That’s when shares of the maker of Sam Adams beer inexplicably went to nothing. The stock recovered after a scary 5 minutes and closed at $55.82.
All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.
Boston Beer recovers from fall to 'zero'
Boston Business Journal - by Tim McLaughlin
Boston Beer Co. investors got a scare Thursday when, for reasons still unknown, the wild ride on Wall Street sent the company’s stock to zero.
Boston Beer’s (NYSE: SAM) stock opened at $59.44 when trading began and traded as high as $63.17 during the day. But after 2:40 p.m., the Dow plunged nearly 1,000 points.
That’s when shares of the maker of Sam Adams beer inexplicably went to nothing. The stock recovered after a scary 5 minutes and closed at $55.82.
All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.
Grezzo closing
Boston Restaurant Talk
Friday, May 07, 2010
Grezzo is Closing Its Restaurants in Boston and Newburyport
An upscale North End dining spot (with another location in Newburyport) that specializes in raw foods and organic vegan fare is closing both of its restaurants.
According to the restaurant owner's blog, Grezzo on Prince Street in Boston--and State Street in Newburyport--is shutting its doors in part because the owner is "burning out," having taken on a number of tasks, including bi-monthly teacher trainings, bookwriting, and more. The last part of her blog entry indicates that both restaurants may already have closed, and a post in the Newburyport News mentions that the location up there has been shut for a week, but we are waiting to hear back to get confirmation on whether both places have indeed closed for good.
Grezzo first opened in the North End in the winter of 2008, with the Newburyport location opening this past fall. Both restaurants have featured a variety of vegan dishes, including seaweed salad, maki rolls, tomato ravioli, gnocchi, falafel wraps, veggie burgers, and much more.
For more information on the closing of Grezzo in the North End of Boston and Newburyport, please go to the blog entry below:
Times they are a changin'
posted by Marc at 9:19 AM |
Friday, May 07, 2010
Grezzo is Closing Its Restaurants in Boston and Newburyport
An upscale North End dining spot (with another location in Newburyport) that specializes in raw foods and organic vegan fare is closing both of its restaurants.
According to the restaurant owner's blog, Grezzo on Prince Street in Boston--and State Street in Newburyport--is shutting its doors in part because the owner is "burning out," having taken on a number of tasks, including bi-monthly teacher trainings, bookwriting, and more. The last part of her blog entry indicates that both restaurants may already have closed, and a post in the Newburyport News mentions that the location up there has been shut for a week, but we are waiting to hear back to get confirmation on whether both places have indeed closed for good.
Grezzo first opened in the North End in the winter of 2008, with the Newburyport location opening this past fall. Both restaurants have featured a variety of vegan dishes, including seaweed salad, maki rolls, tomato ravioli, gnocchi, falafel wraps, veggie burgers, and much more.
For more information on the closing of Grezzo in the North End of Boston and Newburyport, please go to the blog entry below:
Times they are a changin'
posted by Marc at 9:19 AM |
MCCA says BCEC needs new hotel to compete
Officials: Boston meeting center needs new hotel
By Associated Press | Friday, May 7, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Real Estate
BOSTON - State and city leaders say the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center needs a new nearby hotel and they want taxpayers to foot a portion of the estimated $700 million bill.
The Boston Globe reports that officials studying how to dramatically expand the convention center say a 1,000-room hotel is necessary to attract the biggest events, and that building it without millions of dollars in subsidies and taxpayer-supported loans is next to impossible.
Options are not yet finalized, but the project could involve a combination of tax breaks, public funds for road work and other upgrades, and hundreds of millions of dollars in debt that would be partly or entirely backed by taxpayers.
The goal of the expansion is to make Boston one of the top five convention destinations in the nation.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1253134
By Associated Press | Friday, May 7, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Real Estate
BOSTON - State and city leaders say the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center needs a new nearby hotel and they want taxpayers to foot a portion of the estimated $700 million bill.
The Boston Globe reports that officials studying how to dramatically expand the convention center say a 1,000-room hotel is necessary to attract the biggest events, and that building it without millions of dollars in subsidies and taxpayer-supported loans is next to impossible.
Options are not yet finalized, but the project could involve a combination of tax breaks, public funds for road work and other upgrades, and hundreds of millions of dollars in debt that would be partly or entirely backed by taxpayers.
The goal of the expansion is to make Boston one of the top five convention destinations in the nation.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1253134
Massachusetts Convention Center Authority to seek state aid for 1000 room hotel at BCEC
State, city want taxpayers to aid convention hotel
By Casey Ross, Globe Staff | May 7, 2010
State and city leaders want to build a 1,000-room hotel next to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, a project that will cost up to $700 million and almost certainly require millions of dollars in subsidies and taxpayer-supported loans.
Officials studying how to dramatically expand the convention center said another large hotel is necessary to attract the biggest events, and that building it without taxpayers’ help would be nearly impossible.
The options are still being discussed, but officials said the project could involve a combination of tax breaks, public funds for road work and other upgrades, and hundreds of millions of dollars in debt that would be partly or entirely backed by taxpayers.
“If we stand back and do nothing, another hotel will not be built here for another 10 years,’’ said James Rooney, executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, which operates the center. “Boston has shown that it can do well in this market, so the question is do we want to make the tough decisions to build this hotel and take advantage of our capacity?’’
When the convention center opened in 2004, the city and state increased taxes on things such as rental cars, tourist tours, and hotel rooms to help pay for construction of the $800 million South Boston facility. Officials say they will examine whether to raise those again as part of any expansion of the convention center.
A committee of 25 public officials and business leaders has highlighted the hotel as a critical component of such an expansion, which would be undertaken with the goal of making Boston one of the nation’s top five cities in the convention business.
A preliminary study has called for 400,000 square feet of additional exhibit space, a 5,000-seat auditorium, and a 75,000-square-foot ballroom. The hotel could open as early as 2015.
Boston officials say they recognize the demand for additional hotel rooms and the need to examine sources of public support.
“We have to find out how much help would be needed,’’ said Kairos Shen, chief planner for the Boston Redevelopment Authority. “But this is one area a large hotel can work because of the convention traffic and excess demand from the airport and downtown.’’
The convention center’s business has grown steadily, with annual attendance at its events increasing to about 550,000 in 2008 from 200,000 in 2005.
In the last couple years, however, officials said it has lost dozens of large events because it does not have exhibit space or adjacent hotel rooms to accommodate gatherings of many thousands of people. And the big conventions that have come to Boston have faced logistical problems.
For example, attendees of a recent insurance convention were placed in 33 hotels across the city. The event required 8,000 hotel rooms, but the convention center has only 1,100 hotel rooms within walking distance. Most attendees had to be bused back and forth to their hotels, resulting in $300,000 in additional transportation costs.
Rooney said the shortage of hotel rooms was also cited by several convention organizers who decided not to come to Boston, including the American Society of Safety Engineers, which required 4,000 rooms, and the National Safety Council, which required 6,500.
While there appears to be demand, large convention hotels are difficult to build because high construction costs make it difficult to earn the 20 to 25 percent profits demanded by private investors. In most cases public money is used to help defray costs through tax breaks, funds for road work or other infrastructure, and other assistance.
In the last 10 years, only two hotels with more than 700 rooms have been built in the United States without public assistance, according to PiperJaffray, one of several consultants advising the convention center’s study committee. Both were in New York City.
In other parts of the country, large hotels are becoming increasingly reliant on public borrowing and subsidies. Since 1997, 15 hotels have been built with either publicly issued debt, direct funding to help with construction costs, or both. Among cities hosting those hotels are Chicago, Baltimore, San Diego, Tampa, St. Louis, and Phoenix.
It is becoming increasingly common for convention hotels to be 100 percent publicly financed. Officials in Dallas, for example, are building a 1,000-room hotel with $480 million in government-issued bonds that will be paid off through operations of the hotel. The state is also providing tax breaks for 10 years, and the city of Dallas is guaranteeing 100 percent of the debt. A similar financing structure was used in 2005 to build a 1,100-room convention center hotel in Denver.
The model works if the hotel succeeds, as it has in Denver. But if the hotel fails, it can leave taxpayers facing a huge bill. Some industry specialists warn that, with so many cities developing large hotels, demand is going to start to wane, making failures more likely.
Moreover, the US hotel market is already suffering in the down economy. Room rates in the Boston area are down 12 to 15 percent since 2007, and last week the W Hotel declared bankruptcy after just six months of operations. That breakdown came after the city of Boston had provided a $10.5 million loan to the W. Officials have said they secured enough collateral to protect against losses.
“The construction costs of these hotels is so high that it becomes difficult to make enough revenue to pay off the debt,’’ said Michael Oshins, an associate professor at the Boston University School of Hospitality. “So there is some risk.’’
Oshins pointed out the W’s failure was largely due to the inability to sell condominiums that were supposed to help raise enough money to pay off its debt in the near term.
Rooney said a similar failure would not occur at the convention center hotel because it would be supported by a steady stream of event traffic. He acknowledged that many other cities are also building convention hotels, but said Boston has proved it can compete for business.
“There is a tremendous economic opportunity here,’’ he said. “We can be among the leading world cities for assemblies and conventions if we decide to build the infrastructure to support this business.’’
Casey Ross can be reached at cross@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
By Casey Ross, Globe Staff | May 7, 2010
State and city leaders want to build a 1,000-room hotel next to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, a project that will cost up to $700 million and almost certainly require millions of dollars in subsidies and taxpayer-supported loans.
Officials studying how to dramatically expand the convention center said another large hotel is necessary to attract the biggest events, and that building it without taxpayers’ help would be nearly impossible.
The options are still being discussed, but officials said the project could involve a combination of tax breaks, public funds for road work and other upgrades, and hundreds of millions of dollars in debt that would be partly or entirely backed by taxpayers.
“If we stand back and do nothing, another hotel will not be built here for another 10 years,’’ said James Rooney, executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, which operates the center. “Boston has shown that it can do well in this market, so the question is do we want to make the tough decisions to build this hotel and take advantage of our capacity?’’
When the convention center opened in 2004, the city and state increased taxes on things such as rental cars, tourist tours, and hotel rooms to help pay for construction of the $800 million South Boston facility. Officials say they will examine whether to raise those again as part of any expansion of the convention center.
A committee of 25 public officials and business leaders has highlighted the hotel as a critical component of such an expansion, which would be undertaken with the goal of making Boston one of the nation’s top five cities in the convention business.
A preliminary study has called for 400,000 square feet of additional exhibit space, a 5,000-seat auditorium, and a 75,000-square-foot ballroom. The hotel could open as early as 2015.
Boston officials say they recognize the demand for additional hotel rooms and the need to examine sources of public support.
“We have to find out how much help would be needed,’’ said Kairos Shen, chief planner for the Boston Redevelopment Authority. “But this is one area a large hotel can work because of the convention traffic and excess demand from the airport and downtown.’’
The convention center’s business has grown steadily, with annual attendance at its events increasing to about 550,000 in 2008 from 200,000 in 2005.
In the last couple years, however, officials said it has lost dozens of large events because it does not have exhibit space or adjacent hotel rooms to accommodate gatherings of many thousands of people. And the big conventions that have come to Boston have faced logistical problems.
For example, attendees of a recent insurance convention were placed in 33 hotels across the city. The event required 8,000 hotel rooms, but the convention center has only 1,100 hotel rooms within walking distance. Most attendees had to be bused back and forth to their hotels, resulting in $300,000 in additional transportation costs.
Rooney said the shortage of hotel rooms was also cited by several convention organizers who decided not to come to Boston, including the American Society of Safety Engineers, which required 4,000 rooms, and the National Safety Council, which required 6,500.
While there appears to be demand, large convention hotels are difficult to build because high construction costs make it difficult to earn the 20 to 25 percent profits demanded by private investors. In most cases public money is used to help defray costs through tax breaks, funds for road work or other infrastructure, and other assistance.
In the last 10 years, only two hotels with more than 700 rooms have been built in the United States without public assistance, according to PiperJaffray, one of several consultants advising the convention center’s study committee. Both were in New York City.
In other parts of the country, large hotels are becoming increasingly reliant on public borrowing and subsidies. Since 1997, 15 hotels have been built with either publicly issued debt, direct funding to help with construction costs, or both. Among cities hosting those hotels are Chicago, Baltimore, San Diego, Tampa, St. Louis, and Phoenix.
It is becoming increasingly common for convention hotels to be 100 percent publicly financed. Officials in Dallas, for example, are building a 1,000-room hotel with $480 million in government-issued bonds that will be paid off through operations of the hotel. The state is also providing tax breaks for 10 years, and the city of Dallas is guaranteeing 100 percent of the debt. A similar financing structure was used in 2005 to build a 1,100-room convention center hotel in Denver.
The model works if the hotel succeeds, as it has in Denver. But if the hotel fails, it can leave taxpayers facing a huge bill. Some industry specialists warn that, with so many cities developing large hotels, demand is going to start to wane, making failures more likely.
Moreover, the US hotel market is already suffering in the down economy. Room rates in the Boston area are down 12 to 15 percent since 2007, and last week the W Hotel declared bankruptcy after just six months of operations. That breakdown came after the city of Boston had provided a $10.5 million loan to the W. Officials have said they secured enough collateral to protect against losses.
“The construction costs of these hotels is so high that it becomes difficult to make enough revenue to pay off the debt,’’ said Michael Oshins, an associate professor at the Boston University School of Hospitality. “So there is some risk.’’
Oshins pointed out the W’s failure was largely due to the inability to sell condominiums that were supposed to help raise enough money to pay off its debt in the near term.
Rooney said a similar failure would not occur at the convention center hotel because it would be supported by a steady stream of event traffic. He acknowledged that many other cities are also building convention hotels, but said Boston has proved it can compete for business.
“There is a tremendous economic opportunity here,’’ he said. “We can be among the leading world cities for assemblies and conventions if we decide to build the infrastructure to support this business.’’
Casey Ross can be reached at cross@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Boston Pops open 125th season on a high note
Pops still young at heart
By Keith Powers | Wednesday, May 5, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Arts & Culture
Celebrating popular culture has made the Boston Pops what it is, and so it’s no surprise that opening its 125th anniversary season on Tuesday evening at Symphony Hall included a nod to favorites from Gershwin to “Glee.”
For the bulk of the century and a quarter, the Pops has had three just directors: Arthur Fiedler, John Williams and current maestro Keith Lockhart. Each has left his own stamp on the orchestra, and the splashy three-part program honored all of them.
The survey of Fiedler’s distinctive taste was all American, including some things patriotic (“National Emblem March”), and some things kitschy (Leroy Anderson’s idiosyncratic and enjoyable “Typewriter,” which served as a soundtrack to a video retrospective of the colorful Fiedler years). But it also had some real substance: Gershwin’s great “Rhapsody in Blue,” turned nicely (albeit in a bowdlerized version) by Pops regular Michael Chertock, as well as the most eloquent tribute of the night, featuring concertmaster Tamara Smirnova, who soloed gracefully in a timeless Pops favorite, “Jalousie,” the first million-selling recording of any kind, as Lockhart pointed out.
The highlight of the John Williams section was an appearance by 82-year-old Doc Severinsen. Doc, looking outrageously fit - and outrageously attired in a floral shirt and sequined tux - caught most of the notes in a Beethoven-inspired arrangement written especially for him. The Williams tribute filled out with several selections from his substantial repertory, including the Olympic theme and the unforgettable music from “E.T.” and “Star Wars.”
Anticipating public taste is how Lockhart described Fiedler in his introductory remarks, and the inclusion of Broadway star Idina Menzel made it seem like Lockhart fills that description pretty well himself. The Tony-Award-winning singer, well known already for roles in “Rent” and “Wicked,” and soon to join the irrepressible cast of “Glee,” belted out a selection of show tunes, showing she knew her way around a mike, and building anticipation for concert-length appearances with the Pops tonight and tomorrow.
Pops being Pops, there was a steady fill of extra-musical activity, including a Beatles karaoke singalong and a birthday cake especially created by celebrity chef Duff Goldman, who got to conduct “Stars and Stripes” for his baking troubles. The high profile anniversary season runs through June 20 at Symphony Hall and continues with a July Tanglewood appearance featuring Alec Baldwin narrating a world premiere and a free September concert on Boston Common. Happy birthday, and many happy returns, to America’s orchestra.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/arts_culture/view.bg?articleid=1252523
By Keith Powers | Wednesday, May 5, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Arts & Culture
Celebrating popular culture has made the Boston Pops what it is, and so it’s no surprise that opening its 125th anniversary season on Tuesday evening at Symphony Hall included a nod to favorites from Gershwin to “Glee.”
For the bulk of the century and a quarter, the Pops has had three just directors: Arthur Fiedler, John Williams and current maestro Keith Lockhart. Each has left his own stamp on the orchestra, and the splashy three-part program honored all of them.
The survey of Fiedler’s distinctive taste was all American, including some things patriotic (“National Emblem March”), and some things kitschy (Leroy Anderson’s idiosyncratic and enjoyable “Typewriter,” which served as a soundtrack to a video retrospective of the colorful Fiedler years). But it also had some real substance: Gershwin’s great “Rhapsody in Blue,” turned nicely (albeit in a bowdlerized version) by Pops regular Michael Chertock, as well as the most eloquent tribute of the night, featuring concertmaster Tamara Smirnova, who soloed gracefully in a timeless Pops favorite, “Jalousie,” the first million-selling recording of any kind, as Lockhart pointed out.
The highlight of the John Williams section was an appearance by 82-year-old Doc Severinsen. Doc, looking outrageously fit - and outrageously attired in a floral shirt and sequined tux - caught most of the notes in a Beethoven-inspired arrangement written especially for him. The Williams tribute filled out with several selections from his substantial repertory, including the Olympic theme and the unforgettable music from “E.T.” and “Star Wars.”
Anticipating public taste is how Lockhart described Fiedler in his introductory remarks, and the inclusion of Broadway star Idina Menzel made it seem like Lockhart fills that description pretty well himself. The Tony-Award-winning singer, well known already for roles in “Rent” and “Wicked,” and soon to join the irrepressible cast of “Glee,” belted out a selection of show tunes, showing she knew her way around a mike, and building anticipation for concert-length appearances with the Pops tonight and tomorrow.
Pops being Pops, there was a steady fill of extra-musical activity, including a Beatles karaoke singalong and a birthday cake especially created by celebrity chef Duff Goldman, who got to conduct “Stars and Stripes” for his baking troubles. The high profile anniversary season runs through June 20 at Symphony Hall and continues with a July Tanglewood appearance featuring Alec Baldwin narrating a world premiere and a free September concert on Boston Common. Happy birthday, and many happy returns, to America’s orchestra.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/arts_culture/view.bg?articleid=1252523
Phantom Gourmet brunch bill passes Mass. House; Filene's Basement documentary to premiere
We Hear: Ayla Brown, Filene’s Basement, The Imploders & more...
By Inside Track | Wednesday, May 5, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | The Inside Track
That the House unanimously passed “The Phantom Gourmet”-instigated Restaurant Rejuvenation Act, which allows Mass. eateries to start serving liquor at 10 a.m. on Sundays. The measure, which is designed to help struggling restaurants get more Sunday brunch biz, now goes to the Senate. Currently, restaurants are not allowed to start serving cocktails until noon on Sundays.
That “Voices From The Basement,” a documentary about the legendary shoppers’ Nirvana Filene’s Basement, will premiere at an invitation-only bash at the Omni Parker House next week. The flick, by filmmaker Michael Bavaro of “Rex Trailer’s Boomtown” fame, traces the history of the Filene family back to Prussia and features interviews with longtime basement employees and shoppers, including “60 Minutes” man Mike Wallace, Rep. Barney Frank, ex-Gov. Mike Dukakis and Mayor Tom Menino. Estelle Parsons, who purchased much of her “Today” show wardrobe in the basement, will be the guest of honor.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view.bg?articleid=1252499
By Inside Track | Wednesday, May 5, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | The Inside Track
That the House unanimously passed “The Phantom Gourmet”-instigated Restaurant Rejuvenation Act, which allows Mass. eateries to start serving liquor at 10 a.m. on Sundays. The measure, which is designed to help struggling restaurants get more Sunday brunch biz, now goes to the Senate. Currently, restaurants are not allowed to start serving cocktails until noon on Sundays.
That “Voices From The Basement,” a documentary about the legendary shoppers’ Nirvana Filene’s Basement, will premiere at an invitation-only bash at the Omni Parker House next week. The flick, by filmmaker Michael Bavaro of “Rex Trailer’s Boomtown” fame, traces the history of the Filene family back to Prussia and features interviews with longtime basement employees and shoppers, including “60 Minutes” man Mike Wallace, Rep. Barney Frank, ex-Gov. Mike Dukakis and Mayor Tom Menino. Estelle Parsons, who purchased much of her “Today” show wardrobe in the basement, will be the guest of honor.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view.bg?articleid=1252499
Marine Week includes Osprey helicopter at Boston Common
Common Marines’ spectacle
By Katy Jordan | Tuesday, May 4, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
The Marines hit the beach on Boston Common yesterday, touching down in a mammoth MV-22 Osprey to mark the beginning of Marine Week in Boston.
The 57-foot-long tilt-rotor aircraft - capable of a vertical takeoff and landing, and fixed-wing forward flight - will stand guard in the nation’s oldest park through Friday. Onlookers yesterday marveled at the aircraft, like ones now being used in combat operations in Afghanistan. It boasts an 85-foot wingspan and stands 22 feet high.
“There were all kinds of people standing around the Common (yesterday), from veterans to children. The energy was great,” said Maj. Yanni Athanasiadis.
More than 500 Marines are making their presence known in Boston this week, making the few, the proud that much more numerous locally in an effort to reach out to the public about the Corps’ rich history. Marines, Athanasiadis said, are “some of the most patriotic people that you’ll ever come across, and in Boston, one of the most patriotic places in the country, it’s a good combination to have.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1252178
By Katy Jordan | Tuesday, May 4, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
The Marines hit the beach on Boston Common yesterday, touching down in a mammoth MV-22 Osprey to mark the beginning of Marine Week in Boston.
The 57-foot-long tilt-rotor aircraft - capable of a vertical takeoff and landing, and fixed-wing forward flight - will stand guard in the nation’s oldest park through Friday. Onlookers yesterday marveled at the aircraft, like ones now being used in combat operations in Afghanistan. It boasts an 85-foot wingspan and stands 22 feet high.
“There were all kinds of people standing around the Common (yesterday), from veterans to children. The energy was great,” said Maj. Yanni Athanasiadis.
More than 500 Marines are making their presence known in Boston this week, making the few, the proud that much more numerous locally in an effort to reach out to the public about the Corps’ rich history. Marines, Athanasiadis said, are “some of the most patriotic people that you’ll ever come across, and in Boston, one of the most patriotic places in the country, it’s a good combination to have.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1252178
Sam's to open at Louis Boston at Fan Pier
Boston Restaurant Talk
Sam's to Open on the Boston Waterfront
A new restaurant is coming to Fan Pier along the Boston Waterfront, and it will be located within an upscale clothing store. Based on information from the Louis Boston Facebook page as well as a business license posting on the EveryBlock Boston website, a dining spot called Sam's will be opening in the store, which has recently opened on Northern Avenue just across Fort Point Channel from downtown Boston.
There is currently little information on the upcoming Sam's restaurant, though it will likely be an upscale dining spot, and based on the photos on the Louis Boston Facebook page, it will be located on the second floor of the store and will have an outdoor deck overlooking Boston Harbor. (For updates on the restaurant's progress, please go to the Louis Boston Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/LouisBostonStore)
[May 4 update: According to a job posting on Craigslist, Sam's is planning on opening sometime this month.]
Louis had been located on Berkeley Street in the Back Bay of Boston for about 30 years before leaving that space this winter.
The address for this new restaurant that will be opening along the Boston Waterfront will be: Sam's, 60 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA 02210.
posted by Marc at 11:18 AM
Sam's to Open on the Boston Waterfront
A new restaurant is coming to Fan Pier along the Boston Waterfront, and it will be located within an upscale clothing store. Based on information from the Louis Boston Facebook page as well as a business license posting on the EveryBlock Boston website, a dining spot called Sam's will be opening in the store, which has recently opened on Northern Avenue just across Fort Point Channel from downtown Boston.
There is currently little information on the upcoming Sam's restaurant, though it will likely be an upscale dining spot, and based on the photos on the Louis Boston Facebook page, it will be located on the second floor of the store and will have an outdoor deck overlooking Boston Harbor. (For updates on the restaurant's progress, please go to the Louis Boston Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/LouisBostonStore)
[May 4 update: According to a job posting on Craigslist, Sam's is planning on opening sometime this month.]
Louis had been located on Berkeley Street in the Back Bay of Boston for about 30 years before leaving that space this winter.
The address for this new restaurant that will be opening along the Boston Waterfront will be: Sam's, 60 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA 02210.
posted by Marc at 11:18 AM
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