Ouch. Columbus Center conversation gets ugly
You know the Columbus Center development, proposed for the corner of Clarendon Street and Columbus Avenue, where the South End meets the Back Bay, right?
Yeah, that’s the place.
So, earlier this week, the Globe reported that the developer’s banks said they were concerned whether there was enough money on hand to finance the project, and that they were recommending asking the state for more money.
Over on the Architectural Boston bulletin board, this has led to quite the interesting conversation.
First person: … I really hope that this doesn’t impact the project too much. I would really like to see the Pike covered … I hope this is an issue that can be resolved quickly.
Second person: .. I sure hope the city has learned their lesson and does something to shorten the approval process from many years to several years.
This is an awesome project for the city and it would be a shame to loose it.
Third person: I very much want to see this project built, but by some other developer who doesn’t believe that extortion is a proper way to do business. Winn and Cassin should be ashamed of themselves. (Emphasis, mine.)
Fourth person: Boston needs growth, this kind of growth, it really is hurting for jobs and housing, plus the benfits of hiding the Pike and reconnected the neighborhoods are immense …
Boston was on a roll for a long time and people have gotten used to demanding money from developers. The atmosphere has changed … Boston will begin to decline without new projects and the city doesn’t have nearly the clout it once did. Obviously the city is having a lot of trouble getting big projects started.
The few neighbors who opposed this project for so many years did a great disservice to the rest of the city.
Second person: If extortion is a word to be applied here, it should be applied where it rightfully belongs, to the neighborhood groups who were given gazillions of concessions (neighborhood improvements) from Cassin/Winn. If this project wasn’t dragged on over many years now we wouldn’t even be having this discussion. The discussion would be, instead, about how awesome the rising steel of Columbus Center looks over the Turnpike.
Fifth person (in response Third Person’s accusation of extortion by Cassin & Winn): Shut up.
Ahhh, the beauty of anonymous comments.
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