The BRA's 1967 Plan

5/19/2010 Uncategorized

1967_bra_plan

Bob Kaye of MassDevelopment passed this image along to me with the original label taped to the back:

BOSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, BOSTON, MASS.  FOR RELEASE MAY 19, 1967

CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT URBAN RENEWAL PLAN  MORNING PAPERS

“THIS ARTIST’S RENDERING SHOWS DOWNTOWN BOSTON AS IT WILL APPEAR IN 1975. THE AREA SHOWN COVERS FOUR URBAN PROJECTS – THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, SOUTH COVE, WATERFRONT, AND GOVERNMENT CENTER.”

Some things to notice:

1.       Government Center is depicted as “done” but including Pei/Cobbs proposed bar buildings parallel to Congress Street – thus eliminating the Blackstone Block and the Union Oyster House.

2.       Nothing is proposed on the future Federal Reserve Bank site

3.       Please note elevated pedestrian walkway from South Station to Washington Street by way of future One Financial Center and parking garages

4.       A third Harbor Tower

5.       A surgical approach to high-rise development that fairly accurately predicts the build-out of Downtown Boston during the ensuing thirty-plus years (generally, if not in the details)

-Tim