4-24-2000

Mr. Freddie Peterson
Project Liaison
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
Boston, MA

re: meeting followup

Dear Freddie,

It was very productive to be able to meet with yourself and other members of the project team. Thank you for pulling the group together, particularly under difficult personal circumstances. I just learned that Mark is leaving the project team, and hope that he thrives and that you can find someone as capable to replace him. I wanted to recap a few things and also make some further suggestions.

We are very supportive of efforts to incorporate the boiler facility and its chimney(s) into the headquarters hotel. I wonder if it might also be possible for the chiller facility to be located there, in some fashion, as well?

We continue to be concerned that area air quality not be impacted. What we have learned through these meetings is reassuring, but far from a guarantee. In fact, I was unaware that fuel oil back up boilers could operate for 30 days a year, having been under the impression that it would only be during a temporary emergency similar to the diesel generators used to provide emergency lighting. A suggestion has been made that this could be detailed during the City's Chapter 61 review process, which we are unfamiliar with.

It is a relief to know that all ancillary facilities will be designed to be in keeping with the language of the Convention Center proper.

It was reassuring to learn that the proposed chiller facility will not interfere in any fashion with the potential to connect the West Concourse level with the Fort Point Channel District via a platform over the rail line and haul road. However, rather than being distant it seems that the cooling towers would come up to that crossing, and would be five to ten feet higher than that walkway. This should be confirmed and some perspective sketches should be studied to ensure that this will be a beneficial adjacency.

We continue to be concerned about the viability for a future transitway stop location to be provided at the end of the CSX sidings. The location of the chiller facility will hamper opportunities to provide platform and vertical circulation at that preferable location. At a minimum, there needs to be the ability to bring circulation elements and ancillary facilities over the chiller plant in the future. Having it connect directly with the platform over the Haul Road could accomplish several aims.

Thanks again for your time and efforts. We look forward to continuing this dialog.

Sincerely,

Jon Seward, on behalf of
Seaport Alliance for a Neighborhood Design


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