As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/
Options

Mass. House approves $1.1b convention center expansion

FilthgrinderFilthgrinder Registered User regular
The Massachusetts House of Representatives approved a bill to expand the BCEC and hotels. $1.b billion to be exact. The idea is to construct another hotel (in addition to the one currently under construction) and add an additional 1.3 million square feet to the convention hall. The hotel to be funded with this would add an additional 200 rooms to the area.

Also in the news is that there are multiple companies bidding on building a 1000 room hotel next to the BCEC. There is a 500 room hotel being built currently. So all in all that would add another 1700 rooms in walking distance of the BCEC, which is double of whats available now (within walking distance).

The bill still needs to be approved by the Mass Sentate, schedule for the end of July.

If everything goes through and on schedule (HA!), everything would be opening 2019.
bostonglobe.com/business/2014/05/28/massachusetts-house-approves-convention-center-expansion-plan/MZYifMughFcM1jMSCW91KK/story.html

Posts

  • Options
    HeadhunterHeadhunter Registered User regular
    Nice! There does seem to be some available land in the area, especially behind the BCEC (I walked by what looked like a bunch of empty warehouses when wandering for food in 2013).

    Hopefully the new hotel(s) have lots of conference rooms too, so they can be used for PAX related activities like the pair of Hyatts and other hotels in downtown Seattle for Prime.

    "Perception is reality." -unknown
  • Options
    Josh5890Josh5890 ChicagoRegistered User regular
    This is great news (albeit it is years away but slowly things will improve)

    This space for rent
  • Options
    jforjamtasticjforjamtastic Registered User regular
    Headhunter wrote: »
    Nice! There does seem to be some available land in the area, especially behind the BCEC (I walked by what looked like a bunch of empty warehouses when wandering for food in 2013).

    Hopefully the new hotel(s) have lots of conference rooms too, so they can be used for PAX related activities like the pair of Hyatts and other hotels in downtown Seattle for Prime.

    While it seems empty now, this land is also being developed pretty heavily as Fort Point/Seaport is becoming one of tech/bio hubs in the area.

    Q8eJiP4.png
  • Options
    DolarrahDolarrah New JerseyRegistered User regular
    edited May 2014
    Hopefully that will drive some hotel prices down to reasonable again, 400 a night is ridiculous unless their maid service involves more in the bed then fluffing pillows and a mint.

    Dolarrah on
  • Options
    rascrushrascrush Registered User regular
    400 yes i you dont book through on peak but as long as u use on peak even the close ones were only around 200.00 a night i believe

  • Options
    LexiconGrrlLexiconGrrl Registered User regular
    Dolarrah wrote: »
    Hopefully that will drive some hotel prices down to reasonable again, 400 a night is ridiculous unless their maid service involves more in the bed then fluffing pillows and a mint.

    You got a mint?!?

    Happily on Sabbatical. Don't bug me.
  • Options
    BinaryPieBinaryPie Registered User regular
    http://bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/2014/07/1b_convention_center_expansion_bill_approved

    MA Senate approved it yesterday. 2019 is a long way away though. Going to continue to be crowded at East for a while.

  • Options
    BekerBeker Child's Play Program Director SeattleRegistered User, Penny Arcade Staff regular
    BinaryPie wrote: »

    MA Senate approved it yesterday. 2019 is a long way away though. Going to continue to be crowded at East for a while.

    If you think expansion will make it not crowded, you need to re-evaluate the demand for this thing. It will be exciting to see that giant hall even bigger.

    -Beker/Erick
    zx6ak2M.png
  • Options
    gwidiongwidion Registered User regular
    Does anyone know when the hotel currently under construction is supposed to be finished?

  • Options
    PurpleSkyPurpleSky Registered User regular
    gwidion wrote: »
    Does anyone know when the hotel currently under construction is supposed to be finished?

    Where is this hotel construction? I never noticed it at East 14.

  • Options
    jforjamtasticjforjamtastic Registered User regular
    edited September 2014
    @PurpleSky‌

    I work in the Seaport/Ft. Point area, there is construction all over. This is probably the hotel closest to being completed: http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/projects/development-projects/seaport-square-parcel-a

    jforjamtastic on
    Q8eJiP4.png
  • Options
    Le_GoatLe_Goat Frechified Goat Person BostonRegistered User regular
    One of the constructions going on in that area is for a parking garage, so you can expect better parking when it is done.

    While I agree that being insensitive is an issue, so is being oversensitive.
  • Options
    jforjamtasticjforjamtastic Registered User regular
    There's actually a lot of parking in the area as the area was long underdeveloped. A lot of those parking lots are now becoming office towers so I'm not sure what the net effect on parking will be.

    Q8eJiP4.png
  • Options
    ltgruntltgrunt Registered User regular
    I'm more concerned with the net effect on parking prices. This year was a couple of firsts for my wife and I - first PAX and first time we've ever been to Boston. We went sightseeing with her cousin the Thursday before PAX and had to park downtown. I remember that parking lot costing something like $30 just for a couple of hours. At that point I was thinking "ohcrap! PAX parking is going to kill our swag fund!" But the BCEC parking was a super-reasonable$12/day. Sure, it was just a single flat lot to park in, but it was conveniently located and I wasn't worried about my car because the lot was being watched.

    I suspect that all this expansion will be seen as a great reason to turn the BCEC parking into parking garages, automate the parking attendance, and jack up the parking charges. Here's to hoping that I'm totally wrong and way off base.

    mkf6ad9.png
  • Options
    jdixon1972jdixon1972 Registered User regular
    Sadly, that probably will happen. I've lived in the Boston area around six years and have learned that if more money can be made on parking, it will be.

    There's a reason why most tourist guides to Boston say that if you are driving in and don't absolutely have to have a car in the city, park at one of the outer area T stops that have overnight parking. I take the T in that way all the time. I hate walking (ok, I'm lazy ;) but I hate spending money on parking when I can spend it on stuff at the con.

  • Options
    FireWaterFireWater Registered User regular
    This is why from now on I am flying from NJ to Boston, it doesn't really pay for me to drive up, add miles to my lease, pay for a few tanks of gas find parking, pay for parking etc....

    Public transportation is more than adequate in Boston. If I go next year I also plan on staying at either the Westin or the Seaport, so we should be good.

  • Options
    flatlineflatline Registered User regular
    FireWater wrote: »
    This is why from now on I am flying from NJ to Boston, it doesn't really pay for me to drive up, add miles to my lease, pay for a few tanks of gas find parking, pay for parking etc....

    Public transportation is more than adequate in Boston. If I go next year I also plan on staying at either the Westin or the Seaport, so we should be good.

    If you're in NJ, you should ride the Sonic Line (Amtrak). It stops in Trenton and Newark, is way more comfortable/convenient than flying, serves Dogfish Head 90 Minute, and you can get the ticket today for $74.

    East 2014 Status: Badge [ Friend got it ] Hotel [Crappy] BYOC [YES] Transport [ ] Name on Forum Badge [ ] Challenge Coin [ ]
  • Options
    ComicSeansComicSeans Registered User new member
    As crowded as East is, its still the largest PAX by square feet. And based on demand for tickets, it should have no problem filling the new space in 2019. So I guess that would really make East the largest PAX. Do South, Aus, or Prime have any plans for new space in the next decade?

    PAX East 2014 Omeganaut
    Twitter: @Comic_Seans
    SeanHalloran.com
    to the moon!
  • Options
    zerzhulzerzhul Registered User, Moderator mod
    the south convention center is undergoing expansion right now to bring it up to about the same size as the current BCEC.

  • Options
    VapokVapok Just a Guy. BostonRegistered User regular
    edited November 2014
    I think if Prime were to grow anymore, the City of Seattle would have to expand the city limits. Though, that's one of the most attractive things to PAX Prime. I love how integrated the city is with the show. I've told people in the past, that the venue for PAX East is the BCEC, and the venue for PAX Prime is the City of Seattle.

    Vapok on
    enforceruserbarsplitcro.png
    Vapok
  • Options
    cardkid123cardkid123 Registered User regular
    edited November 2014
    cant wait til this pax. Will be so much easier.

    cardkid123 on
  • Options
    rascrushrascrush Registered User regular
    y will it be easier this will not be done for another few years

  • Options
    Onslaught7Onslaught7 Boston, MARegistered User regular
    I'm very happy that the BCEC is expanding! The demand for PAX East seems to be growing exponentially every year, so being able to accommodate more people is ideal! (Though selfishly I wish PAX would stop growing so that I could see more of it without squeezing through even larger crowds of people!)

  • Options
    SkrepoSkrepo Registered User regular
  • Options
    KaronethKaroneth Elder Scrolling Online Co-Host Lakehurst, NJRegistered User regular
    Very disappointing as Boston is a great convention city and could use an even better exhibition center, and PAX certainly can use more space. There are other options though...the Westin and Seaport (not just the hotel, but the Seaport pier itself) do have nearby event spaces that could be utilized in the future by PAX if need be. At least we got two new hotels out of this before it was put on hiatus and hopefully the expansion will resume again soon.

  • Options
    cookiekrushcookiekrush Registered User regular
    I heard about this on the radio. I think they were also discussing to review this faster as it was going to be part of the Boston's Bid for the Olympics as Baker didn't know this affects the bid.

    Pinny Pals - open to trading!
    Looking for Edith Finch Pin!
Sign In or Register to comment.