Tracking the Government Center Station Construction From Above
Thacher Tiffany has always had a pleasant view of the City Hall Plaza from his office chair at work, high above the bustling crowds of daily commuters and pedestrians below. But when the landscape started to shift after the MBTA announced it was tearing down the dilapidated Government Center Station to make way for a new structure, his view drastically changed.
Rather than gripe about the unflattering change of scenery, Tiffany made the best of the situation and created a Twitter handle to keep the city updated on the MBTA’s ongoing construction.
“I’ve been siting in my office looking out at the plaza for years and have always wanted to share that experience with others,” said Tiffany, who has been snapping photos of the construction outside of his office window regularly, and sharing the photos online via his @concreteplaza account.
In February T officials announced the station at City Hall Plaza would be closing down for two years beginning on March 22, so that the transit agency could begin repairs and upgrades to the stop, and improve connections between the Blue and Green Lines. Once complete in 2016, the new station will also feature an updated interior, and have a new head-house structure as the main entrance to the stop. Upgrades will also bring new escalators to the station, as well as LED signage, more security cameras, vendor space, and a new fare collection area, according to the MBTA.
While the ongoing work creates a drab view of the plaza for now, Tiffany said he’s excited about what’s to come. “The plaza has such huge potential as a public space that has never been fully realized. Instead it’s basically a joke of a space. The old station was a horrible gateway to the site—although it was cool in an Aztec kind of way,” he said. “From what I’ve seen online, the new station will be a great improvement and help make the plaza work better.”
He said he’s particularly looking forward to taking advantage of the new seating and outdoor spaces that the station will offer as part of the redevelopment, and less concerned about the underground changes since he mostly rides his bike to work. “I eat outside on the plaza whenever I can,” he said. “In recent years the city has clearly made big efforts to bring activity to it and make it more of a central gathering place.”
Below is a series of photos taken from Tiffany’s office window. He encourages people to follow him on Twitter as he continues to take daily pictures of the changes happening near City Hall:
