The Beacon Hill Times reports residents are hoping to convince Mass. General to save three buildings, one from 1884, that somehow survived the neighborhood's destruction in the 1950s only to face demolition as part of the hospital's $1-billion expansion plan.
Architect's aerial rendering. Dashed line at top is the railroad.
Many of the residents who attended a BRA get-together on a 138-condo complex proposed for Baker Street where it crosses the Needham Line opposed the idea, saying that's a bad location for so many cars - 210 parking spaces proposed- and worrying about the effect on already oversubscribed local BPS schools, according to Tim Sullivan, who attended the session at the West Roxbury Elks. He added a number of residents expressed doubts the BRA would really listen to their concerns.
JDMD Owner, LLC, owned by three New Yorkers, has filed a letter of intent with the BRA to convert buildings at 33 and 61 Temple St. into 75 condominiums. Read more.
Architect's revised rendering.
Residents who attended a meeting tonight on a 16-unit condo proposal for the old West Roxbury Motors site generally gave a thumbs up to a proposed design that eliminates an earlier exterior that residents found too modern for the area, too much like something built out of Lego bricks.
But when one resident questioned why the single ground-floor commercial space would be made off limits to a restaurant or coffee shop - in a building that would be across the street from the neighborhood Starbucks - other residents said that wouldn't bother them, because that stretch of Centre Street already has at least ten vacant storefronts. Read more.
Architect's rendering.
A developer today filed its plans to turn a 4.9-acre collection of small industrial buildings into a new neighborhood with 656 residential units in eight buildings, 96,000 square feet of retail space - including a grocery store and a pharmacy - and 2.4 acres of "public realm" space.
In a filing with the BRA, Core Investments says its Washington Village - at Old Colony Avenue and Dorchester and Damrell streets - will include both apartments and condos at affordable, "mid-market" and market-rate prices. Read more.
NorthEndWaterfront.com covered a BRA meeting yesterday on the proposed Lewis Wharf hotel:
Unfortunately, many commenters were heckled and several shouting matches broke out before and during the public session. Police were called and on site during the forum. At times, the discussion became divisive and hostile. Among the barbs thrown were harsh, sterotypical references to types of people living in various parts of the neighborhood (waterfront vs. interior North End, newcomer vs. oldtimer, rich vs. poor, etc.).
The Boston Business Journal reports a New York group has filed a letter of intent with the BRA to tear down an old building at 73-79 Essex St. and replace it with a 220-room hotel.
The building, used for light manufacturing, is next to Chau Chow City.
From the 425 Lagrange St. filing with the BRA.
The meeting was not quite as boisterous as past sessions. But at the one hearing the BRA was required to hold, residents of Lagrange Street and nearby side streets told landlord Michael Argiros they still can't stomach his proposal for apartments on Lagrange just off Centre because it's too big. Read more.
The Boston Business Journal reports on Tishman Speyer's new look for the proposed office and residential buildings it wants to put on Pier 4. The actual old Anthony's building will be replaced with a park. The company purchased the property from another developer, who had BRA approval for its own plans, last December.
The BRA board today approved a plan for a 23-story "microhotel" at the corner of Tremont and Stuart streets that will have 346 rooms of just 175 square feet apiece.
The proposed Marriott Moxy Hotel will rise on what is a small BRA-owned lot now used solely for large advertising banners. Read more.
Boston 2024's "2.0" plan for Widett Circle calls for tearing down all the existing industrial and mass-transit facilities in the 83-acre area and turning it into 8 million square feet of office and residential use with the hope Boston gets the Olympics, but under a plan that would continue even if we don't get the games. Read more.
One of these might have to go.
The Globe reports that City Hall is about to give the developer permission to put up at least one 600-foot tower at the site of his ugly Aquarium garage. But life is full of compromises and so City Hall will only let him build a total of 900,000 square feet of sheer awesomeness instead of the 1.2 million he feels is his due, which might limit the size of the second tower he wants to put there.
Architect's rendering: Glover's Corner view.
Architects for developer Demetrios Dasco have released renderings of his proposed DotBlock, which would replace a series of low-slung storefronts and industrial buildings at Dorchester Avenue and Hancock Street with 384 apartments, 60,000 square feet of retail space, a 450-car garage and a large pedestrian walkway parallel to Dot. Ave.
The renderings are in a filing with the BRA (42M PDF file) for what is so far the largest of a growing number of projects proposed for Dorchester. Read more.
Imagine the intro to "2001: A Space Odyssey" playing here. See larger.
UPDATE: Developer proposes hotel instead.
Jason Cincotta's Evergreen Property Group has filed plans with the BRA to replace a parking lot at 248 Dorchester Ave. with a 6-story, 33-unit apartment building that would feature retail space at ground level, large enough for a restaurant.
Fans of the old industrial look could do worse than just drive down Northern Avenue (or take the Silver Line) on a quiet Sunday morning and then walk around the Boston Marine Industrial Park (this morning, I parked across from Liberty Wharf and then just covered the waterfront).
Architect's rendering.
A developer this week submitted a detailed proposal to the BRA to replace the single-story Cornerstone Bar at 14 W. Broadway with an 11-story building with 47 residential units and space for a restaurant and offices.
Also planned, according to developer Ryan Sillery's filing:
The green roof terrace landscape proposes a contemporary, sophisticated urban terrace, designed as an amenity for guests, visitors, and residents alike. A key feature of this green roof terrace landscape is a common dog park area.
Vincent Marino, who owns the Tony's/Redd's building on Washington Street, meets with residents tonight to discuss his plan to add two stories and eight apartments to the building.
Tony DeBenedictis (l) and Vincent Marino.
Through his lawyer, landlord Vincent Marino said tonight he has no plans to force out Tony's Market and Redd's in Rozzie if he gets zoning approval to add two stories to the building he owns at 4254-4257 Washington St. in Roslindale Square.
But that reassurance alone was not enough for residents at a hastily called meeting on the proposal tonight at the Roslindale Community Center - or for the mayor's office and City Councilor Tim McCarthy, both of whom said they would ask the Zoning Board of Appeals to defer action on the request at a hearing on Nov. 25.
When you're mayor, you get to play with the best toys. Photo by the mayor's office.
Work officially began yesterday on the $600-million One Seaport Square project off Northern Avenue in South Boston, which will feature more than 800 residential units in two 22-story buildings, a luxury movie theater, a luxury bowling alley and a luxury health club, as well as space for additional luxury shops and restaurants.
Tremont Crossing: This time for real?
P-3 Partners, which has the city nod to build a large mixed-use development on what has become an urban wild across from Boston Police headquarters on Tremont Street, has until Sept. 18 to "articulate a clear funding plan and demonstrate concrete interest on the part of prospective retail, office, and commercial tenants," the BRA says.
After years of ground going unbroken, the BRA in June had given P-3 until last Thursday to come up with this plan for its proposed Tremont Crossing; on Thursday, the BRA voted to give the development group one more month.
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