The compulsion of real estate developers to create new “districts” has come to Allston. The Mount Vernon Company has dubbed several blocks between Commonwealth Avenue and the Brookline line as the “Green District”. It has announced plans to build an environmentally friendly, 108 unit apartment building at the corner of Brainerd Road and Redford Street, adding to projects completed this summer or now underway. All of this adds to the urgency of improving service on the Boston College line.
January 17, 2013
Too tall, too dense
A developer is proposing a five-story, 44 apartment building at the corner of Everett and North Beacon Streets just outside Union Square in Allston. This is too tall and too dense for the site, which sits at constantly congested intersection. Something more akin to the Brian Honan apartments around the corner on Everett Street would be more appropriate. The BRA has scheduled a community meeting on Thursday, January 31 at 6:30PM at the Jackson-Mann School.
December 4, 2012
Pet supply store, condo developer to present plans
Up this Thursday at the BAIA’s meeting:
The Stockyard’s new owner continues his quest to acquire all the licenses he needs to reopen the restaurant.
More than one hundred new apartments may be coming to 75 Brainerd Road, Allston.
And for those who want their pets styled for the holidays, a proposed pet supply store at 20 Market Street will also offer do-it-yourself canine washing space.
Full agenda and meeting time and location here.
September 30, 2012
Foot traffic
The New Balance headquarters planned for the Market and Guest Street area may sport a rooftop running track, according to the company’s director of real estate. Construction is scheduled to start in the spring of 2013.
September 25, 2012
Cleveland Circle, still developing
ClevelandCircle.org has a good run-down of the objections to the proposed hotel and condo complex, from the Brighton and Brookline perspectives.
In case you missed it, here is a photo essay on the development of the area.
September 21, 2012
Not so fast
The hotel/high-end condo/office/retail complex proposed for Cleveland Circle ran into a roomful of opposition at a meeting last night. It’s too big, will create traffic and parking problems, and some people just think it’s damn ugly. Boston, and Brookline, will need to sign off before anything gets built.
September 19, 2012
Final reviews on former movieplex
The BRA is holding its final public meeting on the plan to turn the long-defunct Circle Cinema in Cleveland Circle into a mash-up of hotel, retail and residential space. Stop by the Hamilton School, 198 Strathmore Road at the corner of Chestnut Hill Avenue, at 6PM on Thursday, September 20.
June 19, 2012
Over someone’s dead body
The former McNamara Funeral Home at 460 Washington Street, Brighton will be the focus of a BRA hearing tonight, June 19 at 6:30PM, at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 321 Washington Street. The most recent iteration of the plan is to convert the existing structure to four residential units, and build 24 new units behind it. There would also a parking garage and outdoor parking.
June 7, 2012
A Subway for Comm. Ave.
The BAIA’s monthly meeting will discuss a request to open a Subway sandwich shop at 1440 Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton. Also on the agenda is a proposal to build a single family home at 8 Gordon Street, Allston. They meet tonight, June 7 at 7 PM, Brighton Elks, 326 Washington Street.
June 1, 2012
Next stop: Brighton station
New Balance has filed an updated plan that will make rail aficionados swoon. They are promising to design and build a new commuter rail station. It will be a separate project from the collection of office building, restaurants and a hotel and stadium they aim to build, but be situated nearby.
May 16, 2012
No cure for ugliness
St. Elizabeth's Hospital, circa 1915.
What is perhaps one of the ugliest buildings in Boston is about to get bigger. The BRA has approved a three-story addition to the emergency and urgent care building at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center. The expansion will add 23 beds to the current 252. A bit of landscaping is also planned, but it will be behind the new addition. Can’t have greenery disturb the fortress-like structure looming over Brighton Center.
Years ago, when the hospital was seeking another expansion, the architect of the Cardinal Medeiros pavilion admitted he “wasn’t proud” of it. No kidding. (photo via Boston Public Library)
May 8, 2012
New health facility planned
The Joseph Smith Health Center hopes to consolidate its operations into a new, $19.1 million facility. The center was recently awarded $5 million under a federal government to build new community health care sites. So far the center has not announced any details on where it might be located or what the timeline is.
May 4, 2012
One more one-family
This property at the corner of Gerrish and Brooks Street, Brighton was recently sold and the lot subdivided. A single family is going up.
4 Gerrish Street, Brighton
April 30, 2012
Build it and they will buy
The demand for single-family homes in Brighton continues, despite a generally still-weak housing market. This Thursday the the Brighton Allston Improvement Association will be hearing from the owners of two different addresses, 82 Presentation Road and 46 Gerrish Street, both looking to construct one-family houses. As always, the meeting starts at 7PM at the Elks, 326 Washington Street, Brighton Center.
April 11, 2012
Perhaps a hotel and more housing for Cleveland Circle
The shuttered Circle Theater in Cleveland Circle has been the object of developer love ever since it closed in 2008. Nothing has gotten very far, but maybe this time will be different.
April 1, 2012
Will there be a red carpet?
You thought there was enough drama in the streets of Allston already? The developers of 9-23 Griggs Street are offering a theater as one of the amenities. Residents will also benefit from the usual fitness center and roof deck. Mount Vernon Company, the developer, has also been acquiring some other property in the area, most recently 83 rental apartments at 74-86 Brainerd Road. And this Thursday they will be at the Brighton Allston Improvement Association to talk about a proposal for 79 units at 66 Brainerd Road. They have a lot going on in a small sliver along the Brookline border, it will be interesting to see what else they want to do.
March 31, 2012
Buildings and brakes
The BAIA has a full roster of items for their meeting on Thursday, April 4, including updates on a proposal to build a two-family and a three-family at 45-47 Murdock Street, Brighton. Meineke will be talking about their plans to add a bay to their garage at 11 Faneuil Street, Brighton. All this and more will be discussed at 7:30PM at the Elks, 326 Washington Street in Brighton Center.
March 28, 2012
New Balance pics
The WGBH video screen overlooking the Mass. Pike will be vying for attention with the New Balance sneaker-shaped headquarters. Boston.com has a slide show of renderings and site plans.
March 24, 2012
Sneakers and a whole lot more
An office building in the shape of a shoe will be one of the highlights of New Balance’s plan for its fourteen acres along Guest Street, adjacent to the Mass. Pike. (Globe article may be behind paywall). The company filed its plan with the city earlier this week. Other elements include a 175-room hotel, a sports facility open to the public that might include venues for track and ice hockey, and additional office space. Restaurants and retail will be weaved into different parts of the project. What this all adds up to is 1.4 million square feet of building in structures ranging from roughly nine to twenty stories.
How will people get there? Some of them will drive and leave their car in one of the 1750 parking spaces. Other than that, the plan is vague. A commuter rail stop is mentioned, but in a context of listing all the obstacles to it. Which leaves the bus. Routes 64 and 86 stop at the site but neither runs that frequently. New Balance currently provides shuttle vans to Harvard Square and Kenmore Square during rush hour and is the quickest way to connect to the subway.
When is this going to happen? Spring 2013 is projected for the start of construction. Lots of questions to ask, details to be discussed, many meetings sure to follow.
March 8, 2012
1501, Charing Cross Road?
http://youtu.be/7BKcExKy1Fc
Tonight’s meeting will give neighbors a look at the plans for the city-owned property at 1501 Commonwealth Avenue. The report on Boston.com contains no explanation for the name, “Charing Cross,” which seems an attempt at…what? So people can imagine they are buying a condo above a quaint British bookshop?
The project as described looks pretty good, and will bring some life to a stretch of the avenue that sorely needs it. Let’s hope the city will make good use of the $50,000 developer contribution to improve the shabby median across from the site, and the $25,000 that is pledged to Ringer Park. One question that I did not see answered was what are the income levels for the eighteen apartments designated as affordable.