The Alcott (née Garden Garage Towers) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

Re: Garden Garage Towers (Basketball City) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

The render on the BRA page looks new, but the PNF seems to be the same. I thought this thing was pretty much dead. WOuld love to see it come back.
 
Re: Garden Garage Towers (Basketball City) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

Last update on that page was 9/3/2013 before the project died.

Just like Michael and Whitney, it's still dead.
 
Re: Garden Garage Towers (Basketball City) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

Maybe slightly off topic, but is there any chance the other parking lots in the area, right behind the Nashua Street Tower, get developed? They're also right next to a major transport hub, and would seem ripe for development after the garden towers and Nashua street tower is built. Theres a lot on each side of the street. Right next to the Nashua Street Jail/Suffolk County Sherriff's center and next to the anti-urban 125 Nashua st.
 
Re: Garden Garage Towers (Basketball City) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

^ That's MGH/Partners employee parking. I don't know if they own the plot, or lease it from the state, but the development would probably entail replacement parking being incorporated to the development, or put somewhere else within the same walking distance of the hospital.
 
Re: Garden Garage Towers (Basketball City) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

Guess it took the BRA a few tries to get the file updated because it appears an NPC was filed on 10/16. Sometimes it pays to revisit the website if it shows that it was recently updated.

Here's the link the the file at the BRA - http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/getattachment/fec4b52c-60a3-4b92-934f-fbdec0c749ce

Takeaways:

- Reduction from 2 buildings to 1 building
- Increase in height from 240' and 310' to 46 floors / 465' (top floor)
- Reduction in overall units from 500 (w/ 850 parking) to 486 (w/ 830)

Plans are pgs 13- 29 and renderings are pgs 96-121 in the .pdf
 
Re: Garden Garage Towers (Basketball City) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

Great - thanks for the link. Fun news - and a good read (loved the shadow studies). I bike through there every day from/to Northpoint and will watch these towers climb...
 
Re: Garden Garage Towers (Basketball City) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

On the one hand, I wish they hadn't doubled down on tower in the park, and I really wish they had solidified the street wall on Lomasney/Martha. On the other, maybe the opening will turn the West End's parks into an actual, usable, real space. It's one thing to have parks where there should be density, but it's a whole other thing to have parks where there should be density that aren't even usable. If there's actual retail on the ground floor, that's a plus too.
 
Re: Garden Garage Towers (Basketball City) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

Was not expecting that by any means, especially this soon. I like it. That would certainly add to a very good tall residential cluster right around the Garden.
 
Re: Garden Garage Towers (Basketball City) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

underground said:
On the one hand, I wish they hadn't doubled down on tower in the park, and I really wish they had solidified the street wall on Lomasney/Martha. On the other, maybe the opening will turn the West End's parks into an actual, usable, real space. It's one thing to have parks where there should be density, but it's a whole other thing to have parks where there should be density that aren't even usable. If there's actual retail on the ground floor, that's a plus too.
Click to expand...

^Agree. Also like the height really breaking the West End monotony. it looks very slender in some renderings giving the footprint of the current garage. If it makes the parks more accessible and lively it can be an interesting space rather than a private garden for people. As far as its connections on the North Station side I think its great. By 2020 it looks like the garden is going to be buried in a quite a cluster.
 
Re: Garden Garage Towers (Basketball City) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

Man, that is a lot of open space being added to what is already a lot of open space.

Page 15 is the worst in that filing. It shows how the West End is basically a retirement community. All the rectangular buildings could be 2-3 stories in that plan, and you could plop this whole thing in any suburb.

Hooray for this thing almost being 500' with Mechanicals..... I guess. 2,000 sf of retail, what's that a coffee shop? Or maybe AARP or Penn Life Insurance can lease it....
 
Re: Garden Garage Towers (Basketball City) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

Fantastic news. I think that this is one of the last major stalled projects to move forward.

It seems like, once again, the given height figure doesn't account for mechanical features. I wouldn't be surprised if this approached 490-500' when all is said and done.
 
Re: Garden Garage Towers (Basketball City) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

You'll also notice that the tip[pity top of the avalon tower pretty much lines up with the 465' to the highest occupied floor of this one. That's an extra 50' on Avalon for mechanicals/architectural crown.

Breaking the monotony is good.

It's nice having the Jacob's project high rises included in the renders as well.
 
Re: Garden Garage Towers (Basketball City) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

I actually think the way they incorporate the added parkland improves the towers in the park feel tremendously by the look of it. It really looks like the park will feel more open to anyone. Now it seems private this will really open it up. The parkland also leaves room for future development. would much rather have this and space for the future than the 2 200-300 footers planed before.

The height is fantastic and it actually looks like it could be a handsome building. Wish there was more retail but its good there is some. This area should be a solid new stretch off skyline in 5 years.
 
Re: Garden Garage Towers (Basketball City) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

MMM... two parking ramps right on the road.
 
Re: Garden Garage Towers (Basketball City) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

Some choice shots from the NPC:

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Re: Garden Garage Towers (Basketball City) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

Love the tower, hate the urban design.
 
Re: Garden Garage Towers (Basketball City) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

I think it's actually quite brilliant to incorporate the other projects proposed/underway; 465+ feet is all of a sudden contextually appropriate for the area through that lens.

I recall opponent arguments in this area regarding the original height of this pair of towers and Avalon across the street (something about wilting plants in windows, etc. from lack of sunlight at Amy Lowell).

Interesting how much this neighborhood is evolving; also interested to see/ hoping that the 4 story multi-family across the street still stands following all of this construction and possibly even turns itself outward through a bar/restaurant space on the ground floor (with supporting outdoor space?) - It could serve as a local landmark/ another funky piece of urban history in Boston's many stratified layers.
 
Re: Garden Garage Towers (Basketball City) | 35 Lomasney Way | West End

coleslaw said:
I actually think the way they incorporate the added parkland improves the towers in the park feel tremendously by the look of it. It really looks like the park will feel more open to anyone. Now it seems private this will really open it up.
Click to expand...

Hopefully. It is like a crack in the wall around the West End. Just a crack and in an out of the way corner. Time will tell whether this building and its lawn/park is part of the old West End or if it is part of the new North Station/Bulfinch Triangle. Maybe it'll never be either and always be a transition piece. Maybe it needs to be that.
 
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