Somerville Infill and Small Developments

At Washington and Dane - a new coffee shop and roaster going in (formerly the Training Room gym). Sounds nice and all, I’m surprised a developer didn’t grab it up for a 4 story mixed use building.
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Dr. Rosen Rosen said:
At Washington and Dane - a new coffee shop and roaster going in (formerly the Training Room gym). Sounds nice and all, I’m surprised a developer didn’t grab it up for a 4 story mixed use building.
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I used to live a street over from here on Magnus Ave. In September 2020 there was a neighborhood meeting (which I missed) for the following proposal at this parcel (and the house behind it at 377). There was no followup after the meeting by our electeds or the developer, so residents had no idea what the outcome was, which to my surprise right now appears to be no-go. It's a shame since based on my conversations with my neighbors we were pretty excited. The meeting flyer also included some massing photos.

Currently 373 Washington Street is zoned "Fabrication", and 377 Washington is zoned "NR". As a matter of right, 373 Washington can be a 60' tall 4 story building roughly 25,000 square feet. As a matter of right 377 Washington Street can become 4 units (3 residential, 1 business), a little more than 6,000 square feet. The proposal is to change both properties to the MR4 district. Under this new zoning, there will be one building with a maximum of 45' tall (it may be 40', depending on the exact number). The building would house some local businesses on the first floor, potentially the Training Room will come back, and there is support to get The Biscuit to have a home there. Above the ground floor would be residential rental units.

Regardless, I'm happy to hear it's a coffee roaster and cafe as I think that would be a great addition if they're not going to redevelop the parcel right now. We're still really devastated by the loss of The Biscuit a couple years back. The Biscuit's former slumlord continuing to maintain decrepit and vacant properties throughout the neighborhood doesn't help either.
 
Getting ready for todays feasting I took a walk from Sulivan Sq to Porter Sq. Not one of my normal walks so I was taking photos of everthing that looked new-ish or U/C. Now let the feasting begin.
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The former gas station in Ball Square is going to be a single story marijuana dispensary because the soils are incapable of supporting anything taller without expensive remediation. Interestingly, they will be making provisions for a future elevator and stairwell.
 
Elevator addition for the Somerville Museum. Nice detailing and materials go a long way. I didn’t capture it in the photo, but they even used rustic brick to blend in. Should look great and fit right in, on one of the nicest streets in Spring Hill (over even Somerville?).

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RandomWalk said:
The former gas station in Ball Square is going to be a single story marijuana dispensary because the soils are incapable of supporting anything taller without expensive remediation. Interestingly, they will be making provisions for a future elevator and stairwell.
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Do you have a source? If you are talking about the Shield, I believe it is zoned for 5 story commercial. That is a big loss for the neighborhood.

EDIT: I found this link. Very disappointing. I cynically interpret “future” to mean “never”. I mean, if they build a one story building with a one story foundation, how are they supposed to add stories in the future. That doesn’t make any sense.
 
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fattony said:
Do you have a source? If you are talking about the Shield, I believe it is zoned for 5 story commercial. That is a big loss for the neighborhood.
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Plans and hardship variance request

In the past, there was a proposal for mixed use on the site. However, that got nixed by a deed restriction preventing housing use on the site. Apparently prior owners knew it was a mess.
 
RandomWalk said:
Plans and hardship variance request

In the past, there was a proposal for mixed use on the site. However, that got nixed by a deed restriction preventing housing use on the site. Apparently prior owners knew it was a mess.
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The identical form letters from the 2 banks are kind of comical. They have done nothing to investigate the commercial market and use their lack of effort as justification for a lack of commercial market. This whole thing reeks of amateur hour. I can see how the dispensary people don’t want to have to figure out other aspects of operating a commercial property, but the freaking parcel is zoned CC5. If these clowns don’t have a conforming plan then I think the city should tell them to take a hike. I’m not a soil expert or structural engineer, but there is hardly a building fronting the GLX that is less than 3 stories.
 
The report from the engineer talks about the two approaches that could be taken to support a CC5 building. I can understand the complexity of the site, but the elevator pit really grinds me. The whole design screams “we just want to get our dispensary running ASAP, because there’s going to be another one two blocks down Broadway.”
 
7-9 Central st apartments. Judging by the elevator height, that yellow house will soon lose all its sun. More interesting than a parking lot though? I suppose I’d be pretty put out.

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True about the floor plate, but if anything great natural light! Surprised they’re not trying to go higher. Might actually make the air handlers less noticeable from close up.
 
I like this project at 73? Summer Street. But if you go to the trouble of underground parking, why not go for 4 levels with special permit? And then make ground level small storefront / retail? So much foot traffic now a days, it’s a great on-the-way to Union square location ground for all Spring Hill residents…not to mention the property across the street is food storefront and a few other retail spots along the way into union.
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