355 Bennington Street | East Boston

Massachoicetts said:
LA?
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LAX?

Are you talking about the mind numbing boxes of El Segundo (makes the glass boxes of the Seaport look like the Taj Mahal) or the uniform ranchers of Ingelwood??? Pershing Drive is just an indutrial road and Vista Del Mar has a beautiful beach, but on one end is some private (non-public) individual homes with security and then nothingness for the rest. I don't see where LAX surroundings come close to the urbanity and welcome-ness to the public of what the East Boston Waterfront ins in the process of becoming - - nowhere close.

In the meantime - - the below video from 10 months ago should be required watching for anyone regarding the East Boston Waterfront:

 
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Lrfox said:
What would you have done differently?

I wouldn't describe either as groundbreaking from an architectural standpoint, but I do think that Clippership is nice (worthy of the location) and Portside is functional and inoffensive. I have no issue with the heights - they're contextual with the neighborhood. The Eddy is taller and sticks out like a sore thumb. We also don't need to duplicate the Seaport boxes across the harbor. I think you could make the case that another street parallel to Marginal and East Pier Drive could have been drawn between the two in order to create smaller blocks at Portside, but I don't think it's either offensive or anti-urban. Certainly not Rt. 9 in Framingham. Both developments have done wonders for creating connections to the waterfront from the neighborhood, and both have created a number of new public spaces that are heavily utilized by people from all over. While the architecture could be better, it's not bad, and it's hard to view these developments as anything other than a net win for the area. 355 Bennington is a different story - absolute garbage.
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I think I was pretty clear on what my issues with these buildings were, so I dont have anything else to add here. It's my opinion. But, for the record, I was not clamoring for more height. Height would potentially add something here, but so would some sort approach to massing that looked like an architect who actually had a diploma was involved in the plans. And one more thing - when you say, "Both developments have done wonders for creating connections to the waterfront from the neighborhood, and both have created a number of new public spaces that are heavily utilized by people from all over", let's just pause here a moment and realize that we talking about waterfront property, facing the city of Boston skyline, in a white hot real estate market the likes of which are seen almost nowhere in the world. That's what I meant by prerequisite. They could have paved over the old piers and dumped a giant steaming turd on the water and people would be flocking there in droves. Saying how great it is that people get to access the waterfront now shouldn't be something we're thankful for. It's our right as citizens of Boston, there are rules on waterfront access and Harborwalk, etc, and I don't consider that a bonus, I consider that a starting point. So, yes, it's better than nothing, but it could have been better and it should have been better. I guess I just repeated my last post. No mas.
 
FK4 said:
I think I was pretty clear on what my issues with these buildings were, so I dont have anything else to add here. It's my opinion. But, for the record, I was not clamoring for more height. Height would potentially add something here, but so would some sort approach to massing that looked like an architect who actually had a diploma was involved in the plans. And one more thing - when you say, "Both developments have done wonders for creating connections to the waterfront from the neighborhood, and both have created a number of new public spaces that are heavily utilized by people from all over", let's just pause here a moment and realize that we talking about waterfront property, facing the city of Boston skyline, in a white hot real estate market the likes of which are seen almost nowhere in the world. That's what I meant by prerequisite. They could have paved over the old piers and dumped a giant steaming turd on the water and people would be flocking there in droves. Saying how great it is that people get to access the waterfront now shouldn't be something we're thankful for. It's our right as citizens of Boston, there are rules on waterfront access and Harborwalk, etc, and I don't consider that a bonus, I consider that a starting point. So, yes, it's better than nothing, but it could have been better and it should have been better. I guess I just repeated my last post. No mas.
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Perhaps it’sbetter to judge it a couple of years after Piers Park III is complete. Right now it’s the Seaport Harborwalk in 2008. Again, I recommend the above posted video. When it comes to the East Boston Waterfront, we are in the top of the 3rd inning.

I agree with you about 355 Bennington which is nowhere near the Waterfront. Ithink the problem here is the conflating that awful building with an entirely different area/situation. It simply disjoints the conversation.

This thread is about 355 Bennington. I’m not going to further discuss the Waterfront here in this thread anymore. It’s simply counterproductive.
 
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atlantaden said:
Shmessy, thanks for sharing the video! It's so worth the 30 or so minutes to watch. I've never heard of the Trustees until today. I applaud their work and will lend my support to their efforts. I have included their website here. https://onewaterfront.thetrustees.org/about#:~:text=The Trustees’ Boston Waterfront Initiative, One Waterfront, advances,way to respond to these opportunities and challenges.
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I found it the most remarkable 30 minute video on Boston development I’ve seen in years. Whoever produced it is a genius and I’d love to see more work by that film company.
 
The trustees have a variety of interesting outdoor recreation locations all over the state
 

Needham Bank funds Day Square development​


needham.jpg


“A 162,296 square foot East Boston development received financing from Needham Bank.

The $53.88 million loan will progress the 355 Bennington St. project, approved in 2022, one step closer to construction.

Designed by architecture firm Arrowstreet and to be developed by Redgate, the project will transform an industrial lot in the Day Square neighborhood into a mixed-use development featuring retail and amenity spaces, 81 one-bedroom units, 48 two-bedroom units, 32 studio units and eight three-bedroom units…..”

https://bostonagentmagazine.com/2025/03/27/needham-bank-funds-day-square-development/
 
Wow this is great finally being financed! I used to spend a lot of time over here. Starting with the BPL branch they moved here from Orient Heights, then the Excel Academy, now this development to complete the infill of these formerly dumpy lots!
 
stick n move said:

Needham Bank funds Day Square development​


needham.jpg


“A 162,296 square foot East Boston development received financing from Needham Bank.

The $53.88 million loan will progress the 355 Bennington St. project, approved in 2022, one step closer to construction.

Designed by architecture firm Arrowstreet and to be developed by Redgate, the project will transform an industrial lot in the Day Square neighborhood into a mixed-use development featuring retail and amenity spaces, 81 one-bedroom units, 48 two-bedroom units, 32 studio units and eight three-bedroom units…..”

https://bostonagentmagazine.com/2025/03/27/needham-bank-funds-day-square-development/
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This afternoon I went by this site and demolition is well underway.
 
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