One Mystic | 1 Mystic Avenue | Charlestown

not for somebody that clearly just loves to troll, but for the rest of you
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does Huntington Ave and Comm Ave underpasses at Mass Ave feel like a highway? not at all. current tunnels were designed as highway tunnels, the future ones are much shorter. Rutherford Ave will be back to grade before it reaches Hood Park Dr.
The Rutherford Ave underpass is a very long one, due to the former overpass that used to ramp up over it. In the plans I've seen, the underpass is staying as is.
If they absolutely insist on having the stupid underpass, at least move it's portal north so it comes up immediately adjacent to Sullivan Square instead of several blocks to the south as it does now. At least then it wouldn't Infringe so much on the space needed for ped/bike paths and landscaping.
 
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the last bullet in the screen cap in the post above yours states its 800' shorter than existing. How is that 'staying as is'? they are doing exactly what you suggest. the existing under pass currently goes beyond Essex St. As of 2 years ago, the future tunnel will be back to grade prior to Baldwin St. thats 550' of the 800' in the bullet (with the rest being on the north end of the tunnel).

MODS, can we move all of this Rutherford discussion out of the 1 Mystic thread. 1 Mystic is on the other side of Sullivan Sq and nothing to do with this.
 
the last bullet in the screen cap in the post above yours states its 800' shorter than existing. How is that 'staying as is'? they are doing exactly what you suggest. the existing under pass currently goes beyond Essex St. As of 2 years ago, the future tunnel will be back to grade prior to Baldwin St. thats 550' of the 800' in the bullet (with the rest being on the north end of the tunnel).

MODS, can we move all of this Rutherford discussion out of the 1 Mystic thread. 1 Mystic is on the other side of Sullivan Sq and nothing to do with this.
They did shift the portal north, but it's still very intrusive and squeezes out any kind of roadside amenities along it's path. There is no reason why Rutherford Ave cannot be two lanes each way (plus bus lanes), without any underpasses, from City Square to Everett. Traffic be damned. Are we going to just perpetuate these 1959s/60s superhighways slicing through neighborhoods forever? You have I-93 immediately adjacent. Isn't that enough?
 
They did shift the portal north, but it's still very intrusive and squeezes out any kind of roadside amenities along it's path. There is no reason why Rutherford Ave cannot be two lanes each way (plus bus lanes), without any underpasses, from City Square to Everett. Traffic be damned. Are we going to just perpetuate these 1959s/60s superhighways slicing through neighborhoods forever? You have I-93 immediately adjacent. Isn't that enough?
No road in Boston or its immediate neighbors that isn't a freeway should have more than 2 through lanes in each direction. None.
 
-Dropped from 22 to 18 stories
-Units down from 503 to 423
-221 condos 202 apartments

AND "reduction of 111 onsite parking spaces to an internal EV carshare program with 5 vehicles." 🥳🥳🥳

I may be wrong, but if that modification gets approved then that may make 1 Mystic Avenue the largest non-institutional multi-family in Massachusetts without onsite parking (in the conventional sense), and the largest volume of condos without onsite parking since Lovejoy Wharf. It would set a welcome precedent that could ultimately reduce the cost of multifamily housing construction considerably citywide and across the region. While it's unfortunate to see the proposed number of new units decrease 15%, it's a good tradeoff to have more home ownership opportunities with these large proposed multifamilies.
 
The targeted abatements would apply to projects in Charlestown, Allston, and Brighton that city officials say are close to being financially feasible, but remain stalled amid high interest rates, construction costs, and other market pressures.

Together, the four developments will deliver 1,400 new units, including 185 income-restricted units, along with 1,582 construction jobs.

The effort is aimed at projects that are “right on the goal line,” Chen said. They include One Mystic Avenue in Charlestown, with 408 units; 22-24 Pratt Street in Allston, with 318 units; 83 Birmingham Parkway in Brighton, with 333 units; and a 341-unit Building D at Allston Yards.
 
It's a fine solution in periods of high interest rates and rising material costs, but there's another lever that the city controls and that's the level of inclusionary zoning required for these projects. Fortunately it looks like that's at least on the table here for a few of the projects:

“We’re only giving projects the relief they need—whether that is inclusionary relief, tax relief, or access to Accelerator Fund money,” she added. “There has been very strict and very serious underwriting.”
[...]
Two of the four projects—One Mystic and Pratt Street—are also discussing changes to their affordable-housing obligations. Dillon said the developers are seeking to buy out 50 percent of those requirements, which would generate more than $20 million for other affordable housing projects.

The city argues that allowing those payments could both improve the feasibility of the market-rate projects and supply money for housing with deeper levels of affordability.


The first step is recognizing the problem of these buildings not getting started. I would love to see the city be creative in a pro-housing push to get these stuck projects moving.
 
Two of the four projects—One Mystic and Pratt Street—are also discussing changes to their affordable-housing obligations. Dillon said the developers are seeking to buy out 50 percent of those requirements, which would generate more than $20 million for other affordable housing projects.

The city argues that allowing those payments could both improve the feasibility of the market-rate projects and supply money for housing with deeper levels of affordability.
It seems asinine to me that payments in lieu of affordable units are not a by-right option for all projects. If we as a city are going to be such a hardass about the affordability % reqs, the LEAST we should be doing is offering that flexibility.
 
It seems asinine to me that payments in lieu of affordable units are not a by-right option for all projects. If we as a city are going to be such a hardass about the affordability % reqs, the LEAST we should be doing is offering that flexibility.
Inclusion is important in affordable housing programs because it breaks down economic and racial segregation while connecting lower-income residents to high-opportunity neighborhoods. It reverses historical exclusionary zoning, and helps prevent pockets of concentrated poverty.

Mixed income affordable developments have a much better track record than totally affordable developments. We learned not to create "the projects"
 
Inclusion is important in affordable housing programs because it breaks down economic and racial segregation while connecting lower-income residents to high-opportunity neighborhoods. It reverses historical exclusionary zoning, and helps prevent pockets of concentrated poverty.

Mixed income affordable developments have a much better track record than totally affordable developments. We learned not to create "the projects"
I am well aware of the benefits of mixed-income buildings. But the city could get more affordable units using those payments to subsidize units in older buildings while still ensuring economic diversity within buildings/neighborhoods.
 
Ai is going to make renders start to suck more and more it seems. Instead of professionals who get the small details right plus add in their own artistic touch, ppl are just going to be lazy and crap out some ai bs thats good enough.
 
The AB colossal window person is mumbling under his/her breath. Being so close to 93, creates an impressive gateway into the city. Get her done!
 

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