1270 Commonwealth Avenue (Old CVS Site) | Allston

[dshoost88]

I think everyone here lived within a half mile of this lot at some point. This was my go-to CVS as well, mainly because they had that massive parking lot. You could also cut through there if there was traffic, too.

Guilty. Lived near Gorham and Brainerd 10 years ago! And then upstairs from the McDonalds a year after that!

 

[#bancars]

DPIR dropped.

 

[king_vibe]

Based on the renderings and the energy summary, it may get built out of real materials instead of papier mâché. Hines doesn’t build trash.

 

[stick n move]

-Approved

200+ Residential Units Approved in Allston

“Plans for a mixed-use project to replace a vacant commercial building at 1270 Commonwealth Avenue have been approved. The new development would include 206 residential units along with ground-floor retail space. The building will be all-electric, compliant with Zero Net Carbon Zoning, and also Fitwel certified.”

https://www.bldup.com/posts/200-residential-units-approved-in-allston

 

[shmessy]

-Approved

200+ Residential Units Approved in Allston

“Plans for a mixed-use project to replace a vacant commercial building at 1270 Commonwealth Avenue have been approved. The new development would include 206 residential units along with ground-floor retail space. The building will be all-electric, compliant with Zero Net Carbon Zoning, and also Fitwel certified.”

https://www.bldup.com/posts/200-residential-units-approved-in-allston

Awesome. And talk about "addition by subtraction"!

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[king_vibe]

Worried that this might be more papertecture but I’m willing to withhold judgment until construction starts.

 

[stick n move]

-Approved.

Six-story apartment building approved for where the CVS used to be on Comm. Ave. in Allston​

By adamg on Tue, 12/12/2023 - 12:27pm

“The Zoning Board of Appeal today approved a six-story, 206-unit apartment building at 1270 Commonwealth Ave. in Allston, where the lights currently remain on at what is a long vacant former CVS.

The proposal by Hines and Benenson Capital Partners, approved by the BPDA in August, calls for 35 affordable units - 17% of the total units - and 68 parking spaces.

The Allston Civic Association "overwhelmingly opposed" the project because the building is simply too dense and has too little greenspace even for Commonwealth Avenue, association President Tony D'Isidoro said. "It's sort of out of character for that portion of Commonwealth Avenue," he said, adding that considering the variances the property needs, the developers should have at least done more than providing 17% affordable units.

Hines executive Matt McCollem acknowledged the relative lack of greenery, but said the developers would make up for that by donating $300,000 to the Boston Parks and Recreation Department to upgrade nearby Ringer Park.
And he said that, unlike many other projects, where affordable units are aimed at people making up to 80% or 100% of the Boston area, the affordable units in the building would be aimed at people making between 50% and 70% of the Boston area median income. Board member Gio Valencia asked if the developers could make the units affordable to people making even less than that. McCollem, however, said current financing restraints would make it impossible to provide additional such units - or greater rent discounts - in the building.”

https://www.universalhub.com/2023/six-story-apartment-building-approved-where-cvs

 

[theSil]

The Allston Civic Association "overwhelmingly opposed" the project because the building is simply too dense and has too little greenspace even for Commonwealth Avenue, association President Tony D'Isidoro said. "It's sort of out of character for that portion of Commonwealth Avenue," he said, adding that considering the variances the property needs, the developers should have at least done more than providing 17% affordable units.

Preposterous statement. This section of Comm Ave is almost exclusively 4-5 story walkups. And a useless 10 foot lawn would benefit no one here.

 

[bigpicture7]

Preposterous statement. This section of Comm Ave is almost exclusively 4-5 story walkups. And a useless 10 foot lawn would benefit no one here.

Speaking as a longtime (prior) resident of this neighborhood: No substantial contingent of the local resident base is looking for a freaking micro-park fronting Comm Ave here. Preposterous is indeed the right word for this claim.
Two things can be true at the same time:
1) Parks are nice
2) Not everything that is 10' wide needs to be a "park"

But the most historically ridiculous part of the above statement is the "out of character for that portion of Commonwealth Avenue" claim: wtf? That entire stretch is sardine-packed apartments as far as the eye can see in both directions.
What was there before the CVS? Mustn't it have been more apartments that burned down or something? Makes no sense that they would have spanned the Ave with dense apartments on either side of a surface lot in 1900...

 

[Justbuildit]

Not to keep beating this drum, but it seems to me that this gentleman (a) does not like it when people live in his neighborhood and (b) is a liar. Like, did you want a park or did you want an impossible scenario of 100% affordable that you knew would never pencil and therefore stop the project in its tracks? Love to see these guys taking Ls.

 

[#bancars]

Preposterous statement. This section of Comm Ave is almost exclusively 4-5 story walkups. And a useless 10 foot lawn would benefit no one here.

Tony is a very nice guy but the ACA is definitely not representative of the neighborhood as a whole. I was a member for a few years prior to the pandemic and older homeowners were a majority at most meetings, and unsurprisingly, tended to be very NIMBY.

 

[stick n move]

Love to see these guys taking Ls.

Its nice isnt it?

Such a reasonable and appropriate development for the site replacing a vacant building. 206 more units for ppl to live in next to transit in a dense and vibrant area, meanwhile nimbys like this guy punch the air in disgust. Keep punching buddy.