4-6 Newbury Street | Back Bay

Re: New Building Proposed for Newbury Street

So, we'll have to wait til someone else comes forward with a plan to build. All things considered, looking back, the whole public process took very little time - six months from proposal to approval. The developer had apparently gotten what he needed while the Back Bay residents got a shorter building.

Question, though. The photos of that side of Newbury show three brownstones circa 1945 and an empty lot circa 1962. The Herald article says the parking garage was built in the 1980's.

But, to the left of that, at what be 2 Newbury Street - what about that? Currently, it's the location of a mult-floor Burberrys and I assume some office space. The public record shows this to be an office building. There's no record of a building at the location using an Arlington Street address so it must be 2 Newbury St (entrance is on this side, not Arlington).

My confusion is, if you look at this old photo, it looks as though there's a hat shop at 2 Newbury. If so, what about the Burberrys' building - when was this built? It looks (from the Google image) that the Burberrys building is old - but I guess it's "faux" old?

I'll check the Bunting History of the Back Bay book when I get home but if anyone has an idea, please post.

1940's

003169.jpg


1960's

003177.jpg


Google, today

newbury1.png


newbury2.png
 
Re: New Building Proposed for Newbury Street

John, I faintly recall there was a bad fire in the brownstone block (Burberry's block) several decades ago.
 
Re: New Building Proposed for Newbury Street

It was a fire, two firefighters killed, January 6, 1981. There was actually a video on youtube from an old Chronicle episode with some footage of the fire, however it already seems to have been removed.
 
Re: New Building Proposed for Newbury Street

This BPL aerial photo shows the first block of Newbury Street with the "original" buildings intact and with #10 apparently under construction.

back_bay1.png
 
Re: New Building Proposed for Newbury Street

Well, the NABB wins, again.

4 Newbury Street was sold at auction to Tribeca Newbury St LLC sometime recently, according to Banker & Tradesman.

Looks as though the buyer was the bank that made the loan back in 2007 by Newbury Garage Assoc LLC. They are from Limerick, Ireland.

So, maybe the new owner has a plan.

Or, will let it just sit as is, collecting parking revenue.
 
Re: New Building Proposed for Newbury Street

May 12th BRA meeting:

Request authorization to issue an Adequacy Determination in
accordance with Section 80A-6 of the Zoning Code in
connection with the Notice of Project Changed for 6 residential
units on the upper floors of the mixed-use building located at
4-6 Newbury Street; to issue a Certification of Compliance upon
successful completion of the Article 80 process; and, to
recommend approval to the Board of Appeal for the necessary
variance s for the proposed project.
Click to expand...
http://bostonredevelopmentauthority... Board Meeting Agenda for 5-12-11 (draft).pdf
 
Re: New Building Proposed for Newbury Street

From this week's Courant:

5796483697_87cb75cb52_b.jpg


5796485023_d32711ee63_b.jpg
 
Re: New Building Proposed for Newbury Street

"Razing a building in a historic district" -Please, it is an UGLY PARKING GARAGE LADY!

Someone should put the Shreve's building on a flat bed truck and move it to this site. It would save a lot of time any money for the same, if not better, effect!
 
Re: New Building Proposed for Newbury Street

^ To be fair, she's in favor of the project. For a Back Bay NIMBY, that's halfway to supporting Manhattanization outright.

But srsly, there is nothing elegant about this project. Better than a parking garage, though.
 
Re: New Building Proposed for Newbury Street

I wonder who the mysterious tenant is!
 
Re: New Building Proposed for Newbury Street

blade_blitz said:
But srsly, there is nothing elegant about this project.
Click to expand...

Ditto. Typical middling CBT. Instead of drawing on the successes they had designing Nike Town (one of their only true successes in my book), this looks like a 30%-scale clone of Emerson's boring, newish dorm facing onto the Common.
 
Re: New Building Proposed for Newbury Street

What an odd project. The parking lot isnt bad, it doesnt even look like a parking lot. Youd think if they were going to demolish the whole thing, theyd add a floor or two to match the building on the right
 
Re: New Building Proposed for Newbury Street

What parking lot?
 
Re: New Building Proposed for Newbury Street

Yes, I meant garage
 
Re: New Building Proposed for Newbury Street

jass said:
What an odd project. The parking lot isnt bad, it doesnt even look like a parking lot.
Click to expand...

The two large car accommodating orifices kind of give it away.

Nothing special about the replacement building, but still a big improvement.
 
Re: New Building Proposed for Newbury Street

jass, it was definitely NIMBYism that kept the building at its proposed height. One neighbor feared "canyonism" if it was allowed to be higher.
 
Re: New Building Proposed for Newbury Street

Justin7 said:
The two large car accommodating orifices kind of give it away.
Click to expand...

It could just as easily be for an underground garage. Theres no reason to assume its a vertical garage
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top