449 Cambridge Street (née The Vinyl) | Allston

Very nice(y)(y)(y). Some southern CA modernist juice instead of the typical anemic, precast, brown and beige, bay-windowed Boston box :sleep::sleep::sleep:. No more diddling around, get this done.
 
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Wow. I bet that’s called “The Vinyl” because it pays homage to Allston Rock City. The neighborhood record stores might be a thing of the past, but the memory lives on. :rolleyes:
 
Approved. The name "The Vinyl" has been dropped due to a poor reception from neighbors.
 
Building looks like a yellow version of the green complex going up near Forest Hills.
 
REJECTED (by the ZBA)

Zoning board rejects 166-unit apartment complex on Cambridge Street in Allston | Universal Hub

Apparently, their presentations are as incompetent as their facades. That said...

Araujo said developers and the BPDA keep pushing compact units as a way to reduce rents, but she said she has yet to see any data that proves that's actually happening - and that she is concerned about increasingly dense development along Cambridge Street in particular.
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She understands that you kind of can't do lower rents without more density, right?
 
Horrendous precedent; ZBA overstepping its bounds (unit size not part of the zoning code, it's part of the building code!) and overruling the BPDA. If this keeps happening, we'll have San Francisco rents in no time.
 
curcuas said:
Horrendous precedent; ZBA overstepping its bounds (unit size not part of the zoning code, it's part of the building code!) and overruling the BPDA. If this keeps happening, we'll have San Francisco rents in no time.
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Given that they don't do this often, I'm not sure I'd call it precedent yet. I'm more worried about what certain mayoral candidates will do.
 
HenryAlan said:
No, she doesn't. When the rest of us look at Cambridge St., we see an under developed wasteland, but she apparently sees the North End.
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For those who are as frustrated and intrigued by the policy implications here as I am, I diverted a de-rail about this to the housing thread here.
 
Looking at the floorplans, and the resolution isn't the best, it appears the micro units are around 320 sq ft, and this includes a toilet and sink but no shower. In essence, this would be a resurrection of the old SRO apartment buildings for those down and out on their luck. So I appreciate the concern voiced by those reviewing this project from a zoning standpoint.

IMO, if one is proposing SRO residential, probably best to have the entire building be such, and also provide services to help the tenants become more financially self-sufficient.
 
stellarfun said:
Looking at the floorplans, and the resolution isn't the best, it appears the micro units are around 320 sq ft, and this includes a toilet and sink but no shower. In essence, this would be a resurrection of the old SRO apartment buildings for those down and out on their luck. So I appreciate the concern voiced by those reviewing this project from a zoning standpoint.

IMO, if one is proposing SRO residential, probably best to have the entire building be such, and also provide services to help the tenants become more financially self-sufficient.
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Historically, SROs were available at _all_ price points in the market from cheap ones for the near-indigent, to pricey ones for unmarried white collar workers. This is a great fit for Allston and certainly an upgrade for many from splitting a family sized apartment. Remember, vast numbers of Bostonians live in less space and worse conditions. Banning people from living in perfectly acceptable conditions that are far nicer than many extant ones is a major cause of our housing crisis.
 
stick n move said:
Notice of project change:
bpda.app.box.com

2025-06-30_Notice of Project Change (NPC)_449 Cambridge Street.pdf | Powered by Box

bpda.app.box.com bpda.app.box.com

Keeps crashing my phone so I cant see whats in it.
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Developer acquired neighboring property and is increasing from 152 units to 200 (29 IDP (+3), 8 IDP Artist Units (unchanged)), general increases in retail, amenity, etc. Parking reduced but now fully onsite. 48% studio, 28% one bed, 17% 2-bed, and 7% 3-bed.

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Better on the facade. Also a great demonstration of the impact of not offsetting the windows in making a building look classier...
 
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