Allston-Brighton Infill and Small Developments

Not to defend them, but (1) the study was commissioned and managed by Allston Village Main Streets so the geography, naming, coverage, etc is all dictated by that.

I was at the presentation and brought up the fact that hey, we have a lot of street parking, and it's almost entirely unmanaged -- particularly at peak times. I totally agree with you that adding parking is only going to bring more traffic congestion, and pollution. On the other hand, there are a few lots which aren't going anywhere (e.g. CVS was recently redeveloped in place) and might be good proving grounds for smart parking techniques.

Also keep in mind the audience: AVMS. In particular, Kadish is on the board, and he resolutely believes in the mantra of excessive free parking.

I don't get the gas station thing either. I bet it's because they didn't look outside the boundaries. Although there is only one gas station in the study area, there's a number of them just outside of it. We definitely don't need any more (and I wouldn't mind if the Hess suddenly got redeveloped to fill the gap in the streetwall).

They did mention that those old buildings are warehouses (and what a shame that is!). I think their suggestions are more aimed, again, at the AVMS audience.

A funny thing: at the presentation, someone brought an old pamphlet from a past "plan" which was put together back in 1996, I believe, and promptly forgotten. Same old, same old.
 
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Nice photos, KZ. I'm not sure if you've ventured down Brainerd Road recently but the facade is virtually complete on Mt. Vernon's Edge apartments now. They're using a very contemporary pattern of metallic squares up the sides; looks kind of cool.
 
Approval for New Community Health Center in Allston

Total Project Cost: $26.5 million
Total SF: 48,000 SF
Jobs: 188 construction jobs
LEED: LEED Certifiable

"The BRA Board unanimously approved a new health center for the Allston community. The Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center, will be constructed at 495 Western Avenue, currently occupied by a 50,600 square foot building used by the State Police and Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

The $26.5 million project, being developed by the Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center (JMSCHC), will add 48,000 square feet of community health outreach space. The center will provide retail pharmacy, vision and dental clinics, a family medicine clinic, a laboratory, and a behavioral health medical suite.

Creating approximately 188 construction jobs, the health center will consolidate JMSCHC’s health services, which are spread out all over the city of Boston, into one accessible location."

From: http://www.bostonredevelopmentautho...ino-announces-new-projects-moving-forward-13/
 
Ahh now it all makes sense, they cleared all the broken equipment/piles of tree stumps out of there a few days ago. I was wondering if they found a developer for the site or were just cleaning up. Anyone know if Harvard is behind this move, or did the existing center just run out of space?

It's weird though, for a long time the development of that site was contingent on finding a reuse of the speedway buildings. I guess they gave up on that idea...
 
They were running out of space. And wanted to modernize too.
 
davem said:
Ahh now it all makes sense, they cleared all the broken equipment/piles of tree stumps out of there a few days ago. I was wondering if they found a developer for the site or were just cleaning up. Anyone know if Harvard is behind this move, or did the existing center just run out of space?

It's weird though, for a long time the development of that site was contingent on finding a reuse of the speedway buildings. I guess they gave up on that idea...
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The Speedway buildings are to the west of this site. There is a Harvard-owned building between the site and the speedway buildings.

The Smith clinic does lease space from Harvard in a building on the north side of Western Ave., closer to the Skating Club. Smith also has facilities across Western Ave in a building that Harvard does not own.

The Commonwealth-owned site is nearly 85,000 sq ft. Don't think they will use all of that.
 
Waypoint Companies is proposing an Article 80 project at 61-83 Braintree Street in Allston. It will be 80 units: 41 studios, 31 1BR, 4 2BR, 4 3BR. There are 5000 sq ft of "commercial" space and 69 parking spaces including 2 ZipCar. FAR 3. The developer cited the Guest Street planning study as a main factor in their decisions. Also the upcoming "Boston Landing" station.

They want to get moving quickly, hopefully complete within 14 months. The current site is industrially zoned with a retail outlet. That will need to be demolished first. Apparently it's old enough to require historic review first, but they don't anticipate any problems.

Filing with the BRA shortly, they anticipate the first public meeting in mid-September.

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Architect is Neshamkin French Architects Inc of Charlestown.

I'm trying to get a better electronic version of the presentation.
 
any plans for noise abatement, since those are right on the pike???
 
I asked: he said yes. Apparently it's a requirement, in fact, for HUD support.
 
Matthew said:
The current site is industrially zoned with a retail outlet. That will need to be demolished first. Apparently it's old enough to require historic review first, but they don't anticipate any problems.
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In this atlas its listed as a machine shop, but in an old lithograph I can't seem to find now it was part of a larger complex, I believe related to the box factory. Not significant enough to block the project (which is a worlds-better use of the site). What would be significant enough to save is the adjacent BERY car house, which still exists and is used for some industrial use now.

Regarding sound insulation, again, I live directly across the pike from this project and its a non-issue, especially now that 3 locomotive freights are no longer throttling up right in front of it. Comm Ave is a gazillion times louder than the white noise of cars flying past.


stellarfun, I know the relation of the speedway buildings to the DCR site. The property line extends behind the old Taureen/mothballed Harvard property. Before HBI got involved with the speedway buildings they were offering the DCR yard as a cookie to get someone to do something with them.
It seems like a DUH move to put a biergarden in the courtyard and old stalls, with perhaps a large restaurant occupying the old administration building. With all the traffic crossing the Arsenal St Bridge I don't understand why this hasn't happened. The Boyne is practically across the street, I'm surprised no one has approached them about a land swap. If they demolished the new garage in the back there would be plenty of room for non-obtrusive parking, and that Soldiers Field onramp already functions as a frontage road of sorts (and is wide enough for parallel parking as well).

I don't think they are going to remain vacant for much longer however. The Smith relocation is going to make the whole area look better, as long as it isnt a fenced off, set back, first floor parking streetkiller like this perpetually for lease abomination. The Autobahn USA site also just cleared out. If a savvy developer combines that parcel with the defunct Dewalt building that has been for sale for ever this little corner could start seeing some serious redevelopment.
 
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Took a trip down to Brainerd Road during the 4:30 downpour and the new guy is looking pretty sharp.

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And the next project just across the street:

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And one of the thing at Greylock and Glenville:

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^ The part of the building on the left is the same building that you can almost make out behind the trees in the first pic. I watched them drag it onto a new foundation most of last summer. That area back there has some eccentric architecture, like this building a bit further down on Lanark.

Also The Edge on Brainard is just... wow. Even with the first floor parking its a beauty. I wonder if this spat of new construction will motivate the landlords of the victorians to renovate. This street could rival Brookline if they were fixed up.
 
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