Allston Post | 25-39 Harvard Avenue | Allston

I meant its one of the easiest ways to add density compared to the proposal of trying to bulldoze entire lowrise neighborhoods and the eminent domain, lawsuits, PR, and whatever else nightmare that would ensue. Compared to the “nuclear nimby option” it would be a lot easier to add density on a lot of these single story buildings first, by changing zoning laws, maybe some tax breaks, and other incentives that could get the ball rolling here first.

Were already seeing movement in this direction with Brookline upzoning a couple different corridors for multistory residential buildings and Newton getting rid of the insanely strict zoning laws that made it illegal to build residential over commercial and anything over 2 floors in the town centers. Many of these existing multi-use areas/buildings were grandfathered in and it was illegal to build new ones where the single story retail buildings were.
 
There are many components that make something a place. Institutions, People, and Architecure are three big ones. Major loss of any of those categories would contribute to the place feeling hollow, as if the place is gone and all that remains is the geography and its name on a map.

For Boston, the People component is threatened, as the housing crisis has caused and continues to cause many Boston-area natives to move further and further out of the core. Obviously, this needs to be addressed by building more. But, do we really need to sacrifice the Architecure component in order to do so? These "museums" of iconic rowhouses are part of what make Boston a place worth caring about and living in, just like its People do.

Plus, rowhouses on narrow streets aren't just cute--they're a very efficient way to house people. They also lend themselves to pleasant neighborhoods where people are encouraged to walk instead of drive cars which need parking, the true enemy of density. There is still plenty of parking, single-storey retail, and even (god forbid) triple-deckers that could be demolished and rebuilt as mid- or high-rises before we need to go after already-dense neighborhoods of 4-5 storey rowhouses.
 
kdmc said:
Plus, rowhouses on narrow streets aren't just cute--they're a very efficient way to house people. They also lend themselves to pleasant neighborhoods where people are encouraged to walk instead of drive cars which need parking, the true enemy of density. There is still plenty of parking, single-storey retail, and even (god forbid) triple-deckers that could be demolished and rebuilt as mid- or high-rises before we need to go after already-dense neighborhoods of 4-5 storey rowhouses.
Click to expand...
For real, people really sleep on row houses way too much. They're an amazing way to have dense, walkable neighborhoods that don't feel dense and where everyone has their own front door and ground floor units can even have private gardens. It's probably one of my favorite things about Dutch urbanism I've seen. While drawing up hypothetical designs for areas I've been surprised just how many units you can squeeze into a small space with 3 or 4 storey buildings.
 

New apartments, possible post office approved on Harvard Avenue in Allston​


By adamg on Tue, 01/09/2024 - 12:21pm
Proposed rendering of Harvard Avenue building


“The Zoning Board of Appeal today approved a developer's plans to raze the current unused post office on Harvard Avenue, a repair garage and some parking lots to put up a six-story, 170-unit apartment complex that would have ground-floor room for the Postal Service to return to Allston.

The BPDA board approved the project last month. Developer Eden Properties says it has a letter of intent from the USPS to rent the ground-floor space in the building, to be called Allston Post.

The building would have 29 apartments rented as affordable - 17% of the total, compared to the currently required 14%. The building would have 49 parking spaces - 25% of which would have charging stations for electric vehicles.

City Councilor Liz Breadon and Allston Village Main Streets, which represents Harvard Avenue businesses, supported the proposal.

The Allston Civic Association split on the project. Association President Tony D'Isidoro said opponents were concerned about the building's height and overall density, which they felt could lead to shadows on neighboring buildings, as well as how package-delivery and ride-share drivers would get to and from and around the building. Supporters liked the 17% affordable units, the "re-activation" of a stretch of Harvard Avenue along the unused post office and the potential return of the USPS to the neighborhood….”

https://www.universalhub.com/2024/new-apartments-possible-post-office-approved
 
#bancars said:
In an ideal world, all of the currently one story retail spaces in Allston Village would have 3-4 stories of housing on top. Great project!
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are all those one story retail space in AV zoned for that purpose only? I think I read that somewhere that housing with retail on the bottom wasn't allowed in many areas.
 

Post Allston to replace vacant post office with mixed-income housing​


allston.png


“An Allston redevelopment effort received financing to demolish a vacant post office and construct 170 units of mixed-income housing.
The new six-story apartment building, to be called Post Allston, will feature ground-floor retail spaces and a new post office. Plans also include the creation of 58 on-site parking spaces.

Located at 25-39 Harvard Ave., Post Allston is the second project to receive financing via the Momentum Fund. Under the Affordable Homes Act, this fund aims to create new housing quickly by leveraging low-cost capital and partnering with private developers to incentivize already permitted construction….”

bostonagentmagazine.com

Post Allston to replace vacant post office with mixed-income housing - Boston Agent Magazine

Post Allston, a new six-story apartment building, will feature ground-floor retail spaces and a new post office.
bostonagentmagazine.com bostonagentmagazine.com
 
stick n move said:

Post Allston to replace vacant post office with mixed-income housing​


allston.png


“An Allston redevelopment effort received financing to demolish a vacant post office and construct 170 units of mixed-income housing.
The new six-story apartment building, to be called Post Allston, will feature ground-floor retail spaces and a new post office. Plans also include the creation of 58 on-site parking spaces.

Located at 25-39 Harvard Ave., Post Allston is the second project to receive financing via the Momentum Fund. Under the Affordable Homes Act, this fund aims to create new housing quickly by leveraging low-cost capital and partnering with private developers to incentivize already permitted construction….”

bostonagentmagazine.com

Post Allston to replace vacant post office with mixed-income housing - Boston Agent Magazine

Post Allston, a new six-story apartment building, will feature ground-floor retail spaces and a new post office.
bostonagentmagazine.com bostonagentmagazine.com
Click to expand...

Good news and would love to see this finally U/C. The LOI was filed in 2019, and pandemic notwithstanding, it still sucks that 6 years later for a modest multifamily development this hasn't broken ground!
 
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