Allston Square | 334 Cambridge street | Allston

[stick n move]

-Couldnt believe this doesnt have a thread already. Doesnt help the search here is effed.


This was previously approved, but is now being modified to try to remove parking to make it viable in the current climate.

Allston Square​

“Project Description
*City Realty, the Proponent, now proposes to revise the Project described in the previously approved Board Memo though the changes do not significantly modify the Project which was previously approved by the Boston Planning & Development Agency and the Zoning Board of Appeal. Rather the listed changes seek to clarify the breakdown of units and commercial spaces proposed, properly identify the sites legal addresses as now recognized by the Boston Inspectional Services Department (“ISD”), amend the classification of some of the residential units from condominiums to rental units, and further describe the phased nature of the Project and accompanying mitigation agreed upon between the Proponent and the BPDA. A new six-building mixed-use development with 344 residential units, 12 of which are artist live/work units, 158 associated parking spaces, and 15,860 square feet of retail space.”

Allston Square | Bostonplans.org

Development Projects and Planned Development Areas (PDAs) that the Development Review division is coordinating.

www.bostonplans.org

2021-02-02_Presentation_Allston Square.pdf | Powered by Box

bpda.app.box.com

 

[stick n move]

Notice of project change:

Proposed Changes
Off-Street Parking
The Proponent proposes in this Third NPC to reduce the parking programs at 1 Highgate St, 10 Highgate St, 20 Braintree St, and 8-12 Wilton St by lowering the number of off-street parking spaces or eliminating on-site parking entirely. Building structured parking on these specific sites is cost-prohibitive due to their particularly below-grade nature. Further, automated and semi-automated stacker systems have risen sharply, and these systems have proven to malfunction and cause other issues. Furthermore, the need
for parking has continued to decrease in transit-oriented areas, in line with the City’s goals and initiatives, including the 2021 Allston/Brighton Mobility Plan and recently approved nearby Planning Department
projects.

Below are the proposed off-street parking changes:
• 1 Highgate St
o Eliminate the basement level that contained parking spaces, relocate building services
previously located in the basement to the first floor, and maintain the garage door and
loading door on the first level
o Remove 50 parking spaces
o Total proposed parking: 0 spaces
• 10 Highgate St
o Eliminate the basement level that contains the parking garage with a stacker system,
maintain the door and loading on the first floor, and maintain the short-term visitor parking area on the first floor
o Remove 17 parking spaces
o Total proposed parking: 0 spaces
• 20 Braintree St
o Eliminate the semi-automated parking system
o Remove 14 parking spaces
o Total proposed parking: 10 spaces
• 8-12 Wilton St
o Eliminate the semi-automated parking system
o Remove 28 parking spaces
o Total proposed parking: 22 spaces

2025-10-27_Notice of Project Change (NPC)_Allston Square.pdf | Powered by Box

bpda.app.box.com

 

[sean99090900]

Love to see it

 

[theSil]

This has inched along. I remember emailing the developers probably 4+ years ago asking them to consider preserving the facade of 10 Highgate – it's a handsome build that prominently marks the entrance of Allston when entering from Cambridge St. Hope that it remains, like the later renderings depict.

Excited for a lot more density in this stretch.

 

[Smuttynose]

If the changes are approved that would make for a total of 38 parking spaces serving 344 residential units, down from 147 spaces in the revised proposals and 158 in the originally approval project. I think it's wonderful, but question if the BPDA will go for it based on past practice. I am hopeful they're indicating more flexibility however for the developer to even request this.

 

[stick n move]

According to apple maps its a 9 min walk from here to boston landing CR station. Its also a 9 minute walk to harvard ave GL station. So in under 10 minutes you can get to two different rail mass transit options. Plus the 66 bus goes right into harvard/cambridge. So multiple quick options to get you to fenway, back bay, downtown…etc plus Cambridge. Plus the CR also gives you the option to go out further into the suburbs to visit friends, work…etc outside the city. If any project can get by with less parking it should be this.

 

[Smuttynose]

According to apple maps its a 9 min walk from here to boston landing CR station. Its also a 9 minute walk to cc ave GL station. So in under 10 minutes you can get to two different rail mass transit options. Plus the 66 bus goes right into harvard/cambridge. So multiple quick options to get you to fenway, back bay, downtown…etc plus Cambridge. Plus the CR also gives you the option to go out further into the suburbs to visit friends, work…etc outside the city. If any project can get by with less parking it should be this.

Agreed, but the transit accessibility of the 49 D Street project in Southie, which arguably had better transit accessibility, with an 8 minute walk to the Andrew red line station and a short ride to South Station and all of those CR lines, was not enough to save it from the ZBA. That was the project where Congressman Lynch, among others, freaked out about parking

Zoning board rejects 70-unit building in South Boston over lack of parking

Boston’s Zoning Board of Appeals rejected a proposed 70-unit apartment building in South Boston last week, citing lack of parking.

www.boston.com

 

[chrisbrat]

If they can keep the facade of 10 Highgate and all these housing units I am so in favor of this. Full steam ahead!

 

[itchy]

Aren't they basically proposing to put the parking on the ground floor instead of building an underground parking garage? I'm probably missing something, but isn't that pretty bad for how these buildings meet the street, the retail and activity they bring to the neighborhood, etc.?

 

[FormFollowsBudget]

Aren't they basically proposing to put the parking on the ground floor instead of building an underground parking garage? I'm probably missing something, but isn't that pretty bad for how these buildings meet the street, the retail and activity they bring to the neighborhood, etc.?

Braintree Street has pretty much cemented itself as a non-active, semi-anti-pedestrian street - none of the recent developments on it have included ground floor activation. By extension, since there's nothing to walk to on Braintree Street, Wilton Street is not going to get much foot traffic either. In a world with less and less brick and mortar retail, you want to focus your retail along Cambridge Street and at the corner of Harvard Ave, where there's a higher guarantee you will get foot traffic and a higher guarantee of gaining a tenant.

 

[BeansTheCat]

If the changes are approved that would make for a total of 38 parking spaces serving 344 residential units, down from 147 spaces in the revised proposals and 158 in the originally approval project. I think it's wonderful, but question if the BPDA will go for it based on past practice. I am hopeful they're indicating more flexibility however for the developer to even request this.

The situation is obviously neighborhood dependent, but I haven't seen any project in Allston in the past few years get pushback from the BPDA on insufficient parking. At the same time, planners absolutely have told projects to reduce parking, so I'd be really surprised if this doesn't sail through.

 

[Bill Blass]

As long as the parking is hidden/inside/underground and off street, why the hostility towards it?

 

[BeansTheCat]

As long as the parking is hidden/inside/underground and off street, why the hostility towards it?

The main reasons are that it still generates vehicle trips and means more curb cuts. Allston Village already has a ton of traffic and anything that adds more cars will just make it worse

 

[stick n move]

The main reasons are that it still generates vehicle trips and means more curb cuts. Allston Village already has a ton of traffic and anything that adds more cars will just make it worse

So thats a good thing that theyve essentially removed almost all of the parking no?

 

[BeansTheCat]

So thats a good thing that theyve essentially removed almost all of the parking no?

Absolutely. I'm cautiously optimistic that the upcoming Allston-Brighton Community Plan will remove parking minimums for this entire area

 

[theSil]

As long as the parking is hidden/inside/underground and off street, why the hostility towards it?

Also it inherently raises housing prices. For underground parking and parking structures, the cost to construct an individual parking space is in the tens of thousands of dollars. That translates to more expensive rents/asking prices.

 

[FormFollowsBudget]

Also it inherently raises housing prices. For underground parking and parking structures, the cost to construct an individual parking space is in the tens of thousands of dollars. That translates to more expensive rents/asking prices.

I used to see reports that removing urban parking requirements (i.e. underground parking) allowed for up to 20-30% cost savings. Cutting parking costs seem to be a major puzzle piece in getting a project more affordable.