Brookline Infill and Small Developments

JohnAKeith said:
Well there was a little blip of news the other day about Cleveland Circle.



Edited from this story (originated at B&T) http://the103advantage.com/92-senior-housing-units-added-cleveland-circle-development/
Click to expand...

Terrible that they can't get more density approved at this site. I am in the area often and traffic isn't THAT bad. Not to mention the site is steps from the Reservoir T. 92 units of senior housing, negligible retail and a small hotel is a joke for this site.
 
If you guys like this building, you'll love the same developer getting an opportunity to build a Hilton on the site of an old gas station right up the road!

Story: Public hears plans for new hotel (Tab)
Site: right here

Obstacles to construction: they have to close on the parcel, they have to get through a citizens advisory committee and then they have to get a two-thirds majority through Town Meeting to get overlay zoning, they have to coordinate with MassDOT on all the changes coming to the streets in this area, and then I would think/hope they have to present something, well, better than the last one. Current proposal is 10 stories, 168 rooms and 66 parking spaces that "will be above ground but will be designed to look like part of the building."
 
ErnieAdams said:
If you guys like this building, you'll love the same developer getting an opportunity to build a Hilton on the site of an old gas station right up the road!

Story: Public hears plans for new hotel (Tab)
Site: right here

Obstacles to construction: they have to close on the parcel, they have to get through a citizens advisory committee and then they have to get a two-thirds majority through Town Meeting to get overlay zoning, they have to coordinate with MassDOT on all the changes coming to the streets in this area, and then I would think/hope they have to present something, well, better than the last one. Current proposal is 10 stories, 168 rooms and 66 parking spaces that "will be above ground but will be designed to look like part of the building."
Click to expand...

Already happened
 
Will they actually be redoing the crossing of 9 to connect the riverway walking/bike path? That would be a big win in my opinion.
 
Hutchison said:
Will they actually be redoing the crossing of 9 to connect the riverway walking/bike path? That would be a big win in my opinion.
Click to expand...

The Town is already doing that. The plans are already finalized for the corridor. Bids were received a few months ago for construction, but they didn't like what the got so it is (or was? don't know the timeline) being rebid.
 
Man, that gulf station has some deep memories for me from back in the day... Cigarettes, rolling papers... And it was open late, too.

At least the hotel won't need to run far for its ice supply...

That piece of park on river road is utterly neglected and completely eroded... Including around a poor very nice old big tree. the one thing to be wary of is the hotel kicking in "funds" for turning that park into their own unofficial patio which in one design they appear to be doing in one design there...
 
The developer needs to push the Route 9 curbline south much closer to the vehicle travel lane, to allow both a grade separated bike lane at sidewalk level, and a proper tree pit to properly connect to the Gateway East design and to separate bike and ped travel. The Gas Station and it's entry aprons didn't play well with separated bike lanes proposed for Gateway East.

At a meeting at Brookline Town hall with a group from MIT studying the walkability of the Village, one comment from the public that most everyone agreed on was that the defining element when you enter Brookline from Boston is the trees. They need to plant a proper tree edge between their building and Route 9 not just a few scrappy street trees.

FK4, I completely agree, it sure smacks of a land grab.

That last rendering - it just really looks off, like the building would be over 200 yards away when its all of 50 yards away from the Bridge. It's enough to make me not trust the other renderings.
 
Last edited:
Has anyone heard anything new about the Boston Children's project at "Brookline Place" near Brookline Village T? They put up signs what seems like a year ago about the closing of the paths through to the station "in the coming months", but the only work I've seen is inside the existing 1-2 story buildings. It appears to be completely vacant. Do we have a separate thread for it? http://www.brooklinema.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/7152
 
I didn't know the hotel at the old gulf station was approved, but the site is getting dug up right now and station totally demolished.
 
FK4 said:
I didn't know the hotel at the old gulf station was approved, but the site is getting dug up right now and station totally demolished.
Click to expand...

It's not they will have to go for a zoning change in order to get the hotel approved, it's at least 12 months away assuming they are successful with the zoning change. As a condition of the sale, Cumberland Farms needs to complete all environmental remediation which is why the building is being demolished and the site dug up. Claremont (the buyer) and Cumberland agreed to a clean-up scope before the sale was completed and Cumberland Farms performs and pays for the entire clean up post-closing. I've heard they are going to allow the Children's Hospital construction workers to park there while Claremont goes through the permitting process for the hotel.

From what I've heard, the Children's project at Brookline Place is on hold for the time being. Not sure why, could be construction costs.
 
Bergeron37 said:
It's not they will have to go for a zoning change in order to get the hotel approved, it's at least 12 months away assuming they are successful with the zoning change. As a condition of the sale, Cumberland Farms needs to complete all environmental remediation which is why the building is being demolished and the site dug up. Claremont (the buyer) and Cumberland agreed to a clean-up scope before the sale was completed and Cumberland Farms performs and pays for the entire clean up post-closing. I've heard they are going to allow the Children's Hospital construction workers to park there while Claremont goes through the permitting process for the hotel.

From what I've heard, the Children's project at Brookline Place is on hold for the time being. Not sure why, could be construction costs.
Click to expand...

Why Cumberland farms? That's always been a gulf station unless it changed briefly before closing...
 
FK4 said:
Why Cumberland farms? That's always been a gulf station unless it changed briefly before closing...
Click to expand...
Because Cumberland Farms owns the Gulf gas brand/stations.
 
At the time of the sale it was accurate. From my understanding, Cumberland Farms sold the rights to Gulf OIL only. It still owns the real estate that most Gulf stations are on and the Cumberland Farms convenience stores that go with it. The sale was intended to separate Cumberland gas business from its retail business, hence why they only sold the oil drilling rights. Because this site in question was no longer operating as a gas station, it would not have been part of the sale at all.

Cumberland has done this before when they sell a gas station as a development site. They agree to a remediation scope with the buyer and agree to complete all remediation at their cost. In most cases, such as this Brookline site, the land is worth more than the clean-up required so they have no issue with this type of an agreement.
 
Bergeron37 said:
At the time of the sale it was accurate. From my understanding, Cumberland Farms sold the rights to Gulf OIL only. It still owns the real estate that most Gulf stations are on and the Cumberland Farms convenience stores that go with it. The sale was intended to separate Cumberland gas business from its retail business, hence why they only sold the oil drilling rights. Because this site in question was no longer operating as a gas station, it would not have been part of the sale at all.
Click to expand...

Bergeron -- that is not quite right either --- Cumberland Farms and Gulf had shared a corporate HQ complex but Cumberland Farms sold Gulf to private investors

here's the story from today's BBJ
Gulf Oil relocating headquarters to another MetroWest suburb
Mar 14, 2016, 10:47am EDT

Catherine Carlock
Real Estate Editor
Boston Business Journal

Gulf Oil, a distributor of gasoline and diesel fuel and one of the original "Seven Sisters" of American oil companies, is relocating its headquarters from Framingham to Wellesley this month
.
The move comes less than three months after an affiliate of ArcLight Capital Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm, acquired Gulf Oil for an undisclosed amount. ArcLight, which specializes in energy businesses, acquired Gulf Oil from Cumberland Farms Inc.

The company has signed a 36,000-square-foot lease at 80 Williams St. in Wellesley, according to real estate brokerage JLL. Tom Kent and Brendan Cohn represented Gulf Oil in the deal. The company is currently located at 100 Crossing Boulevard in Framingham.

Gulf Oil was founded in 1901 and has operations in 32 states and the Caribbean. IT distributes motor fuel, heating oil, lubricants and biofuels to 2,300 Gulf Oil-branded outlets and 1,000 private-label outlets.
Click to expand...


So Gulf is still selling gas through Cumberland Farms stores they just will not own the stores as one corporate entity.
 
So long Applebee's Cleveland Circle - it's now gone to the great big strip mall in the sky.

Or is that Brighton? Oops
 
cookiepuss.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top