Brookline Infill and Small Developments

Too bad the underground garage is nixed and they're expanding the surface garage.
 
http://www.wickedlocal.com/x920322979/Catching-up-with-town-development-projects

The Waldo Place/alley would actually be pretty cool if they could cram some shops back there, but it might be limited by the fact that the backs of all the Beacon/Harvard stores face into it.

A few years ago there was a lot of talk about rezoning Coolidge to allow taller buildings and redeveloping the Center St parking lot, havent heard anything about it for a while though.
 
FK4 said:
A few years ago there was a lot of talk about rezoning Coolidge to allow taller buildings and redeveloping the Center St parking lot, havent heard anything about it for a while though.
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That would be great. I've always thought Coolidge Corner has a surprising number of one to two story buildings, despite how active and transit-friendly the area is. The area really ought to have more residential units.

Also, I do hope they improve the Durgin garage. The last thing they did was put up some posters up on the closed shop windows to make it seem more "friendly" (at least that's what I'm guessing) but it's still sad to see those empty storefronts.
 
Yeah, I don't think they need to do a crazy amount of upzoning, but tossing a couple of floors of residential on some of those on story buildings would be excellent.
 
It looks like demo may be starting soon on the Red Cab Site at 111 Boylston. There are construction barrels and "no parking except construction vehicles" signs in front of the building on Rt. 9
 
Some strange things going on at the Circle Cinema. For the past few weeks the interior neon lights have been left on at night, a really colorful - and eerie - effect.

The lack of progress on that site is really pushing my buttons. I live in the neighborhood now and would love to know if there's a way to join in on pro-development advocacy. Incidentally, BDG is my wife's commercial landlord and from everything I can tell they are very conscientious developers who believe deeply in the urban streetscape.
 
I've always thought Coolidge Corner has a surprising number of one to two story buildings, despite how active and transit-friendly the area is.
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Same goes for all the inner ring neighborhoods.

I live in the neighborhood now and would love to know if there's a way to join in on pro-development advocacy.
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There's meetings announced periodically. I would recommend contacting your local electeds to get hooked into the announcements.
 
I'm just hoping this gets started soon. I don't have many complaints with this plan - I like the retail and restaurant component, and the way they treat the interfacing with the park. Aesthetically, it's similar in style to the nearby 20 Englewood which I've thought to be quite handsome.

Of course, we all know this area can handle more height and density than this, but that was really never in the cards.

I do think it's funny that there must be two taxi stands - a Brookline and a Boston one!
 
Hutchison said:
Chestnut Hill Cinema update w/ renderings

http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/getattachment/7759859c-4480-4c53-bd72-de1b84e5cb41
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You mean Circle Cinema. The Chestnut Hill Cinema was located at what is now The Street. With respect to that Cinema, I heard from a worker on the site that the developer plans to remove the upper portion of the cinema building, renovate the base and reconstruct the top. The reconstructed building would house more retail/restaurant space, with offices above. He had no idea when this next phase of The Street would happen.
 
Hutchison said:
Chestnut Hill Cinema update w/ renderings

http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/getattachment/7759859c-4480-4c53-bd72-de1b84e5cb41
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Hate to be a stickler, but I'm going to anyways. There is a different cinema, in Chestnut Hill, Newton, known as Chestnut Hill Theater (replacing the old AMC Chestnut Hill).

This was not that cinema. This was Circle Cinema.

Colloquially, these were always known as "Chestnut Hill" and "Circle" and were competing movie theaters.
 
BRA Public Meeting on Cleveland Circle Cinema site, April 1st, 6pm, Alexander Hamilton School.
 
0318clevelandcirlce.jpg


The traffic through there is so bad (and bad is relative, it's not THAT bad) because the intersection design is a clusterfuck, not because of actual loads. Bring back the rotary, it would be a gazillion times better. Hell, just getting Boston to actually stripe lanes in there would help.
 
BRA could approve long-delayed $80M project in Cleveland Circle

Six years after the Cleveland Circle Cinema closed, city officials this week could approve an $80 million redevelopment at the former theater's 2.5-acre parcel that borders Brookline and Boston, the Business Journal has learned.

The city's approval is the first in a two-step approval process facing the developer, which also must receive a similar endorsement from the town of Brookline. About 20 percent of the development is in Brookline.
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Full Article
 
So much for that...

BRA cancels review of $80M Cleveland Circle project after neighborhood group protests

The Boston Redevelopment Authority has retreated from a plan to review an $80 million proposal to transform the shuttered Cleveland Circle Cinema in Brighton amid vocal opposition from neighborhood groups.

The move follows a Boston Business Journal report earlier this week that the BRA was considering a revised plan to bring a mixed-use development to the property. The development was slated to appear on the board’s agenda this week. Typically, items that make it on the agenda win unanimous board approval.
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Full Article
 
Fuck these people, seriously. This is a solid project, replacing an ABANDONED theater (that used to generate a ton of traffic) and an Applebees. They should be cheering someone wants to do something with the site. I hope the theater sits there abandoned for ever, and all the other businesses flee the area. Maybe it can have a small fire, or some homeless people can move in. Or a plague of rats!

I mean god, Samuels is building a mixed use project in Allston, second only to Cambridge in NIMBYism. The people opposing this are insane.

Shadows... good god.
 
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