Charlesview Redevelopment | Western Ave | Allston

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Minus the disgracefully rebuilt McDonald's drive-thru, this all looks fantastic.
 
I can't wait for further urbanism to steamroll that McDonald's parking lot.

Of course, I'm sure someone will object to "community character" being ruined when it happens.
 
The community isn't too happy about the way Harvard allowed the McDonald's to redevelop like that.
 
The parking lot aside, and I can't believe I'm saying this about a McDonald's, the building's actually sort of nice and it actually pushes right up to the sidewalk.
 
Agreed; as far as drive-thru boxes go it ain't half bad.
 
The community was pushing really hard for the Micky D's to build a multi-story mixed use building. The closeness to the street is a concession prize, I guess.
 
Globe article (beyond the paywall)

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business...es-brighton/RuXLH2aC5KLiH1ua2RNOsN/story.html

Elsa Rojas walked into her new two-bedroom Brighton apartment, took in the expansive skyscape from her fifth-floor flat, and smiled.

“I love it,” she said, gazing through floor-to-ceiling windows looking out at Harvard Stadium and the Boston skyline. “I won’t need a TV.”

Rojas, 66, joined a group of residents and government officials Friday to celebrate the opening of the first phase of the new Charlesview Residences, a 340-unit mixed-use project on the Allston-Brighton line that includes subsidized and market-rate apartments.

The complex replaces the dilapidated Charlesview Apartments, a 213-unit subsidized development built in the 1960s, less than a half a mile away.

....

Rojas had a look of amazement on her face as she walked into her new living space for the first time.

She said she is going to miss her old home, where she lived for 30 years and brought up two children, but was enchanted by the new apartment’s wood floors, tiled bathroom, and amenities.
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Wow it's a world of difference on Western Ave. And between this and what Harvard is doing further down Western Ave. this might one day influence the many properties along Western to build up a bit.
 
GW2500 said:
Wow it's a world of difference on Western Ave. And between this and what Harvard is doing further down Western Ave. this might one day influence the many properties along Western to build up a bit.
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Harvard owns most of the north side of Western Ave from N. Harvard St. to the Olmstead buildings near Western Ave. and Soldiers Field Rd; the Smith playground and 3 or 4 commercial parcels being the major exceptions. Harvard also got the Boston Skating Club property when Harvard did the land exchange.
 
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Is there still a second phase to this project? i thought they were going to do more tall apartment buildings on the other side of Western Ave.
 
BeeLine said:
Is there still a second phase to this project? i thought they were going to do more tall apartment buildings on the other side of Western Ave.
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Yes. Market rate condos I believe. Basically one building on a relatively small parcel on Telford St. across from the current Boston Skating Club. Someone other than Harvard still owns the abutting parcel at the corner of Telford and Western Ave. so the site is pretty compressed. However, once the land swap with the Skating Club goes through, who knows.
 
Not just that, the pieces of grass that you see fenced off along the permiter of the site at Litchfield and Holton are not greenspace, but were supposed to be market rate houses. I'm assuming they have been bumped to phase two as well. If you don't count the spaces between the houses, there is only one park in the project, the common type thing across from the shaws, which is actually quite nice (shown in the last pic).
 
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