Chinatown Infill and Small Developments

213 Harrison -- Completely rebuilt row house:

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New front façade, new 4 story brick addition to rear. Four floor through apartments plus a commercial unit in the basement.
 
Wonder if someday people will "Bay Village" all the row houses with black shutters and vintage style glazing.
 
tobyjug said:
Wonder if someday people will "Bay Village" all the row houses with black shutters and vintage style glazing.
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Surprised that hasn't happened already.

Alternatively, I wonder if the old "South Cove" name reappears (edit: other than in Jeff's signature, which I just noticed - for some reason the name's been stuck in my head, just put 1-and-1 together) with social changes in/around Chinatown.
 
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Not going to derail the thread (which I love) but legit question to be raised is, what happens to a neighborhood when it's "suddenly' rediscovered and developers buy and renovate run-down housing? That's going on in Chinatown. Buildings such as this are being purchased by investors / developers, current tenants "evicted" (not "evicted" but their leases not renewed) and properties renovated, with the expectation that the "new" housing can be rented or sold for prices previously unheard of.

I am as pro-development as anyone and believe no one has a "right" to live wherever they want (being free-market and all that), but something to point out, nonetheless.
 
JohnAKeith said:
Not going to derail the thread (which I love) but legit question to be raised is, what happens to a neighborhood when it's "suddenly' rediscovered and developers buy and renovate run-down housing? That's going on in Chinatown. Buildings such as this are being purchased by investors / developers, current tenants "evicted" (not "evicted" but their leases not renewed) and properties renovated, with the expectation that the "new" housing can be rented or sold for prices previously unheard of.

I am as pro-development as anyone and believe no one has a "right" to live wherever they want (being free-market and all that), but something to point out, nonetheless.
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I strongly suggest you study this website carefully:

http://cpaboston.org/

Regardless of whether you feel the term "gentrification" is meaningful and objective or if it has lost all authenticity due to politicization, the fact is those guys are the ones most vigorously addressing the issues that usually get bundled up in the term.
 
DBM said:
I strongly suggest you study this website carefully:

http://cpaboston.org/

Regardless of whether you feel the term "gentrification" is meaningful and objective or if it has lost all authenticity due to politicization, the fact is those guys are the ones most vigorously addressing the issues that usually get bundled up in the term.
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We also have a new Community Land Trust in Chinatown, and are trying to acquire, rehab and preserve some of the row houses as affordable housing, with support from the City (and private monies).

Tough to do, though, because market forces are really out of control right now (can we say real estate bubble?).
 
JeffDowntown said:
213 Harrison -- Completely rebuilt row house:

picture.php


New front façade, new 4 story brick addition to rear. Four floor through apartments plus a commercial unit in the basement.
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The new facade is a huge downgrade: https://www.google.com/maps/place/2...6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x23c8651a1e391bbc!6m1!1e1

The details are subtle, but for a simple row house like this one it essentially lost all of its charm.

I am all for renovation, but why couldn't they preserve the facade?
 
Lisbon said:
The new facade is a huge downgrade: https://www.google.com/maps/place/2...6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x23c8651a1e391bbc!6m1!1e1

The details are subtle, but for a simple row house like this one it essentially lost all of its charm.

I am all for renovation, but why couldn't they preserve the facade?
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Room layout behind the windows. The owner did floor-thru units, and the three across windows are a significant challenge. These are not deep row houses, so the floor plate is small (580 sq ft). Needed to consolidate the windows to make more marketable apartments.

NOTE: I am not a fan either, but this is way better than what was originally proposed.
 
Developer got a steal of a deal on that at $480,000.
 
JeffDowntown said:
Yes, but the families were desperate for cash (all cash deal), and the two buildings were basically falling down.
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Yup, I know - still a steal of a deal anyway you look at it. Its zoned for 4-6 units, right? Anyways, wish they could have at least kept the facades somehow - yet another small piece of the (very few) remaining row houses gone.
 
JeffDowntown said:
Yes, but the families were desperate for cash (all cash deal), and the two buildings were basically falling down.
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If you add up how much it costs to carry the property through permitting and construction it's not all that much of a steal. Thanks, socialism.
 
reverend_paco said:
Don't know if this counts as "infill" but I didn't know what other thread to put this on, but there's a letter of intent for a new 20 story hotel at 150 Kneeland Street:

http://www.bostonplans.org/getattachment/ca484cd4-66d5-4de8-98c0-422267dcd12b

X7EEZAph.jpg


Found this news at universal hub:

http://www.universalhub.com/2018/developer-wants-make-splash-20-story-hotel
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The Hudson Group. They did Radian, Oxford Ping-On, and a few other smaller projects. So they're not huge, but they've been successful in that area.
 
reverend_paco said:
Don't know if this counts as "infill" but I didn't know what other thread to put this on, but there's a letter of intent for a new 20 story hotel at 150 Kneeland Street:

http://www.bostonplans.org/getattachment/ca484cd4-66d5-4de8-98c0-422267dcd12b

X7EEZAph.jpg


Found this news at universal hub:

http://www.universalhub.com/2018/developer-wants-make-splash-20-story-hotel
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I officially love this project a million billion infinity times. Such a "win-win" for all.


".....The property was formerly used as a restaurant and night club, which presented a significant nuisance to the neighborhood, while subsequent neglect of the site has resulted in serious blight.

Our goal is to develop a striking, slender, mid-rise tower housing a well-designed, top-quality hospitality facility. The Project will supply sorely needed hotel rooms to the immediate South Station area, which currently does not have a single hotel. The proposed hotel will complement the mixed-use fabric of the historic Leather District while positioning the Kneeland Street development corridor as a modern urban thoroughfare with a vibrant pedestrian realm."
 
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