Dot Block | Dot Ave, Greenmount St, Hancock St | Dorchester

We can debate about the project getting an improved skin, coloring of the bricks, etc..... Not accusing the majority of peaceful citizens in any way.

but judging from the comments, there are a few Globe readers that undoubtably either function as self-appointed instigators, or require professional attention.

a few from the Occupy crowd appear to have gone totally insane. The die is cast; they ain't coming back.

Paranoia, misery, self-loathing, etc appear to spike around the holidays.

Maybe they can join an evengelical revival mission, Scientology or whatever.

https://mindhacks.com/2016/07/15/the-science-of-urban-paranoia/
 
il_570xN.520494096_iez1.jpg
 
At the minimum height this and quite many others should have been planned for all along.
 
Posted this in the Bones of Boston thread, but it's even more relevant here. Here's a quick before and after of this project:

From this:
eTGVOPC.png


To this:
T3bfYw0.png
 
BronsonShore said:
Posted this in the Bones of Boston thread, but it's even more relevant here. Here's a quick before and after of this project:

From this:
eTGVOPC.png


To this:
T3bfYw0.png
Click to expand...

That looks out of date to me. I seem to recall that in the approved project there is a signalized intersection at Pleasant and Hancock. I suppose they might have gone to a rotary, but it seems unlikely.

Dorchester seems to have a number of these wierd intersections with an assortment of islands that seem to be traces of some mysterious past.
 
estyle said:
That looks out of date to me. I seem to recall that in the approved project there is a signalized intersection at Pleasant and Hancock. I suppose they might have gone to a rotary, but it seems unlikely.

Dorchester seems to have a number of these wierd intersections with an assortment of islands that seem to be traces of some mysterious past.
Click to expand...

I think Kane Square (around the corner), or this little intersection here, was an old trolley yard, so that might be why there's the odd rotary here and that other funny intersection where Hancock hits Bowdoin.

I actually think the rotary/circle would work well and should stay, it just needs some tightening up to slow people down.

Either way, this project will be a big win. Hopefully it will actually look nice, too.

Edit - looked at a 1933 map and this is great - the intersection pictured is Downer Sq, Hancock @ Bowdoin is Kane Sq, Adams @ Bowden is Eaton Sq, and the park is Dorchester Sq. I couldn't find for sure if there was a train garage, but either way, lots of streetcar routes ran thru here so I still think this is why the circles are like this.
 
FK4 said:
I think Kane Square (around the corner), or this little intersection here, was an old trolley yard, so that might be why there's the odd rotary here and that other funny intersection where Hancock hits Bowdoin.

I actually think the rotary/circle would work well and should stay, it just needs some tightening up to slow people down.

Either way, this project will be a big win. Hopefully it will actually look nice, too.

Edit - looked at a 1933 map and this is great - the intersection pictured is Downer Sq, Hancock @ Bowdoin is Kane Sq, Adams @ Bowden is Eaton Sq, and the park is Dorchester Sq. I couldn't find for sure if there was a train garage, but either way, lots of streetcar routes ran thru here so I still think this is why the circles are like this.
Click to expand...

Trolleys make a lot of sense as a cause. Wish we still had 'em.
 
If you go to mapjunction.com you can seen the old maps showing all the crosstown routes through here. It's awesome.
 
Dot-Block-NPC-filed-1-31-19(dragged)1.jpg


“The revised proposal makes changes to a Dot Block plan approved by the city in 2016. Gone is an above-ground garage, replaced with 1.3 acres of park space, and a below-ground parking garage with roughly 100 fewer spaces. Retail space designed to house a supermarket is replaced with smaller storefronts aimed to attract local shops and restaurants. A plan for 362 apartments in four buildings has been expanded to include 488 units.”

-Great news
 
Reality regarding how to get close to enough affordable units
finally got a seat at the table.
 
Looks really good...really throws into relief just how decrepit the rest of the neighborhood looks. Allowing for greater density in some select areas of Dorchester would be great. The housing stock was never meant to last hundred of years and the woodframe structures have not aged well. But that's probably not going to happen.
 
Agreed. As someone who lives in a triple decker close by to this, theyre crap. Maybe more due to lack of maintenance idk but I would have much rather had brick that is more stable, no peeling paint, not warped...etc. Im not a fan of our massive triple decker stock vs brick/brownstone in ny. They go bad, then stay bad. Theres some pretty good quality brick buildings on the main roads, I wish there was much more. It seems a good idea, that aged horribly. I wish theyd pass an ordinance or something saying all new housing has to have a masonry facade.
 
stick n move said:
Agreed. As someone who lives in a triple decker close by to this, theyre crap. Maybe more due to lack of maintenance idk but I would have much rather had brick that is more stable, no peeling paint, not warped...etc. Im not a fan of our massive triple decker stock vs brick/brownstone in ny. They go bad, then stay bad. Theres some pretty good quality brick buildings on the main roads, I wish there was much more. It seems a good idea, that aged horribly. I wish theyd pass an ordinance or something saying all new housing has to have a masonry facade.
Click to expand...

Eh, that really depends on the three decker and how it was maintained. If maintained properly they age quiet well - if not, then they are a gut reno (or tear down) away from being good again. Even row houses if not maintained fall apart in that amount of time.
 
People have a reflexive nostalgia and defensiveness toward the housing style...so I don't see any widespread change happening in the next several decades. Wood doesn't age well...and these were thrown up to house a working class population. My uncle lives in a two family over in Watertown and is fond of saying that there isn't a right angle in the place.
 
bakgwailo said:
Eh, that really depends on the three decker and how it was maintained. If maintained properly they age quiet well - if not, then they are a gut reno (or tear down) away from being good again. Even row houses if not maintained fall apart in that amount of time.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm in one in Somerville. 3rd floor unit that's in excellent shape (gut reno in 2017). It's one of the most thoughtful, well-built units I've lived in. I grew up in a newish suburban home on a cul-de-sac, and I've owned a newish townhouse style condo, and rented everything from new "luxury" apartments to a crappy efficiency in an old mansion that was hacked up to make as many units as possible. The three decker is utilitarian, but it's designed perfectly for its purpose unlike many new apartment and condos which try (and mostly fail) to mimic something they are not. I'm very happy in mine. I think that if they're kept in good repair, they're perfectly fine for the area.
 
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