Fenway Infill and Small Developments

It was a dealership and so was the building used now by BU on the Brookline side of Comm ave south of the Mass Pike bridge. It was the 'Auto Mile' of its day.

The building in Cambridge was a Model-T factory.
 
Auto dealers persisted on Comm. Ave. well into at least the 1980s. The large building at the Brookline end of the BU bridge used to have a huge CADILLAC-OLDS sign on top. It's now part of BU.
 
...

the old cadilac signs that used to be on that BU building left 'shadows' on the buildings facade near the entrances where you can still see them, if you look closely.
 
...Packard Showroom, my mistake.

This would explain the huge Herb Chambers dealership on both Comm. and Brighton Avenues and the tire/garages that are clustered on Comm. Ave.
 
vanshnookenraggen said:
This area always had that 1950's highway strip feel. I kind of liked it only becuase it was so different from everything around it.
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I'm tempted to agree with you on this, as it does add to the diversity of Boston's places. But they're planning some good projects here, which are desperately needed, especially the housing to balance out the Longwood development.

new dormitories at colleges such as Northeastern University are expected to reduce the high number of students living in the area.
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OK, technically, new dorms in the area will if anything increase the number of students living in the area, but it would reduce the number of students living in the regular housing, and might confine the student rowdiness to dorm buildings, which is probably what they're aiming for.

This is the first I've heard of NU considering dorms here. It's maybe a 20 minute walk from campus, not too bad. Many students live further. It'd be a great spot for upper class housing, since it would put them right around Landsdowne where they go out a lot. And this is about the only place in the area where the neighbors (read: Red Sox) actually want rowdier residents. Also NU students will counter balance any excessive yuppiness (West Elm furniture, etc). It's a great fit.

FYI this area would be served by an Urban Ring.
 
The BRA said:
Fenway?s $100 Million ?1330 Boylston Street? Project to Break Ground Next Week

The Board approved a mixed-use project in the Fenway, paving the way for a much-needed location upgrade of the neighborhood?s Fenway Community Health Center ? an organization with a 35-year history of serving the community while operating out of five different locations around the city. The project, known as 1330 Boylston Street will provide the Center with a brand new state-of-the-art facility, complete with a pharmacy, and will allow for future expansion to better serve its growing client community.

In addition to the Center?s new 88,000 square feet of medical and office space, Samuels & Associates, the developers, plan to combine 25,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space with approximately 215 residential units, of which 5% will be designated affordable. The project will be located on two parcels of currently underutilized land at 1304-1312 and 1320-1330 Boylston Street.

Fenway Community Health Center operates the nation?s first community-based HIV research program, in addition to providing numerous services for the surrounding community. The Health Center offers primary health care, specialty care, mental health and addictions services, complementary therapies, health promotion, violence prevention and recovery, and family and parenting services, including alternative insemination.

The $100 million project will break ground next week in a ceremony to be held at the site.
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Just one of several goodies in the BRA's latest press release. Read more about them here:
http://www.ci.boston.ma.us/bra/press/PressDisplay.asp?pressID=341
 
I believe this is the building ^.

2118.jpg


http://www.samuelsre.com/pages/160_boston_1330_back_bay_fens.cfm
 
That's the one. And while the redevelopment of this stretch of Boylston is undoubtedly a good thing, when all is said and done it's gonna be one boring stretch to walk, design-wise. At least now there's a curious atmosphere of "how did this anomaly possibly come about" to it.
 
Haha, I think I'll take the boringness with the better development :)
 
better picture to show the area with relation to surroundings.

 
Keeping the supermarket while eliminating its surface lot will be a interesting challenge.
 
I bet those darn corrupt Southie politicians want the Fenway to be ugly and boring, that's why they authored the bill for the roadwork. :wink:
 
Ron Newman said:
Keeping the supermarket while eliminating its surface lot will be a interesting challenge.
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I think its a pretty easy problem to solve and Im puzzled as to why it isnt done more often. The Whole Foods on Westland Ave is a pretty good example of a supermarket without surface parking done pretty well. And this idea of placing parking on top of the store space can be taken even further I think.
 
Man, if they ill in that "future development" and where that gas station in with buildings the same scale as the Landmark, oh shit is that gonna be one awsome gateway into Boston.
 
yes, but they need to hurry because the trinity nimbys will soon be there to stop them!!
 
could this possibly considered the third land-scraper for Boston, along with Avenir and the MO?
 
palindrome said:
yes, but they need to hurry because the trinity nimbys will soon be there to stop them!!
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The guy who built Trinity owns this land and has reserved the right to build on it. It doesn't matter how loud the tenants scream, they know this going in.
 
palindrome said:
yes, but they need to hurry because the trinity nimbys will soon be there to stop them!!
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Don't worry, about the Trinity NIMBYs, Harvard grad students occupy that side of the building.
 
Some minor news... a fence has been erected around the site of 1330 Boylston and there were Suffolk guys milling all over, although no heavy equipment has arrived yet. And this is pure speculation on my part, but walking by the 1260 Boylston building (across from the HoJo) there were some suit-and-tie guys walking around with some kind of architectural plans in hand. Perhaps we'll be hearing something about the site in the near future...?
 
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