Fenway Infill and Small Developments

What do you guys think of the original idea (from last year, now abandoned) to make Boylston and Brookline one way? Brookline would have two lanes from kenmore towards sears, and boylston would have three lanes from sears to the fens

The locals hated it, I thought it was a good idea.
 
That would have resulted in more high speed traffic on both streets with heavier congestion in Kenmore Square and the intersection of Brookline, Park, and Boylston. That also might require Park Drive to turn one of its parking lanes back into a travel lane and become a two wave avenue again depending on traffic dispersal. All those things would only add insult to injury to a neighborhood that already hates everyone obnoxiously passing through to Sox games. The love/hate relationship between West Fenway and the Redsox is epic because of traffic and parking issues.
 
Making the streets one-way would most likely result in MORE traffic, since people then have to drive longer distances to get where they are going. It would also result in FASTER traffic, as multiple lanes encourage people to drive faster.

Basically, it would be a total neighborhood killer.
 
I still can't imagine how they're going to get rid of lanes here and there around Kenmore Square for the Urban Ring.
 
The Goodyear on Boylston St. is now closed. What was going here again??? Looks like its happening.
 
Looks like there is some new land up for grabs.... WOOPS. Man I loved these places, I live right around the corner on Park Dr. I woke up this morning and could smell the fire. at first I thought the Fens were burning (the bumbs usually end up lighting all the dried reeds on fire)


Boston 4-alarm fire destroys restaurants
January 6, 2009

BOSTON --A four-alarm fire has destroyed a row of restaurants in Boston's Fenway neighborhood, causing an estimated $5 million in damage.

Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald says two firefighters suffered minor injuries after slipping on ice and about 25 people were evacuated from a nearby apartment building as a precaution.

MacDonald says about 100 firefighters responded to the blaze at the corner of Peterborough and Kilmarnock streets at about 2 a.m. on Tuesday.

A heavy fire in one restaurant quickly spread and was difficult to battle because firefighters had a hard time accessing the roof because of air conditioning units. Six restaurants and a dry cleaners were destroyed.

There was no immediate word on the cause.
 
Man, that sucks; Sorrento's had my favorite pizza in Boston.

Does anyone know how leasing at 1330 Boylston is going? If good, there might be hope that this newly available lot would get developed in a (reasonably) fast manner. But considering today's economic climate, West Fenway will probably be stuck with this black eye for a good five years or more.

NECN video on the fire.
 
kz1000ps said:
Man, that sucks; Sorrento's had my favorite pizza in Boston.
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Me too! Tragic.

This row had some nice spots. I'm a big El Pelon fan as well.

Hopefully they abandon the old single-story configuration for multi-story, multi-use buildings. Either way, I hope these businesses return soon.
 
This sucks.. my girlfriend lives in the condo building next door to Thornton's. We loved that place and ate there all the time.. I hope it comes back
 
Just walked by a minute ago. Much worse than I expected it to be. I, like many here, really liked the restaurants there
 
Incidentally, this shows that a one-story building can be a valued and treasured part of a dense residential neighborhood. "Highest and best use" does not always mean "built to the same height as its neighbors". If this gets replaced by a seven-story box, I bet the resulting commercial uses will be much less in tune with the residents' needs.
 
That really sucks, it was a unique strip of restaurants, all of them good.
 
Incidentally, this shows that a one-story building can be a valued and treasured part of a dense residential neighborhood. "Highest and best use" does not always mean "built to the same height as its neighbors". If this gets replaced by a seven-story box, I bet the resulting commercial uses will be much less in tune with the residents' needs.
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It's only so valued because it's old and has become stuffed with beloved uses. The same could have easily been true of a building with the same height - with the added benefit of increased density. Yes, the replacement will probably include some insipid retail (the standard yuppie generica), but this is true of almost all new development. In 50 years it might be stuffed with beloved uses again - and house a few upstairs neighbors who can appreciate them as well.
 
Id wager that the replacement will be a cheap copy done in 6 months to get the restaurants back in business as soon as possible.
 
jass said:
Id wager that the replacement will be a cheap copy done in 6 months to get the restaurants back in business as soon as possible.
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I would second that. I might even actually encourage that over other developments. I just hope they get rebuilt. Each restaurant had individual, unique character that cannot be replicated.
 
I'd be happy with that. The building wasn't remarkable; the businesses were.
 
I've been lurking for a while now, but really enjoy the forum.

This could be a devastating loss for the neighborhood if it is not replaced with the same strip of independent businesses. A similar block of businesses burned down near Newton Corner and was replaced with a new one story brick building with the same places. I hope this is what happens in the Fenway. What I fear is that the BRA will stall this thing out until we have a Game On clone on the first floor and high-end condos above it. I'll really miss Thornton's the most as I've had some great times there.
 
Man, it may just be me, but it seems this past week we've had a bunch of new members!

Welcome, Manch!
 
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