Framingham Developments

[stick n move]

“Framing is wrapping up for 3rd and 4th buildings at The Buckley in Framingham”
https://www.bldup.com/posts/construction-continues-for-the-buckley-in-framingham

 

[jklo]

Went by the Senior housing being built next to the Natick Mall. Didn't realize they are 62+, that's just silly.

Also what I guess is the hotel has what looks like Fake brick in the lower portion of the building.

 

[stick n move]

 

[jklo]

So the new hotel at the Natick Mall is going to be branded Residence Inn. They are almost done it looked like. Still don't know why they built a hotel although this is the same people who thought 62+ was a good idea for housing.

 

[stick n move]

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

That kind of cladding is just begging the kids on the bus to make fun of it by chanting "Freckle face!!! Freckle face!!!" until it spends most of its adult years in therapy. :s

 

[HalcyonEra]

So the new hotel at the Natick Mall is going to be branded Residence Inn. They are almost done it looked like. Still don't know why they built a hotel although this is the same people who thought 62+ was a good idea for housing.

What's wrong with 62+ for housing? There is a tremendous amount of demand for retirement housing in metrowest. There is also a lack of hotel rooms in the immediate area.

 

[jklo]

What's wrong with 62+ for housing? There is a tremendous amount of demand for retirement housing in metrowest. There is also a lack of hotel rooms in the immediate area.

62+ is too old to think they will attract tenants. It needs to be 55+. Maybe Natick forced them to do 62+ but it's just going to end in failure. It's literally next door to a major employer too.

And yes there's a need for more hotel rooms in Boston, but Natick isn't Boston. There isn't much of a hotel room shortage in the area.

 

[HalcyonEra]

62+ is too old to think they will attract tenants. It needs to be 55+. Maybe Natick forced them to do 62+ but it's just going to end in failure. It's literally next door to a major employer too.

And yes there's a need for more hotel rooms in Boston, but Natick isn't Boston. There isn't much of a hotel room shortage in the area.

If you are not an investor in national development, I'm not sure what your beef is, or what you would have preferred there.

55+ was the benchmark from the 80s and 90s. Many younger boomers and certainly Gen Xer's had children in their early 40s and therefore aren't ready to downsize until their early 60's.

As for the hotel, I don't know what #s you are looking at, or if you are simply being judgemental and anti-suburbia, but the demand is there, which is also why the Magnuson in Framingham is being rebuilt. Mathworks is hiring 1200 employees for their 2nd campus across the street. And you have TJX close by with 1000's of employees. There are not many options in the vicinity -Courtyard, Hampton & the Crowne Plaza. The rest are fleabags.

 

[jklo]

As for the hotel, I don't know what #s you are looking at, or if you are simply being judgemental and anti-suburbia, but the demand is there, which is also why the Magnuson in Framingham is being rebuilt. Mathworks is hiring 1200 employees for their 2nd campus across the street. And you have TJX close by with 1000's of employees. There are not many options in the vicinity -Courtyard, Hampton & the Crowne Plaza. The rest are fleabags.

Actually IIRC the Manguson is tearing down a portion of the hotel, I think the amount of rooms are being cut by a third at least. They blame the lack of major hotel branding (they are also rebranding as a Mariott) but it's really due to the lack of need of hotel rooms in the area. The ones you mention as well as the "fleabags" is plenty. They are using the space to add some more retail and to make the Mariott more appealing.

And Mathworks is exactly why I think the senior housing/hotel is a bad idea. That space could have been used for apartments for those workers. There is a shortage of apartments. Especially when I hear they are hiring a lot of foreign workers who I imagine aren't going to want to drive. Needless to say Mathworks has to be getting a really sweet deal to not flee to Boston where it'd be much easier to get living arrangements.

 

[jklo]

So now the Residence Inn appears to be open, and possibly that Senior Housing as well. Can't tell how many guests the hotel had when I went by it, but the parking lot for guests/staff? is tiny. I don't know if they are expecting people to park in the Mall lot.

 

[stick n move]

“158-unit mixed-use development proposed for Framingham plaza”

“A long underutilized retail plaza on Water Street in Framingham is proposed to be demolished in favor of two three-story buildings with 158 residential units and some retail space....”

Village at Nobscot on Water st in Framingham





Link

 

[stick n move]

“Tax Break For Framingham Loft Development Officially Dead”

“FRAMINGHAM, MA — It's official: the Framingham City Council has killed a developer's request for a $1.6 million tax-increment financing (TIF) agreement for a loft project along Fountain Street. But the vote at Tuesday night's meeting was mostly meaningless because the developer had already canceled the request.”

Link


-Thats unfortunate, this was a huge amount of apartments close to transit. Plus it would have rehabbed this massive abandoned building. Hopefully someone else scoops this one up..

 

[393b40]

-Thats unfortunate, this was a huge amount of apartments close to transit. Plus it would have rehabbed this massive abandoned building. Hopefully someone else scoops this one up..

I'm having a hard time parsing whether the project is dead or just the request for financing... the article says they're still working on it at the end. Sounds like the council was being pressured by Union thugs to make the developer switch to Union labor and the developer told them to fuck off.

 

[jklo]

I went by the new hotel by the Natick Mall last night. Just based upon the lights I'd say it was about half full, which (TBH) for Natick on Friday Night in the middle of Winter is pretty good. I still think they could have gone taller there.

The Senior Housing... yeah, it'll be converted to condos eventually.

 

[Blackbird]

-Thats unfortunate, this was a huge amount of apartments close to transit. Plus it would have rehabbed this massive abandoned building. Hopefully someone else scoops this one up..

Is that building really worth rehabbing?

 

[stick n move]

Alta Union is finished

 

[stick n move]

Is that building really worth rehabbing?

Absolutely, its huge and has tons of potential. Plus its rotting away now so Id love to see it rehabbed.

Renders

Mill refits are some of my favorite projects when done right, especially lofts. I think it is still on and the earlier news was just regarding a tax break. Although now with the virus who knows.

 

[Blackbird]

Mill refits are some of my favorite projects when done right, especially lofts. I think it is still on and the earlier news was just regarding a tax break. Although now with the virus who knows.

Are refits really more cost effective than tearing the building down and building a new one? I wonder this all the time when I look at a lot of Lawrence’s hollowed-out old mills.

 

[iamdjmichael]

Alta Union is finished

This looks like it could be a suburb in the Bay Area haha