GrandMarc Residence Hall (YMCA) @ Northeastern U | 291 St. Botolph Street | Fenway

Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

So this ass hat is just blaming the largest school around that probably houses the most number of its students per capita? Northeastern could house 100% of its students and Mission Hill would still be full of students.
 
Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

While NEU and all the area colleges should make an effort to house as many of their undergrads as possible in student housing, it would be nice if these officials would also clamor for the construction of more housing in general. Whine about rents all you want, you're not halting their rise by scapegoating the universities...
 
Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

And the landlords don't care, they only have to profit.
 
Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

If the original proposal (30 floors?) had gone through that would have been hundreds more beds. If they objected to that they really don't have much standing to complain now.
 
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Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

Northeastern

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Why didn't Sanchez go fight the Save the Y activists when they delayed the new dorm tower?
 
Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

KentXie said:
Northeastern

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Why didn't Sanchez go fight the Save the Y activists when they delayed the new dorm tower?
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That wouldn't be in the spirit of politics. You need to be a complete asshat at all times or urnotdoinitrite.
 
Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

I went to the monthly NU Task Force meetings all of last year when the school and the community were discussing the NU Institutional Master Plan. It wasn't until the 7th or 8th meeting that Sanchez actually showed up to speak, and rather than consider the valuable progress that had been made in conversations over the course of several months he just went on a misguided diatribe of Northeastern's insufficient housing stock. And at that same meeting, I spoke toward the end instructing everyone that they're pointing a finger at the wrong person (i.e. NU) and instead need to have a long look in the mirror to accept the fact that Boston's lack of housing inventory is the real culprit in rising rent prices.

It's no secret that Boston developers need to construct rental housing on the order of 5,000 to 10,000 units annually to realistically keep up with demand, but we don't have a system in place on the government or community side to expedite the approval/construction process.
 
Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

Beyond all the usual hypocrisy, I find it annoying that these various objectors think that the universities *want* students to off campus. Every major university in the area wants to have as many of their students living on campus as possible. It allows them much greater control over the students themselves and the environment in which the students are living, and it doesn't hurt that they get to charge a pretty penny for the housing.
 
Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

DominusNovus said:
... it doesn't hurt that they get to charge a pretty penny for the housing.
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Actually, the realities of the housing market in the neighborhoods immediately surrounding these universities (aside from Roxbury) is that the price to live on campus is now at or below market value of the neighborhood. And according to Northeastern's administration, the school doesn't really make any money off of students living on-campus (at least not in the foreseeable future anyway). When comparing costs and amenities between on-campus housing vs. off-campus housing, you get WAY more for your dollar living at the school unless your commute takes you from further away from the Fenway neighborhood (and even then, the amenities don't ever quite compare).
 
Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

dshoost88 said:
Actually, the realities of the housing market in the neighborhoods immediately surrounding these universities (aside from Roxbury) is that the price to live on campus is now at or below market value of the neighborhood. And according to Northeastern's administration, the school doesn't really make any money off of students living on-campus (at least not in the foreseeable future anyway). When comparing costs and amenities between on-campus housing vs. off-campus housing, you get WAY more for your dollar living at the school unless your commute takes you from further away from the Fenway neighborhood (and even then, the amenities don't ever quite compare).
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Most people living off campus do so because they don't even know the extra hassle that they have to go through just to do so. They believe it's a cheaper alternative to dorms until they realize that they have to pay for furnishing, internet, cable, electricity, water, and heat, as well as living in an apartment that does not provide maintenance for broken appliances (NEU has a site dedicated for like clogged toilet, broken stove, etc), is infested with mice, lacks security. Worst of all, many do not realize that they have to pay for 12 month leases, meaning half of them are scrambling to have people sublet so they don't have to pay for the summer months.

The only good thing is you can host rager parties in off campus apartment, which after my experience, I would never do because I would have to clean the puke off the toilet, bathtub, and sink.
 
Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

^ You don't have to clean it up, you know ;)
 
Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

Consider yourself lucky they even made it to the bathroom.

Also, when you cram 6 or 8 people into a 3 bedroom, the price becomes much more attractive. And, you're just as crowded as the dorm, but with "freedom".
 
Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

KentXie said:
They believe it's a cheaper alternative to dorms until they realize that they have to pay for furnishing, internet, cable, electricity, water, and heat, as well as living in an apartment that does not provide maintenance for broken appliances
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Lived off campus for three years. It's cheaper if you've got friends to share an apartment with. You're quite the cynic.
 
Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

New prelim designs for an engineering and science building to go on Columbus Ave. Awesome green bridges to go across train tracks

http://www.payette.com/post/1575855-new-project-at-northeastern-university

day.jpg


phase1.jpg


phase2.jpg
 
Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

Looks pretty cool now, wonder how awful it'll look once it's watered down though.
 
Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

Looks good. Though I'm surprised to see that much glass on a science building.

Where is this parcel on Columbus?
 
Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

AmericanFolkLegend said:
Looks good. Though I'm surprised to see that much glass on a science building.

Where is this parcel on Columbus?
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It's on the Columbus Parking lot, just east of the Ruggles "T" Stop and the Renaissance Garage.
 
Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

porter said:
Lived off campus for three years. It's cheaper if you've got friends to share an apartment with. You're quite the cynic.
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It's just my experience.
 
Re: YMCA/ Northeastern Dorm (formerly GrandMarc at St. Botolph)

From today: beginning of forms, perhaps?
Or maybe just a retaining wall.

 
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