Ink Block (Boston Herald) | 300 Harrison Avenue | South End

Overall this is a pretty good development. But, does anyone know if the ultimate plan is to build over that big nasty parking lot? It would be an ideal spot for a 12-16 story apartment building or two. The main development provides enough of a buffer from the 5-story vernacular of the South End.
 
I'd rather see more retail than ground floor units.
 
I would definitely buy a maisonette if it was on a quiet side street with private outdoor space...not sure if that's the case here.
 
I didn't think I liked the idea of walk out homes like that until I saw the new condos at the corner of A and Broadway (former catholic school location). I realized, in moderation they can be great. We all want ground level retail, but also realize there are physical limits to the amount of retail that can be supported. I think having them here and there, adds to a nice mix.

If the ones mentioned above, face the new side streets created as part of the overall development, they could be quiet enough, and walking into the new neighborhood versus walking out to the surface highway is obviously the location for them.
 
SeamusMcFly said:
I didn't think I liked the idea of walk out homes like that until I saw the new condos at the corner of A and Broadway (former catholic school location). I realized, in moderation they can be great. We all want ground level retail, but also realize there are physical limits to the amount of retail that can be supported. I think having them here and there, adds to a nice mix.

If the ones mentioned above, face the new side streets created as part of the overall development, they could be quiet enough, and walking into the new neighborhood versus walking out to the surface highway is obviously the location for them.
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691 Mass Ave also, http://www.archboston.org/community/showthread.php?t=2861&highlight=691+Mass+Ave&page=13
 
Why would anyone not like this? More doors on the ground is better than long blank lobby walls, for sure.
 
JeffDowntown said:
Agreed. Every streetscape in the city cannot be retail.
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Jeff -- Two Words:

Back Bay

In point of fact -- nearly every door in a city leads to a either directly to a residence or to a small lobby providing access for a handful of residences

Offices, commercial establishments and civic doors are the exception definitely not the rule -- the reason we don't notice this is that most pedestrians don't spend a lot of time walking among residences -- unless they are for example on Beacon St. Commonwealth Ave. or most of the cross streets
 
Most older buildings in the city have a lower floor that is half above ground, and the main floor is about a half a story up. That results in a bit of privacy and nice stairways and stoops lining the streets. I think mainly because of ease of ADA compliance, most newer buildings have residences directly at street level, which really feels a lot different. You loose the stoops and the residents lose some privacy.
 
Great point but what exactly are the ADA rules? Can you really not build units requiring entry steps anymore?

Ps that isn't a gripe about ADA at all.
 
I would imagine that residential construction might be exempt from ADA rules. Single family homes in sub-divisions seem to be exempt from ADA rules, maybe same is true for multi family as well.
 
Single and duplex are exempt. Multi family must comply. Fully.

cca
 
JeffDowntown said:
So would a separate outside entry condo still be defined as "multi-family"?
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The building itself is what gets classed as "multi-family." A condo that is part of the building, but accessed from outside is still considered part of the building.

The ground floor/walk-out units here don't really have much to do with accessibility as they do with way of life. As you can see in the render in the Globe article, the building's main entrance lobby is located at ground level right next to these walk-out units and will feature access to the building's elevators. The whole building will be accessible. The walk-out units are just a feature/type of unit. If for whatever reason, you need to raise the main entry lobby up from ground level and can't adequately supply a ramp, wheelchair lift (avoided like the plague by architects because they're ugly), or elevator, then ground level/walk-out units are used to satisfy EO/ADA housing requirements.
 
datadyne007 said:
The building itself is what gets classed as "multi-family." A condo that is part of the building, but accessed from outside is still considered part of the building.

The ground floor/walk-out units here don't really have much to do with accessibility as they do with way of life. As you can see in the render in the Globe article, the building's main entrance lobby is located at ground level right next to these walk-out units and will feature access to the building's elevators. The whole building will be accessible. The walk-out units are just a feature/type of unit. If for whatever reason, you need to raise the main entry lobby up from ground level and can't adequately supply a ramp, wheelchair lift (avoided like the plague by architects because they're ugly), or elevator, then ground level/walk-out units are used to satisfy EO/ADA housing requirements.
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OK, but I can see examples of walk out units in my neighborhood, built post ADA, and they have stairs (only) up to the entry, even though they are part of a multi-family building. I have a suspicion there is some wiggle room here in the definition (or someone got away with something). The multi-unit entrances to the building are ADA compliant, but not the walk-out units.
 
datadyne007 said:
The building itself is what gets classed as "multi-family." A condo that is part of the building, but accessed from outside is still considered part of the building.

The ground floor/walk-out units here don't really have much to do with accessibility as they do with way of life. As you can see in the render in the Globe article, the building's main entrance lobby is located at ground level right next to these walk-out units and will feature access to the building's elevators. The whole building will be accessible. The walk-out units are just a feature/type of unit. If for whatever reason, you need to raise the main entry lobby up from ground level and can't adequately supply a ramp, wheelchair lift (avoided like the plague by architects because they're ugly), or elevator, then ground level/walk-out units are used to satisfy EO/ADA housing requirements.
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Jeff -is it the building or the development

For example what about a development of a strip of two story townhouses with common walls -- could they have steps as a split entry single family house
 
JeffDowntown said:
OK, but I can see examples of walk out units in my neighborhood, built post ADA, and they have stairs (only) up to the entry, even though they are part of a multi-family building. I have a suspicion there is some wiggle room here in the definition (or someone got away with something). The multi-unit entrances to the building are ADA compliant, but not the walk-out units.
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I was under the impression that not every single unit of a multi-family building had to be accessible for ADA compliance, just a certain percentage.
 
whighlander said:
Jeff -is it the building or the development

For example what about a development of a strip of two story townhouses with common walls -- could they have steps as a split entry single family house
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It is a monolythic building. It just happens to have some of the units with direct outside entry -- via classic stairs to a stoop.
 
JumboBuc said:
I was under the impression that not every single unit of a multi-family building had to be accessible for ADA compliance, just a certain percentage.
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This is correct. Not every unit is required to be accessible, so you can have non-ADA walk-outs (raised up by steps) too, as long as you have an accessible central lobby with elevators to other units in the building.
 
I'm on board with the idea - let's see how the execution is -
 
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