A mixed-use development planned for the footprint of the Boston Herald building on Harrison Avenue met with mixed reactions from a crowd of stakeholders on Wednesday, with some saying the tentative plans released by the developer lacked ?ambition.?
?This is very, very disappointing,? said Mario Nicosia, a nearby resident and head of GTI Properties. ?This is not what this neighborhood needs. We need density, we need people. This project is not worthy of a six-acre site.?
National Development?s Ted Tye unveiled preliminary plans for a mixed-use development that includes over 60,000 square feet of retail space underneath residential units. The proposed development utilizes the current footprint of the Herald building, with parking and some public outdoor space taking up the rest of the property.
?We?re trying to create a really active site where there?s a very vibrant streetscape,? he said. ?There?s lights on there?s things happening."
Early plans, which reflect a design by architect Elkys Mandredi, show a 4-5 story building that utilizes different materials to evoke a multi-block feel. The design also incorporates a version of the Boston Herald tower as seen from I-93.
?We take a great deal of pride in the design,? Tye said. ?Were trying to do something here that?s very special but also very unique to this neighborhood [and its] industrial history.?
The developer is envisioning four smaller retail spaces along the Harrison Avenue side of the building with one large retail space along Traveler Street ideally suited for a grocery store. Conversations with several grocery retailers are currently underway, Tye said. The design also leaves space for bike sharing kiosks, electric car hook-ups and Zip Car spaces. An outdoor area that could be used as a caf? is also being considered.
On Tuesday, members of an advisory group dedicated to the Harrison/Albany Corridor expressed disappointment with the scope of the plans, given the property?s potential to act as a gateway to the South End.
?This is very conservative and it seems very suburban to me,? said Christos Hamawi of the Worcester Square Neighborhood Association. ?I agree that it could be used in a much more exiting way.?
National Development has presided over a number of high-profile mixed-use projects including Station Landing in Medford and Meadow Walk in Lynnfield, both of which include retail and residential units in a ?Main Street? design.
On Tuesday, Tye stressed that plans for the Herald property are ?a work in progress.? No plans have been formally submitted to the Boston Redevelopment Authority.
The building is still partially occupied by the Boston Herald editorial and business offices, but the longtime daily newspaper is planning to relocate by the end of the year, Tye said. The company is looking to remain local, although its printing facility is located in Chicopee. *
?The building is really underutilized right now,? Tye said. ?It?s really way beyond its useful life and the Herald is only occupying a small potion of the building.?
