Landmark Ctr. Expansion Plans | Fenway

SeamusMcFly said:
70,000 sf, and that's scaled back?!? Holy hugeness.

It must be the service that everyone loves, because that is way too much! The "Super" Shaw's and S&S's that we saw for the last couple decades were typically in the 50-60k sf, and are already too big. Now we get bigger in the city? On every other supermarket thread on here, everyone is always talking about the urban models.... but, the normal Wegman's is 130K and they are scared by scaling down to this?

Sorry, after working on supermarkets in the past for years, and lamenting the loss of the normal sized S&S I grew up with, I just needed to comment.
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A typical new Wegmans store is north of 100,000 square-feet. Northborough is about 135,000. They're prepared foods/cafe sections are a HUGE part of their business.
 
The 130,000 sq ft of a typical Wegman's is not all "grocery store". They have extensive prepared foods - infinitely more than the fried chicken and potato salad you can get at most groceries. All that food production requires large kitchens. Also, the cafes are now huge - much larger than a typical fast food restaurant with several cafeteria-style serving counters and seating for 100 or more people. PLUS many Wegman's have child-care, movie rental departments, and dry cleaning.

Many of those extras will be removed or scaled down and the conventional grocery component will also be scaled down. I think you'll find this 70,000 sq. ft. Wegman's comes out like a "normal" sized supermarket with a large cafe.
 
I haven't been to a Wegmans but I thought they are also known for how many choices you have for any item.
 
Wegmans still has a video rental section? I haven't been to one in years but I think they could save 1,500 sq ft on that part. Also, I don't see a huge issue with reducing their frozen food, beverage, and party snack sections. Finally, this one probably won't have an alcohol section which will also save a lot of room.
 
Choice, presentation, cleanliness...I lived a mile from the Buffalo metro's largest Wegman's for two school years and at the time it was a revelation. Just tons of choices, all the way from the snobbiest Whole Foods-type products on down to the generic knock offs, and a million options in between.
 
^don't forget the happiest grocery store workers in the area. At least they were at the one I went to when I lived in upstate NY.
 
armpitsOFmight said:
Finally, this one probably won't have an alcohol section which will also save a lot of room.
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True - I forgot booze. The booze section in Northborough would best be described as a warehouse rather than a liquor store. Almost certainly no booze in Fenway.
 
^IDK i feel like they would make a killing on booze in that area. right near the T, that means people passing through and grab right there along with all their other stuff. It wouldn't be enormous but wouldn't need to be. Makes more sense in my mind to have booze here than not.

Will they also be the 'market vendors' in the central arcade that is mapped out?
 
kz1000ps said:
Those lanes and turn radii are extremely tight though...I can't really fault Samuels for wanting to give them a little breathing room.
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That makes it easier for drivers to go fast and whip around the corner at high speed. Boston has done that to way too many corners as it is. Especially in Brighton, for some odd reason.

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Yeah, it'll be nice for Fullerton to gain some life, I don't think the road widening helps.
 
Matthew said:
That makes it easier for drivers to go fast and whip around the corner at high speed. Boston has done that to way too many corners as it is. Especially in Brighton, for some odd reason.

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Yeah, it'll be nice for Fullerton to gain some life, I don't think the road widening helps.
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Its a minor widening, on a busy intersection, and on essentially a dead end how are people going to whip around the corner? The picture you show is a terrible example as well, The setting is very different (almost opposite).
 
I hope Blick finds another spot in the Fenway during construction (that public plaza is created by demolishing Blick) and eventually gets back into the Landmark Center after. That store is a critical life line to all of the art and architecture students in the area. If Utrecht doesn't have it/is out, Blick will. They are actually one company now (major merge last year), so they're not competition anymore really.
 
^architecture students can always order their things online....not a big deal
 
retail space is going into other area buildings, so if they are doing well they should have alternatives, maybe even some that are more temporary.

Or who knows, Best Buy could be out of business in 18 months and they could go there.
 
coleslaw said:
Its a minor widening, on a busy intersection, and on essentially a dead end how are people going to whip around the corner? The picture you show is a terrible example as well, The setting is very different (almost opposite).
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That was just the first example I found in my albums. You could also look at the streets around the Public Garden for instance, as an example of how the city promotes wide turning radius for higher speed.

My understanding is that Fullerton will be better connected to Miner, and will be promoted as the entrance to the parking lot and loading docks. I'm guessing the widening is with the trucks in mind.
 
armpitsOFmight said:
^architecture students can always order their things online....not a big deal
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Uhm... no. When I was doing studios I was at the art store at least four times a week every semester. I frequently was running into the A&C on comm ave (RIP) right before they closed at 9. The massive amounts of chipboard, foamcore, lead and blades you go through as an arch student is an envirnomental disaster in the making. You never know at the beginning of the semester, or even each project just what you will need. Typically your needs change after each crit. A local store is vital.


As for widening the intersection, its badly needed. Matt, the example you show, and many of the other examples you cite, are hold overs from when the roads were built and streets were shared space, or 60s car crazy reconstruction. If anything boston has been narrowing intersections over the past decade, with bulb outs, pedestrian islands, and turning y intersections like above into Ts. The street they are widening used to dead end and be used as an ally for sears. Now that its a thru street and going to be used for all modes, widening it so it actually fits three lanes makes sence. If you've ever seen a rig pull out of there now, it has to swing all the way onto the wrong side of the road, and then turn throug the whole intersection, blocking traffic in all directions. I've seen them go up on the curb too.
 
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Assuming that the Wegmans goes into the top right section here... could we potentially see a Wegmans before the rest of the project is completed? I guess what I'm asking is, will I have to wait 2+ years for a Wegmans or is 6-12 months more reasonable?
 
I hope you're right Dave. I don't want to be down on the project too much. It'll be a great improvement overall. Really exciting.

But I do try to peer through PNFs to see if I can spot any bad ideas in the early stages...
 
Does anyone know if there are plans to make Fenway a gated/restricted access stop?
 
Hutchison said:
Does anyone know if there are plans to make Fenway a gated/restricted access stop?
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Is that a thing you can do? where is this coming from? it does look like they will redesign the station though, and that is needed.
 
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