Malden + Melrose Infill and Small Developments

Re: Malden/Melrose

Stat isn't that near to the Piantedosi Bakery -- that's a sort of industrial area?

Yup, it's right on the corner of Rt 60 and Commercial St. A very auto-centric part of the city. There is Piantedosi and New England Coffee in the area, so there is some industry but it also backs up to a Stop & Shop and two strip malls beyond that, plus there is a large strip mall a block or so up on Commercial St, so another strip mall wouldn't be out of place.

Oh, it is also diagonally across from the Malden Center T stop, but crossing the Commercial/Rt 60 interchange on foot is a death wish, so it might as well be on the other side of the city.
 
Re: Malden/Melrose

Is crossing that intersection on foot really any worse than crossing Mass Ave & Boylston, or Boylston & Tremont, or Dewey Square, or Porter Square? (All full of both pedestrians and cars at most times of the day.)
 
Re: Malden/Melrose

There aren't nearly as many pedestrians at this intersection as downtown Boston or Cambridge, so the dynamic heavily favors motorists (i.e they drive faster and aren't as aware of pedestrians).

Though I do think if a pedestrian oriented development is built on this lot it could go a long way to changing things.

But as I said, I'm not holding my breath.
 
Re: Malden/Melrose

The last time I was in Malden trying to cross Rt 60 at Commercial St, the walk signal never appeared and there was no button to push (so it was supposed to be automatic but wasn't). I took my chances crossing with traffic, and indeed motorists were not looking for pedestrians. Due to the geometry, they were able to take the corners quite fast as well, much faster than I think they can in downtown Boston.
 
Re: Malden/Melrose

This is where the Malden minor league stadium was supposed to be. Hasta la vista, beisbol.

If they build a gerbil tube to the station, this could work decently. But as stated, Malden Center was built to be anti-urban. As I believe Van once said, Melrose tries to be more urban and Malden tries to be more suburban, and yet Malden is what? 2 or 3 times the population?
 
Re: Malden/Melrose

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^ With sky being the limit, of course.
 
Re: Malden/Melrose

Are the confines of those squares all building or do the include parking lots?
 
Re: Malden/Melrose

Are the confines of those squares all building or do the include parking lots?

I would intend for it to be all building, but not necessarily. Of course the light industrial would have to have a lot of paved area, probably. I was actually considering making that a lot or garage, but I thought, "No, they can waddle their ass from the garage across Rt 60 or take the T".
 
Re: Malden/Melrose

^ With sky being the limit, of course.

Where is the Rivers Edge (nee Telecom City0 relative to the map/photo -- I presume at least one pic ht below the bottom following the tracks?

What about my reference in the area -- the massive Piantedosi Baking Co. complex?
 
Re: Malden/Melrose

River's Edge is well southwest of the area in that photo. It's closer to Wellington than it is to Malden Center.
 
Re: Malden/Melrose

Stone Place is gaining steam. New structures are under construction (foundations going in now) while removal and rehab of existing ones is still progressing.
 
Re: Malden/Melrose

Worst use possible?

Boston.com
Baseball stadium proposed for Malden
National Grid leaving key parcel

By Kathy McCabe
Globe Staff / December 1, 2011

A Boston group that for years has been scouting sites for a 6,500-seat minor league baseball stadium now is eyeing a 6.4-acre parcel near Malden center, the current site of a National Grid gas operations facility.

Boston Baseball Field of Dreams, led by lawyer Alex Bok, is one of five private entities to express interest in the Commercial Street property across from the Orange Line/Malden Center MBTA station.

The minor league team would compete in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, where about 40 percent of the players are former major leaguers, Bok said.

It appears the ballpark project, estimated by Bok to cost more than $30 million, may have little competition for the property. Bok’s group is one of five private firms that responded to an initial request for proposals issued by the Malden Redevelopment Authority on behalf of National Grid.

The deadline to submit final proposals is noon today.

Among the five groups expressing interest, Combined Properties of Malden, Fort Hill Advisors of Boston, and Williamson Partners LLC, a commercial real estate group in Boston, told the Globe they decided not to submit final proposals. The last company, Northern Sites Development of West Newbury, Vt., could not be reached for comment.

“We would have to form a [development] team,’’ said Scott Bosworth, a principal at Fort Hill. “The timing is just too tight for us.’’

Chris Williamson, a principal at Williamson Partners, said a client he represented is no longer interested. “At this time I can not disclose the client nor provide any comments,’’ he said in an e-mail.

Chris Maietta, vice president at Combined Properties, said the firm has responded “more out of curiosity to see what was in the RFP.’’

National Grid plans to vacate the site this spring, after moving its gas operations to an electric distribution facility it operates on Medford Street. The Malden Redevelopment Authority, a public agency, is helping the utility to identify potential reuses for the industrial site.

“We have been working cooperatively with the [authority] as they redevelop local parcels of land to encourage revitalization of the area,’’ the company said in a written statement to the Globe. “Keeping within our regulatory framework, we intend to work together and continue the productive and cooperative relationship that has been established.’’

“This is one of the best development sites in the entire city,’’ said Stephen Wishoski, the Malden Redevelopment Authority’s executive director. “It’s accessible by public transportation. This is a big opportunity for the city to really maximize the value of the site.’’

The authority last month invited developers to submit proposals for the site. They were asked to identify their project’s benefit to the community. They also were asked to address the impact of traffic, parking, and other transportation issues.

The authority also sent information about the parcel to developers that already have worked in or expressed interest in the city. They include Burgess Properties, a Malden commercial real estate firm; Corcoran Jennison of Boston, which built a building on Pleasant Street for the state Department of Education; New Boston Associates, which once proposed building graduate student housing downtown; and National Development, which built Station Landing, a residential/commercial development in Medford.

“We wanted to do additional outreach to see what serious interest there might be in this site,’’ Wishoski said. “We’ve attempted to spread the word as far as we can.’’

Wishoski said tentative plans call for National Grid to lease the property to the authority, which would sublease it to a developer. Once final proposals are submitted and reviewed, “we’ll spend the next few weeks on it, and then make our recommendation to National Grid,’’ he said.

The city wants a development that will help boost the downtown economy, where a number of restaurants have opened in recent years, Wishoski said. “This is a big opportunity for the city to really maximize the value of the site, to create something that will have a really good spinoff effect for the other downtown businesses,’’ Wishoski said.

Bok said his group’s proposal would would make use of 1,500 spaces in parking garages that would be available during night and weekend games.

“We think it’s a wonderful site for a ballpark, given its proximity to the MBTA and the parking garages,’’ he said.

Bok said the stadium would be modeled on one in Springfield, Mo., where a Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals plays. “It will be a great stadium for baseball, but also a place where families can have fun,’’ he said. “There would be rides, slides, and activities for kids on the concourse.’’

In recent years, Bok’s group has pursued sites near Boston College High School in Dorchester and at Bunker Hill Community College in Charlestown. Now he hopes to hit a home run in Malden.

Bok said the minor league team would bring high-quality baseball to Greater Boston. The league’s alumni include former major league stars such as Jose Canseco and Rickey Henderson, who at that point were trying to revive their careers.

“A lot of the players are still trying to show that they still can come back,’’ Bok said. “The level of ball is very good.’’

Kathy McCabe can be reached at kmccabe@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @GlobeKMcCabe.
 
Re: Malden/Melrose

Worst use possible?

No, it could be a parking lot for National Gri- oh wait....


Malden being Malden, the only other possibility would be an office park or strip mall or Walmart.
 
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Re: Malden/Melrose

Why 'worst use'? Lowell's minor league ballpark has been an asset to that city.
 
Re: Malden/Melrose

Ron, location. This lot is directly across from the Malden T OL stop. Why build something there that will be dead 3-4 months out of the year?

It's a perfect lot for TOD. Which means that will never happen.
 
Re: Malden/Melrose

Why 'worst use'? Lowell's minor league ballpark has been an asset to that city.

The ballpark in Lowell is greatly improved by the fact its a Red Sox affiliated ball club.

If the city wants a stadium why not contact the Kraft Family for any interest for a soccer specific stadium for the Revs. It has great access to the Orange line and Commuter Rail.
 
Stone Place - Malden/Melrose

I can't find the thread for this, and it won't come up in a search, either.


Anyway, progress has been rocketing the past few weeks, pretty amazing how different things are already. They've already assembled one building on the north end of the site, right on Washington St. The one further back on the northern end, closer to the tracks, is under construction. The mill has been completely gutted and alot of crappy additions have been rightfully removed. The southern end of the project site has been cleared of nearly all sheds/abandoned vehicles/etc.

One of the coolest things is they uncovered a really old culvert! The hit it maybe two weeks ago, and then they opened it up. Then a few days ago they started filling it with water (?). I checked historic aerials and found it was the old routing of the Pine Banks Brook / Malden River before the current culvert. It was definitely smaller, and at a higher elevation. Very cool to see.
 
Re: Stone Place - Malden/Melrose

Also, the most recent article I could find (November 4th):

Wood Partners begins construction on 212-unit Alta Stone Place

Melrose, MA
Construction is underway for Alta Stone Place, a 212-unit renovated mill and podium-style apartment complex developed by Wood Partners. The project is being built on the site of the former Boston Rubber Shoe Company factory. Bargmann Hendrie + Archetype, Inc is the project architect and Pro Con Inc is the general contractor for the $32 million residential project.

The project involves the redevelopment and renovation of the existing four-story brick and wood-beam mill building, as well as the construction of two new four-story wood frame buildings over a podium garage and an additional three story building containing a new 6,500 s/f clubhouse.

"The site is being cleared and the interior demolition of the original mill building is underway," said the project manager for Pro Con.

Pro Con Inc began construction in June and expects the first units to be completed in spring 2012. The entire project is estimated to take 17 months to complete.

The site will remain a tribute to Elisha Converse, who started the Boston Rubber Shoe Company in 1853. The mill's landmark 100-year-old eight-story brick smokestack will be the centerpiece of a new landscaped garden area. Many original features and style of the mill building will be retained and enhanced in the renovation, including copper gutters and downspouts.

The 92 apartment homes within the renovated building will feature 10-foot plus ceilings with exposed wood beams, brick exterior walls, oversized wood mill windows, U-shaped kitchens, walk-in closets, oversized tubs and side-by-side washers and dryers. Other unit finishes include granite countertops and clean steel appliances in kitchens; cultured marble bath vanities and oversized tubs with tile surrounds in bathrooms. The community will include a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units.

More than 285 parking spaces are planned and the clubhouse amenities will feature a fitness center, great room with kitchenette, game/pub room, media room, cyber café/business center, conference room and outdoor heated pool.

The apartments are expected to appeal to young professionals who commute to downtown Boston, as well as people who work in Melrose, the 128 north employment center and college students. Alta Stone Place is within easy walking distance to the Oak Grove Station on the MBTA Orange subway line, which arrives in downtown Boston in 12 minutes. The community is also less than a mile from the restaurants, cafes, shops, pharmacies and grocery store of downtown Melrose. Nearby Middlesex Fells Reservation's 2,500 acres of natural and historic resources offers opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, country skiing and horseback riding.

Wood Partners currently has a significant development pipeline in greater Boston, including Alta at Indian Woods in Stoughton, which opened in January and is already 50% leased. Pro Con also served as the architect and general contractor for Alta at Indian Woods.

Wood Partners is a national real estate company that acquires, develops, constructs and property manages high density and mixed-use communities. Through quality construction, responsible land development and intelligent design, our communities reflect the aesthetic and social fabric of the community and provide a luxurious living experience at a fair price. The company has been involved in the development of more than 36,000 homes with a combined value of more than $4.5 billion nationwide.

Bargmann Hendrie + Archetype, Inc. (BH+A) is an award winning, Boston based architecture firm offering architecture, interior design and owner's project management services to a number of key markets including educational, athletic, housing, workplace and museum. Their work is characterized by innovative, functional, cost-effective design and has been recognized by over 50 national and regional awards and publications.

Pro Con Inc. is a full service architecture and construction management firm specializing in commercial, hospitality, institutional, industrial and multi-family residential projects. The company is recognized as an industry leader and is known for their single source design-build delivery system, "The Diamond Solution".

http://nerej.com/51104
 

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