Malden + Melrose Infill and Small Developments

[DZH22]

This is in Melrose off the Rock Circuit Trail. It's definitely new as I remember there being weird/broken down stuff there before, like a water tower maybe, or a mini windmill.

IMG_0980 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0981 by David Z, on Flickr

 

[sm89]

Construction has started on 12-16 Essex St, Melrose. Here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZSUh8hqvWx8LXFQg8
The building was torn down a few weeks back. Will become 4-story, 24 units with ground floor retail.
It was initially going to be 14 units, but then became a 40B project!

Construction is Set to Begin for the Redevelopment of 12-16 Essex Street | Melrose MA

The City of Melrose Office of Planning and Community Development announced that the construction for the redevelopment o

www.cityofmelrose.org

 

[Winston3D]

Looks like these are the plans for the new building:

https://www.cityofmelrose.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif3451/f/pages/architectural_plans.pdf

 

[sm89]

New project just added to the Melrose development review webpage. https://www.cityofmelrose.org/offic...-529-franklin-street-site-plan-review-special

"to alter the Corinthian Hall building at 521 Franklin Street and construct an attached 5-story residential building behind the existing building."

34 units. 21 parking spaces. Keeps both existing commercial tenants in the Corinthian Hall building (but the function space itself goes). Not a huge fan of the design. Looks a bit Colorado ski resort-esque to me?

 

[stick n move]

164 Essex Street Apartments​

“Redevelopment of an underused parking lot adjacent to an MBTA Commuter Rail station with a 5-story building containing 76 apartments.”

“The City has received notice that MassHousing is reviewing an application for Site Approval for a proposed Comprehensive Permit Development for land located at 164 Essex Street.

The project proposal involves constructing a 76-unit multifamily mixed income rental development. The proposed building is 5-stories with parking under and behind the building. Nineteen of the proposed units (25%) will be affordable to households earning at or below 80% of AMI.

The City is in the process of reviewing the application materials and formulating a response to submit to MassHousing by February 20, 2024. MassHousing will review the proposed project, consider the City’s comments, and may issue a site eligibility letter at which point the applicant can apply for a Comprehensive Permit from the Melrose Zoning Board of Appeals.”

https://www.bldup.com/projects/164-essex-street-apartments

https://www.cityofmelrose.org/board...ite-approval-comprehensive-permit-application

 

[sm89]

I wonder how the proposal could change if they acquire that other parcel behind them that they refer to.

A path along the tracks to the station would also be nice here.

 

[sm89]

Some changes appear to be coming to the 521 Franklin St proposal. I really hated the initial design. Felt somewhat like a Colorado ski-resort condo vibe??
New proposal looking to be a modern mansard take. The City's website is a little difficult to follow as they just sort of haphazardly update and group things, so I think that's the direction they're headed?

Previous plan: https://www.cityofmelrose.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif3451/f/pages/arch_plan_240319_0.pdf
"Preliminary changes plan": https://www.cityofmelrose.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif3451/f/pages/521franklin_20240710_plan.pdf

 

[Smuttynose]

A few Melrose projects —

453 Franklin Ave. (21 units, retail, very transit-oriented)

12 Sylvan Street This project shows the stupidity of density caps. The good: This is a 4 unit project replacing a single-family home. The bad: These are massive 5-bedroom units w/ 2 parking spaces each. Nine 2-bedroom apartments would create more housing and less bedrooms.

12 Essex Street (24 units, retail, located across from City Hall)

 

[Stlin]

12 Sylvan Street This project shows the stupidity of density caps. The good: This is a 4 unit project replacing a single-family home. The bad: These are massive 5-bedroom units w/ 2 parking spaces each. Nine 2-bedroom apartments would create more housing and less bedrooms.

View attachment 55341

You know, I'm not necessarily annoyed about that. It's a fairly common complaint that existing "family sized" (≥3 beds) are occupied by groups of roommates, or older households and not those with children. Admittedly, 5 beds is particularly large, but I don't think it's a bad thing to expand the supply of larger units.

Relatively few families occupy the Boston region’s family-size homes

Instead, older empty-nesters and roommates cluster in condos and apartments with three bedrooms and up—the sort perfect for families with kids—a new report says.

boston.curbed.com

 

[#bancars]

This Bloomberg article features an interesting co-housing project in Malden I hadn't heard of--Bay State Cohousing.

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

About — Bay State Cohousing

www.baystatecohousing.net

 

[FK4]

This Bloomberg article features an interesting co-housing project in Malden I hadn't heard of--Bay State Cohousing.

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

About — Bay State Cohousing

www.baystatecohousing.net

Cool. One day my wife and I were walking in our neighborhood in JP (back when I lived there), and saw a nice looking building series that was inviting, so we went into the courtyard and started talking to a guy in there. He said it was exactly what this article describes -- a group of JPers years back banded together and got apartment buildings built but the whole plan was designed to encourage interaction with neighbors. The one I am talking about is called JP Cohousing.

It was super cool. Isolation is the real disease (other than capitalism of course). We need way way more stuff like this, but of course you have to want to live there... nice to see though!