Millennium (Hayward) Place | 580 Washington Street | Downtown

Re: Hayward Place

Is there a reason why the developer isn't devoting the street level on all sides to retail/restaurant other than he's choosing not to and the BRA isn't forcing the issue?
 
Re: Hayward Place

Probably not enough of a demand. I mean, how many people walk down those side streets? How many people actually walk down Washington St? If the BRA hadn't mandated retail the developers probably wouldn't have even included it.

Also vent/loading dock placement on one side.
 
Re: Hayward Place

People are more likely to walk down Washington Street once there is continuous commercial activity on both sides. That will, I hope, fill the still-vacant storefronts at Lafayette Place and Millenium-Ritz. I'm less optimistic about the side streets.
 
Re: Hayward Place

The problem is that the type of store that's likely to locate on a side street (small, low rent) isn't going to be welcome in a new development that's looking for big capital inflow from a high margin retailer or restauranteur's lease. So the new developer has little incentive to plan for retail space on the side street frontages, and even in the future, when the building would become affordable for small, non-chain businesses, there just won't be room for them, without at least expensive modifications to the facade or even the interior layout.

I wonder why this wasn't a problem when older mixed use buildings were put up.
 
Re: Hayward Place

Doesn't Avenue de Lafayette see a good amount of foot traffic, especially with the hotel right there?

As a sidenote, someone needs to get down to the BRA and see the project notification form for this to see how exactly the ground floor is laid out. 12,000 sf could be spread out along two streetfronts if the spaces were shallow, but that's it.
 
Re: Hayward Place

The BRA website doesn't have the Notice of Project Change available for download (yet) so I guess a visit would be required.

From the BRA website (old proposal):

The groundfloor is 37,380 square feet. Under the prior proposal there was 19,000 sf of retail on the groundfloor. The plan includes underground parking.

The current plan has 12,000 sf of retail. It would be interesting to find out what the remaining 25k groundfloor is ? maybe amenities for residents (lobby, gym, etc.).
 
Re: Hayward Place

^fp

Thank you. The NPC must have been posted yesterday or today; I checked the BRA site on Monday at 8 PM.

The groundfloor plan is on page 59. It includes retail on Washington and Ave. de Lafayette, amenity room in the center and auto access. All parking is below grade.

Here is a look at the history of approvals for this parcel:

85nLq.png
 
Re: Hayward Place

Ground floor:

bostonchaywardplace11.jpg


Second floor:

bostonchaywardplace12.jpg
 
Re: Hayward Place

Why can't the parking entrance go straight onto Harrison Ave, recovering the Hayward Place side for commercial use? Make the driveway as sharp and steep as necessary.
 
Re: Hayward Place

Any plans on opening up the long shuttered Orange Line entrance?
 
Re: Hayward Place

vanshnookenraggen said:
Any plans on opening up the long shuttered Orange Line entrance?
Click to expand...

It's in the NPC. Page 50.

They cite it as an "MBTA emergency exit" and say that they will work with the MBTA to accommodate it. You can actually see it in the ground floor plan.

There appears to be an elevator and set of stairs too. Maybe they will reopen it?
 
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Re: Hayward Place

Ron Newman said:
Why can't the parking entrance go straight onto Harrison Ave, recovering the Hayward Place side for commercial use? Make the driveway as sharp and steep as necessary.
Click to expand...

Note that what looks like part of the ramp parallel to Hayward Place is actually a porte cochere - essentially a parallel driveway that will go under the building in order to pick up / drop off. It's worse than a garage entrance; it's two curb cuts instead of one, and lots of dead space dominated by a redundant row of cars along the street.
 
Re: Hayward Place

That private little circular driveway is troublesome.

And is that loading dock seriously a second curb cut?

Also, those apartments are tiny. Ive seen bigger dorm rooms.

I dont understand why american developers insist on such crowded floor plans. Someone should take them abroad to see what 2 apartments per floor looks like.
 
Re: Hayward Place

And is that loading dock seriously a second curb cut?
Click to expand...

It's actually a third one because there are two for the porte cochere / garage.

I dont understand why american developers insist on such crowded floor plan
Click to expand...

Profit motive.
 
Re: Hayward Place

Great idea to sell this as one huge parcel, otherwise where would they put the big driveway, planted area and single-story amenity space?

Seriously, a third of this lot is hardly utilized.
 
Re: Hayward Place

I think it's to encourage people to buy two units and combine them into one. I think that the W pulled the same move. Probably makes the units more affordable to for investors who are looking just to make a fast profit.
 
Re: Hayward Place

Why does it need a pick-up/drop-off driveway? This isn't a hotel.

And if these are apartments rather than condos, how can the residents combine them?
 
Re: Hayward Place

I assume all new rentals are built for easy conversion to condo(in unit laundry) when the market changes. I also forgot these are rental.
 
Re: Hayward Place

The porte cochere is a response to the same setup at the Ritz Residences and other 'luxury' developments in the city with valets. A complete and utter waste of space for this typology. If it turns out anything like the Ritz Residences, the drop off is going to be exclusively designed so the trust fund family embarrassments can get their cocaine and whores delivered from Chinatown tout suite!

It's pathetic that plans like these can be considered luxury. It just goes to show how badly underbuilt and distorted the market is in Boston from years of political interference.
 
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