Prefab construction offices?
Mixed Use (40B Fmr Star Market) | 299 Broadway | Winter Hill | Somerville
- Thread starter kjdonovan
- Start date
I doubt they're meant for this site, since they've not even broken ground yet, but those are bits of a modular building. Probably just making use of an empty parking lot to stage before being stacked. (Any buildings around here suddenly appear?)
RCM - Modular Solutions on LinkedIn: #construction #teamwork #modularconstruction
🟩 | Projet installé | 🟩 Notre équipe a conçu, fabriqué et installé 12 unités modulaires pour ce mandat de 6 logements locatifs à Lowell, au…
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RandomWalk
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The rebuild of the public housing on Alewife Brook is using modular construction, but they’re using LabNine as the manufacturer.
stick n move
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Housing project replacing Broadway Star Market starts work in spring despite parking misgivings
“The redevelopment of a long-closed Star Market in Somerville’s Winter Hill neighborhood is progressing toward a planned construction start in the spring.
The project at 299 Broadway St. entails two new mixed-use buildings of 316 apartments, 40 percent of which will be affordable, as well as retail space and a public plaza and park.
Developers abandoned plans for an underground parking lot due to asbestos buried deep in the parking lot, which city councillor Jake Wilson said came from curtains from an old movie theater on that site.
As a result, apart from building short-term parking spots for the liquor store next door, 299 Broadway will not include on-site parking and instead will offer parking permits to half of the market-rate units at a rate above the typical $40-per-year residential parking permit……..”
https://www.cambridgeday.com/2024/1...ts-work-in-spring-despite-parking-misgivings/
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Geez, that Winter Hill Liquor Mart is the very definition of a "TAKER" from the public good ain't it? Seriously, fuck that place.
Camberville
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Are you saying that because it's a liquor store? Or is there something more nefarious with their business vis-a-vis the new development? Genuine question, I'm not sure about the history here. I had just assumed they owned their property, which is why the project was to be built around them. I think it's an ugly building (with an ugly font on their sign), but I'm not sure what makes them a "TAKER."
It’s about the BUILDING…… nothing to do with ‘Liquor‘ or ‘Nefariousness’. ‘You’re projecting there.
1). That building is ramshackle.
2) It’s at the vertex corner + should promote a dynamic urban environment. One full side at street level is a Windowless blank, brick wall.
3) It is small and wastes valuable corner space there
4) It’s 2024 and there are MULTIPLE WINDOW UNIT AIR CONDITIONERS on that thing.
5) The sign is LOPSIDED. What is this? Downtown Mogadishu?
6) let’s not even start about the hick highway style billboard signs on the roof
The mere fact that the owner doesn’t invest in this building‘s central a/c system and puts those ridiculous billboards above shows where his/her/their priorities lie.
I get that the owners wanted to keep their property and. That’s fine. But upgrade that 1940’s shit.
That corner should have incorporated into the overall plan with KEEPING the liquor store and salon on the first two floors with a signature 6+ story vertex corner turreted structure with more housing units above.
I just gave you 6 clear reasons why that building is a “taker”, not a “maker”. It gets all the benefits of that corner location and the larger new urban development around it. I put up. Please tell me why YOU think this isn’t cheaply benefitting (and exploiting with the hideous bilboarding) from the investment of others around it. (I didn’t even mention the other “taking” - - forcing the new development to provide it with surface parking spaces, because ……..automobiles rule for a liquor store a mere 9 minute walk from the new Gilman Square Green Line station).
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It's an excellent example of the Mid-20th Century American Seedy style of urban architecture. Maybe slap a plaque on it somewhere and protect it for future generations.
That's obviously a tongue in cheek suggestion, but look how hospital-hygienic its new neighbor is going to look in comparison. I pity the future if that's all it has to offer.
That's obviously a tongue in cheek suggestion, but look how hospital-hygienic its new neighbor is going to look in comparison. I pity the future if that's all it has to offer.
Camberville
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Yikes. Chill out man, that's why I said it was a genuine question, I was merely curious for clarification on what you meant in your original assertion (and by "nefarious," I meant not about the product being sold, but rather on maybe bad blood with neighbors or something like that, I'm not familiar with ). It wasn't meant to be aggressive, doubtful, or projecting. But maybe I phrased my response poorly, so I apologize. I guess I should know now that the internet removes a lot of context, intent, and meaning in a post from an anonymous stranger, but seriously the meat of your response would sufficed, without the condescension.
Anyway, I agree with you on almost everything, especially aesthetically.
No problem. All good.
Aprehensive_Words
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Sounds like a good reason for someone to lobby Somerville to accept a tower right there
Badusername
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I live down the street from here and I’m happy the liquor store is staying for now, will make for a more interesting corridor when it eventually does get developed. This forum talks all the time about small lot sizes making for more interesting urban form, if this was folded into the redevelopment we would’ve just had two massive 5 over 1s with artificial massing breaks in the facade that we all dislike. The billboard and parking lot all suck, but it’s clear this will be up for redevelopment in no time. Plus, I don’t want to walk all the way up the hill to Highland for the next closest liquor store.
Once again, from the post:
".....I get that the owners wanted to keep their property and. That’s fine. But upgrade that 1940’s shit.
That corner should have incorporated into the overall plan with KEEPING the liquor store and salon on the first two floors with a signature 6+ story vertex corner turreted structure with more housing units above......"
No one was saying anything about getting rid of the liquor store - - and a 6-story including round turret (breaks up the flat monotony) on the corner - - perhaps with a 45 degree angled arched entryway? - would not be appreciably higher than the total now with the topping hick billboards.
I fully agree with your post - - what was in my post aligns with what you are saying.
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Hey, everyone is fully entitled to their own opinion and taste. Duly noted that you like that building with its window unit air conditioners, sloping/crooked signage and two story billboards in that location. I'd be willing to bet most others don't. My guess is, eventually, the building owner (whether that's Winter Hill Liquors or someone else) will eventually wise up and realize they can make a pile of money more by redeveloping the spot (probably keeping the business on the bottom floor) and adding units above it - while also doing something for the public good and making it a great architectural corner. But, yes, everyone has different tastes.
The 316 new apartments have great access and can just go downstairs to the liquor store. I have empathy for those that want to drive to this liquor store. It's too bad they couldn't do the underground parking due to the asbestos from the former cinemas curtains below ground. There's a tradeoff for everything.
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theSil
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If anyone wants to do a deep dive on this subject, I think Chapter 10 of The Death and Life of Great American Cities presents a solid defense for why it can valuable to keep a building like Winter Hill Liquor around. I think this one particular line summarizes it well though:
Full book: https://www.petkovstudio.com/bg/wp-...American-Cities_Jane-Jacobs-Complete-book.pdf
Full book: https://www.petkovstudio.com/bg/wp-...American-Cities_Jane-Jacobs-Complete-book.pdf
Jane Jacobs is always a good read and learn.
But this isn't the leveling of the West End for Government Center.
This is one block.
And the proposed above was for Winter Hill Liquors to REMAIN in the new building which would be a different (taller and turreted) architectural style from the other new ones around it.
Longfellow
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I agree that the lesson might be that you don't want 1 developer to assemble the largest parcel possible and do it all at once. A few people have been saying lately we're letting the parcels get too big. I tend to agree.
I think this is a good point.
There's been a good amount of recent large-scale development in that corner of the city. Letting this property clash and remain C or D class for a while is not a bad thing as far as development diversity.
Lol. You just can’t let it go.