Mixed Use Complex | 345 Harrison Ave | South End

From my real estate website:

345 Harrison project to bring 600 units of residential housing to South End “New York Streets” neighborhood

A year after purchasing the Graybar Electric Company property at 345 Harrison Ave, developer Nordblom Company has released its plan to build 602 units of housing on the site spread between two buildings ranging from 13-14 stories (150 feet) in height and including street-level retail / restaurants as well as 252 parking spaces for tenants. In total, the project will cover around 535,000 square feet of space.

Below are several new designs included in the "Project Notification Form" filed by Nordblom with the Boston Redevelopment Authority. CBT Architects are the architects of record.

This area of the South End is seeing an enormous amount of new construction, much of it residential in nature. The Ink Block project across the street from Graybar is under construction which will, when completed, bring 475 condos and apartments to market. Meanwhile, over at 275 Albany Street, land is being prepped for the eventual construction of another 400 apartments. So, over 1,000 units of housing between just these 3 projects.

This neighborhood used to be known as "New York Streets" due to the streets in the area being named after New York State towns. Blocks of residential housing were torn down during the 1950s as part of Boston's urban renewal programs.

There are still several large plots of land available should other developers wish to get in the game.
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The Harrison Avenue approach from downtown feel rather massive (and does not look particularly urban/pedestrian friendly). Other than that it looks like a good project.
 
Drooooool. That is a stellar looking complex of four perfectly aligned buildings in what will probably be the next big neighborhood in Boston!

And as an added bonus, they have a Galaxy Coffee planned to go in. Love that place.
 
I love the residential mixed-use developments proposed for this area. My question is, will there be enough retail demand to fill them, or will they be empty for 3-5 years after completion? Whole Foods will help, but some office space could be useful as well.
 
Looks like it could be fantastic. The massing is nice but, as with every project, how this looks will be determined by whether or not the developer cheaps out on the materials.
 
Can we widen Washington Street here on the westerly side, just a little? If we are ever going to get light rail back into the South End and Roxbury, this and Warren Street near Grove Hall are the biggest chokepoints for traffic.

30 years from now Washington Street will have a lot more density. Trolley and auto traffic up Washington along with cross South Boston to South End traffic are going to make the intersection of East Berkeley and Washington look like Clarendon and Newbury on a nice fall Sunday afternoon.

Any planning here should factor in transportation easements /takings on the westerly side of Washington Street between Herald and East Berkeley. The buildings, or lack of buildings here, owing to the urban renewal industrial setbacks put in place in the 1950's, are set back now, though their lot lines can be used by a redeveloper for extra FAR.

The intersection to the south will always be a chokepoint owing to the buildings in place, but a better rush hour in 2035 can be made for now if the BRA kinda said to Druker, Verizon, the German Church, and the organization which owns the supermarket, hey, you are loosing a little footprint now on your waste of space for a better Boston down the line.
 
Washington Street to Dudley could start seeing light rail construction tomorrow, if the will existed. Even if some isolated segments here and there need to run in mixed traffic because of road constraints.
 
This may be a little off topic for this thread, but how about a cut/cover straight down Washington street for a new section of the orange line?
 
bobthebuilder said:
This may be a little off topic for this thread, but how about a cut/cover straight down Washington street for a new section of the orange line?
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Nope. Too expensive to deal with all the centuries of utilities. It's going to be LRV or Bus for the South End/Lower Rox.
 
I'm worried the Galaxy Coffee here will compete with the Galaxy Coffee in the Ink Block. Oh, well.

There is a serious discussion being had about re-opening Washington Street in both directions. As it stands now, it's one-way with the lane coming into the South End from Chinatown limited to MBTA bus use only.

Which is ridiculous.
 
Why is that ridiculous? I'm all for two-way streets, but is there a better way to squeeze a dedicated bus lane there?
 
I've always felt that Harrison and Shawmut should be a high-capacity one way pair, with Washington downgraded to a lane each way + parking and bike lanes.
 
BRA has approved the 345 Harrison Plan:

New Housing for New York Streets Area of South End
Total Project Cost: TBD
Total SF: 535,900 square feet
Housing Units: 602 units, approx 78 affordable onsite units
Jobs: 300-450 construction jobs, 50-80 permanent jobs
LEED: LEED Silver

345-Harrison-Ave_web.pngThe BRA Board approved two mixed use buildings for the Graybar Electric site at 345 Harrison Avenue in the South End. Collectively, the two buildings will have 602 units of housing and up to 33,500 square feet of ground floor retail, restaurant, and amenity space. Thirteen percent of the units in the building, or approximately 78, will be affordable. The developer is also committed to creating additional offsite affordable housing units.

As part of the community benefits package the developer is contributing $420,000 toward streetscape improvements on Washington Street, Traveler Street, and Harrison Avenue, and $250,000 will be allotted for other community benefits to be determined. Five percent of the development's retail space (1,600 SF) will be for a start up, cultural use, or non profit.

345 Harrison Ave is located in the Harrison Albany Corridor, where new zoning was adopted in January 2012 to encourage mixed use development, density and growth in the New York Streets area of the South End. The project developer is Nordblom Company with CBT Architects as the architecture firm. The project will create 300-450 construction jobs and 50-80 permanent jobs.

There is a rendering in the BRA announcement for someone who can post pictures.
http://www.bostonredevelopmentautho...014/2/13/bra-board-moves-new-projects-forward
 
ParkerChris said:
I love the residential mixed-use developments proposed for this area. My question is, will there be enough retail demand to fill them, or will they be empty for 3-5 years after completion? Whole Foods will help, but some office space could be useful as well.
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Lots of office space has been approved for the block between Washington and Shawmut at E. Berkeley Street -- 11 story Druker development. This is just down the street.
 
More good news for adding residential units to the city in what seems to be a really nice mixed use development!
 
JohnAKeith said:
I'm worried the Galaxy Coffee here will compete with the Galaxy Coffee in the Ink Block. Oh, well.
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Just saw this now... I laughed so hard that I nearly spit my Galaxy Coffee all over my machine.
 
For some reason, I first thought that site office was being used for Sepia. Is 345 Harrison ready to get moving along?
 
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