Readville Complex | Hyde Park

whighlander said:
The Universal Hub has a story entitled


Anytime someone mentions Sisyphus and the Citgo Sign in one post -- well you have one interesting project

Very early in the pipeline
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The Universal Hub has a story entitled
Would-be Readville developer sets Sisyphean tasks for self: Fixing neighborhood traffic and commuter-rail fares
By adamg on Tue, 11/01/2016 - 10:02pm

Proposed Sprague Street building

Developer Jordan Warshaw today showed up plans for a 521-unit middle-income apartment complex in four buildings that would rise as high as eight stories in what is now an industrial/warehouse area off Sprague Street between Sprague Pond, the Northeast Corridor and the Readville train station...

Three of the four buildings would look like old industrial buildings, in homage to the area's history - and to break with the fake clapboard stuff prevalent at pretty much every apartment complex built in the Boston area in recent years. The fourth building would have more of a modern feel, he said.

In addition to underground parking, the slope means that the buildings won't be nearly as visible from surrounding areas as if the land were at the same height as Sprague Street - one woman exclaimed "Oh, my God!" when Warshaw said one of the buildings would be eight stories tall.

One thing that would be visible, if Warshaw goes with it, would be a large antenna-like tower that would read READVILLE on each side, in an attempt to give the area a unique feel, almost like the Citgo Sign, he said.

sprague-building.jpg

Architect's rendering of two of the proposed buildings
sprague-all4.jpg

sprague-sign.jpg
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Anytime someone mentions Sisyphus and the Citgo Sign in one post -- well you have one interesting project

Very early in the pipeline


Look the complex as shown in the original posting

the second "island" of development on the left of the original rendering next to the "pond" is the lot which is not going to be developed at this time -- hence no units in those "virtual buildings"
 
HenryAlan said:
The trailer park is slated to be replaced with a large apartment complex. I can't decide whether or not I favor the idea or want to push for historic landmark designation.
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I believe the project you are referring to is the parking lot of the car dealership adjacent to the trailer park. I don’t know of any plans for the trailer park to be redeveloped.
 
Speaking to that trailer park: kind of an odd thing, w a quaint cemetery across the duckweed & swampy waters, and not far beyond, stone walls, and sprawling estates hidden away behind gorgeous, windy roads. The whole area is so cool.
 
Covid-19 delays construction of Readville apartment complex
3640sprague.jpg


“The Zoning Board of Appeal today gave a developer an extra year to start construction of a proposed 247-unit apartment complex just south of the Readville train station and the Sprague Street Bridge, down the hill from Sprague Street.”

“At a hearing this morning, John Pulgini, attorney for developer Jordan Warshaw, requested the extension because Covid-19 issues have delayed completion of the construction plans and soil testing Warshaw needs to submit to lenders for financing….”
https://www.universalhub.com/2022/covid-19-delays-construction-readville-apartment

Six-unit apartment building on Readville side street rejected as too big
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The Zoning Board of Appeal today rejected a developer's proposal for a six-unit apartment building on Yuil Circle, a small circular street off Neponset Valley Parkway in Readville's Wolcott Square.

“George Morancy, attorney for the developer, said the building would fit in well; he said the building was right near Neponset Valley Parkway and an existing seven-unit apartment building.”

“But board members unanimously disagreed. The proposed building wouldn't be on the parkway itself and "this is really going to stick out like a sore thumb," board member Mark Ehrlich said…”
https://www.universalhub.com/2022/six-unit-apartment-building-readville-side-street
 
stick n move said:
Covid-19 delays construction of Readville apartment complex
3640sprague.jpg


“The Zoning Board of Appeal today gave a developer an extra year to start construction of a proposed 247-unit apartment complex just south of the Readville train station and the Sprague Street Bridge, down the hill from Sprague Street.”

“At a hearing this morning, John Pulgini, attorney for developer Jordan Warshaw, requested the extension because Covid-19 issues have delayed completion of the construction plans and soil testing Warshaw needs to submit to lenders for financing….”
https://www.universalhub.com/2022/covid-19-delays-construction-readville-apartment

Six-unit apartment building on Readville side street rejected as too big
11yuill.jpg



The Zoning Board of Appeal today rejected a developer's proposal for a six-unit apartment building on Yuil Circle, a small circular street off Neponset Valley Parkway in Readville's Wolcott Square.

“George Morancy, attorney for the developer, said the building would fit in well; he said the building was right near Neponset Valley Parkway and an existing seven-unit apartment building.”

“But board members unanimously disagreed. The proposed building wouldn't be on the parkway itself and "this is really going to stick out like a sore thumb," board member Mark Ehrlich said…”
https://www.universalhub.com/2022/six-unit-apartment-building-readville-side-street
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Bob’s arms must be sore from reaching
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kingofsheeba said:
Bob’s arms must be sore from reaching
View attachment 20441
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I could do without the baseball analogy, but his overall reasoning is correct. The appeals process should be for just what the word means: appeals from a bad result due to the underlying zoning. Instead, because everything is illegal under the zoning, everything gets appealed. You could fill an entire thread with some of the insane results this system produces. Add project to the list.
 
SuffolkHeights11 said:
I could do without the baseball analogy, but his overall reasoning is correct. The appeals process should be for just what the word means: appeals from a bad result due to the underlying zoning. Instead, because everything is illegal under the zoning, everything gets appealed. You could fill an entire thread with some of the insane results this system produces. Add project to the list.
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So, change the zoning laws? Those same laws that were put in place to be discriminatory? Wow. Sounds so easy. Why didn’t I think of that?
 
kingofsheeba said:
So, change the zoning laws? Those same laws that were put in place to be discriminatory? Wow. Sounds so easy. Why didn’t I think of that?
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Trust me I'm just as skeptical but if you told me a couple years ago that the city would approve an amendment removing parking minimums for affordable housing, with little to no opposition, I would've laughed in your face. There is hope.
 
Massachoicetts said:
why cant housing be built in Boston, specifically neighborhoods like Hyde Park as this project, like they can in other cities??

What is going on?
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It says it got approval but the backers must have gotten cold feet. It's kind of suburban, not exactly a millennial approved area and the rent would probably need to start at 3k for a studio to make the numbers work.
 
Some of it's down to serious difficulties getting financing, but also there's a lot of fear out there we could still be in for a recession -- and if you bring a big, expensive-to-rent apartment block online in the teeth of a downturn, you're going to be in some definite financial jeopardy. In this particular case, it's also worth wondering if the seller needed to drum up cash for something that had a more immediate payoff.
 
Years of meetings and review by community group, BRA, zoning etc plus community benefits, low income set asides you get excessive costs that don’t make sense in an outlying neighborhood.
 
I feel like the demand is so high and inventory so low in Boston that theyd have no problem renting these out, especially directly on top of a commuter rail station. They obviously know better than I do but maybe they just cannot take on the risk right now.
 
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