That's just a travesty.
Roslindale Infill and Small Developments
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That's just a travesty.
Nibbles O’Plenty
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Putrid!
HenryAlan
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I'm going to reserve judgement on this until the full build is complete, including balconies and window treatments. It could end up better, it could not, but at least the ground level is still going to be the original brick and polished granite. To be honest, what troubles me more about this is how poorly it melds with the single floor aspect of the next building over. It's just glaring how badly other buildings in the square need the floor additions.
I believe that the building next door on Poplar also has plans for an addition
They re opened comments and had another meeting last night. Not sure if any updates? I hope this gets built, but I would be crushed if we lost the Lebanese grocer.
I agree with George that we gotta wait to see the final product. I also echo the comment that at least from Washington street, this really emphasizes how much the rest of poplar needs upzoning. I think even if it turns out to be ugly, it’s hard for a building that’s brand new and three stories to not draw an oversized amount of attention against a backdrop of old taxpayers. So, at the very worst, wait ten years and when Poplar fills in you won’t notice the bad elements as much.
One thing I would like to point out, though, is have sometimes different vantage points don’t get captured based on photos. When you’re actually heading up south street towards the commuter rail station, this building looks a lot better on the approach than from some other angles. And it snugs in South St nicely.
Started to photograph the new building, but just decided to take a bunch of pictures of the whole northern side of the Square. They are just cell phone pics, but I tried to capture a lot of the little pieces of design and wayfinding details that add a lot to the experience (murals, planters, parklets etc).
The intersection of Belgrade and Robert leaves much to be desired. I know the Orthodox church is a major part of the community, but I wish they could develop the street facing part of it. Also, adding height to Sullivans pharmacy and the bank next door, along with reducing the roadway width on all of those roads would do wonders to making more of a gateway to the area. The granite wall along Belgrade against the MBTA station could be improved with a few minor details to make the streetscape less bland on that side, but the brewery and the square root café have added a lot of activity to the other side. The MBTA lot could be easily improved with minimal landscaping, but I won’t hold my breath. If they could develop the lot occupied by citizens Bank, that would also be a major improvement/gateway. Overall, though, lots of places were lots of little improvements have gone a very long way to making for a pleasant and urban pedestrian experience. The pics as usual dont really capture the overall sense.
Improvements on Poplar with planters and sidewalk art
This parklet, along with the lighting in the alley leading to the surface parking lot, a half block up (not pictured), are excellent touches.
Another example of a parklet that filled in unnecessary pavement, and outdoor seating on Birch St. I am told the city still plans on closing Birch St permanently this summer.
The patio for several restaurants is awesome in the summer. The lantern lighting and Greek plaques on the alley are a nice design touch.
Good design elements here, but the intersection beyond is too wide, and feels even wider due to the single block heights of Sullivans and the church, and the parking lot for the bank. This area needs both development and further street narrowing.
This sidewalkscape could be easily improved with more tree planters, and the patches of weeds above the granite (MBTA property) are a total disgrace. The T could very easily plant something, anything, that would improve this stretch.
Entrance to the tunnel from the north side is pretty good, another parklet/planted area on the right would do wonders though.
Developing this lot to extend the streetwall up to the tracks will hopefully happen someday soon. A bank, pavement, and a patch of old cedar chips with yew bushes is not very pleasant.
This corner is a small oasis and if you stand where I stood, you'll understand how nothing more than a small tree + green area + something so simple as a decorated abandoned phone booth completely changes the atmosphere.
The intersection of Belgrade and Robert leaves much to be desired. I know the Orthodox church is a major part of the community, but I wish they could develop the street facing part of it. Also, adding height to Sullivans pharmacy and the bank next door, along with reducing the roadway width on all of those roads would do wonders to making more of a gateway to the area. The granite wall along Belgrade against the MBTA station could be improved with a few minor details to make the streetscape less bland on that side, but the brewery and the square root café have added a lot of activity to the other side. The MBTA lot could be easily improved with minimal landscaping, but I won’t hold my breath. If they could develop the lot occupied by citizens Bank, that would also be a major improvement/gateway. Overall, though, lots of places were lots of little improvements have gone a very long way to making for a pleasant and urban pedestrian experience. The pics as usual dont really capture the overall sense.
Improvements on Poplar with planters and sidewalk art
This parklet, along with the lighting in the alley leading to the surface parking lot, a half block up (not pictured), are excellent touches.
Another example of a parklet that filled in unnecessary pavement, and outdoor seating on Birch St. I am told the city still plans on closing Birch St permanently this summer.
The patio for several restaurants is awesome in the summer. The lantern lighting and Greek plaques on the alley are a nice design touch.
Good design elements here, but the intersection beyond is too wide, and feels even wider due to the single block heights of Sullivans and the church, and the parking lot for the bank. This area needs both development and further street narrowing.
This sidewalkscape could be easily improved with more tree planters, and the patches of weeds above the granite (MBTA property) are a total disgrace. The T could very easily plant something, anything, that would improve this stretch.
Entrance to the tunnel from the north side is pretty good, another parklet/planted area on the right would do wonders though.
Developing this lot to extend the streetwall up to the tracks will hopefully happen someday soon. A bank, pavement, and a patch of old cedar chips with yew bushes is not very pleasant.
This corner is a small oasis and if you stand where I stood, you'll understand how nothing more than a small tree + green area + something so simple as a decorated abandoned phone booth completely changes the atmosphere.
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AndrewOnTheMBTA
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I wholly agree with developing the MBTA lot on the side closet to Belgrade. When I commuted into the city on that line for 1.5 years as a resident in the square, that side of the lot was rarely occupied AT ALL. A good chunk of the commuters here are pedestrians from local neighborhoods (which is great - the pedestrian access is much better than Forest Hills). There could be great TOD or anything here.
I think it’ll be a long time before the MBTA lot gets developed. But there’s a lot of smaller things that could be done to beautify it now with very little expense.
BronsonShore
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Youre right, of course, but why? The vast majority of people who use this stop travel there by foot, and even if you took away every parking space between the tracks and Belgrade, you’d still be left with one of the larger MBTA parking lots within city limits. The MBTA selling that lot for millions seems like a win-win for everybody.
Bureaucracy is why. But, even if they did decide to sell it and develop it, it would take a long time to do it right. I guess the main point I wanted to convey with my pics post was that rozzie sq has really done a great job with the small details of the urban environment that make the experience welcoming for the pedestrian, and that there are certain spots where very quick and minimal improvements would go a long way. Rather than wondering why the mbta can’t sell or develop an unnecessary parcel, which admittedly is a large task, I think we could start with asking why it’s unreasonable to expect that they would do some absolutely basic minimal landscaping on a huge patch of dirt that literally flanks a major main commercial street in a semi urban area.
Randomgear
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The Wallpaper City facade is extraordinarily poorly built. The waterproofing and flashing on the 1st floor is entirely missing: no tape or sealant at the seams and nail holes on the zipwall sheathing, no flexible flashing around the windows, the stone veneer is grouted to cement board nailed to the zipwall without a waterproofing drainage board between them. The upper floors appear to have been done at least slightly better, at least they managed to wrap an air barrier into the window openings so just maybe the upper windows received a modicum of proper waterproofing and flashing. I would expect at least a first floor facade replacement in 10-15 years if not sooner.
Building on the Roslindale Village Station MBTA lots: just remember the uproar of possibly losing the free municipal parking lot a couple years ago. From what one of the MBTA real estate people told me a few years ago, the T can't imagine getting rid of either of the parking lots, because how would people get to the station. Surely commuter rail riders can't ride buses!
Building on the Roslindale Village Station MBTA lots: just remember the uproar of possibly losing the free municipal parking lot a couple years ago. From what one of the MBTA real estate people told me a few years ago, the T can't imagine getting rid of either of the parking lots, because how would people get to the station. Surely commuter rail riders can't ride buses!
this could prob use half the parking than whats proposed. This area has some of the best access--on top of a commuter rail and adjacent to essentially non-stop bus service to Forest Hills and you're right next to the best park in the city
Blackbird
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this could prob use half the parking than whats proposed. This area has some of the best access--on top of a commuter rail and adjacent to essentially non-stop bus service to Forest Hills and you're right next to the best park in the city
What if you want to go to Watertown?
Google Maps is telling me that it would be ~1hr 11min to go from Rozzie Square to Watertown Square via public transit and it would require taking 4 different buses. Or you could drive between the two in ~21min.
I live here car free and its great. I don't go to Watertown ever so idk thats obviously an issue with Urban Ring. Do i see the hour long commute to Watertown a determining factor in parking in Roslindale? No.
HenryAlan
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So you don't go to Watertown, then. I live in Rozzie Square, can't think of the last time I had reason to go to Watertown. Car free living doesn't mean you can do all the same things you'd do with a car. It means organizing your life around the things that you can do (which is an astonishingly long list).
HenryAlan
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And on the topic of parking, what would go really nicely with the growing apartment density surrounding the municipal lot, would be the city's proposal to build low income housing on a deck above that lot.this could prob use half the parking than whats proposed. This area has some of the best access--on top of a commuter rail and adjacent to essentially non-stop bus service to Forest Hills and you're right next to the best park in the city
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