Route 1 Northside Developments

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danielp

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Looking for some information on all the projects on Route 1, especially the building next to McD's

Also, thought this could be good place for others to talk about all the different projects, and business being built or moved as well.
 
I assume you are talking about the massive building under construction? That's going to be a WalMart... sad to say.
 
This can be a good thread. One request: could you add details like city/town when you discuss Route 1 locations?
 
As sprawly as Route 1 is, I enjoy the section through Saugus for the kitschy route-66 vibe it induces. Unfortunately the institutions that give off this aesthetic are becoming rarer by the day. Hilltop, Kowloon, Hockey Town, Prince Pizza, Weylu/Orchid are dying off and being replaced with chain restaurants and... Walmart.

I'd love to see Saugus pass a signage requirement that all businesses on that stretch have to have large, unique, animated signs.
 
Kowloon still packs them in, and won't be going anywhere anytime soon. I believe Prince still does brisk business as well, but haven't been in there in a few years.

Hilltop probably should've opened a comedy club.
 
Cliff Clavin said:
Kowloon still packs them in, and won't be going anywhere anytime soon. I believe Prince still does brisk business as well, but haven't been in there in a few years.

Hilltop probably should've opened a comedy club.
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Prince's business dipped for a bit, but seems to have recovered and held strong for a while now.

Rt 1 is definitely losing its character, though, but that is certainly nothing new. It's been happening since before I was born, and my family has lots of memories of other businesses on Rt 1, along with our own, which had both unique style and service but were replaced with sterile crap.

The Palace -> Lowes

Weylu's -> In limbo for redevelopment

Orange Dinosaur -> Still there... for now

Santoro's Subs (original location) -> Walgreens

Some amusement park or zoo -> Saugus High School (or near it)

Kowloon -> Going strong

Hockey Town -> Still there... for now

Hilltop -> In limbo for redevelopment

Border Cafe -> In limbo for redevelopment

Drive-in Movie Theatre -> Strip mall and Eastern Bank Building

Red Barn (?) -> Kelly's

Russo's Candies -> SaugusBank

Prince Pizza -> Going strong

Caruso Diplomat -> Strip mall anchored by Trader Joe's

Chickland -> Don't even know where this was

And there were a number of places that I've seen black and white photos of where there were really unique restaurant concepts.
 
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Two major updates I've noticed driving through:
  • The Hilltop is completely gone, and the site appears cleared. The giant cactus remains.
  • As of this past Saturday, Weylu's has been demolished. It looked like they had just driven some bulldozers into it on Friday afternoon; the roof was largely intact and sitting on a pile of rubble befitting the former World's Largest Chinese Restaurant.
 
Globe: The Hilltop cactus sticks with new development

Boston Globe said:
The Hilltop Steak House may be gone, but the giant cactus that for decades stood outside the iconic Route 1 restaurant will stay potted in place.

The developer planning to turn the former restaurant into a housing and retail outpost told Saugus officials at a public meeting Tuesday night that the colorful 68-foot cactus sign would be incorporated into the new project.

“It really is an important marker for the site. It really does represent the history of the site, and our intent is to keep it,” Michael Roberts, senior vice president of Boston development for developer AvalonBay Communities, said in an interview Wednesday.

[...]

The company wants to build about 24,000 square feet of retail space near the front of the 14-acre site, and 280 residential units in separate buildings toward the back. Roberts said the retail space could fit between three and six retailers, depending on their sizes. The company hopes to find restaurant and coffee shop tenants, because they mix well with housing, Roberts said.
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Hilltop%20render.jpg
 
I'm glad that they're keeping the cactus while still getting more use out of that land.

The Route 1 corridor needs some sort of cultural overlay district to encourage developers to put giant things out front, or to make their buildings look like giant things.
 
Yuck. I loved the crumminess of Route 1 back before the Square 1 Mall, where one of the on-ramps was one of the most accident-ridden intersections in the country. This shopping center looks like it could be in anywhere in America.
 
Czervik.Construction said:
Yuck. I loved the crumminess of Route 1 back before the Square 1 Mall, where one of the on-ramps was one of the most accident-ridden intersections in the country.
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Oh the good old days! Times were great back when people were maimed and killed on that on-ramp.

Are you a socialpath? What is the matter with you?
 
Reznor said:
I appreciate the density here.
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Ya sort of. But those apartments out back remind me a bit too much of the apartment building that was stuck in the middle of the Kowloon parking lot that they finally got rid off. I like mixed use as much as the next guy, but that doesn't mean just slapping apartment buildings wherever they fit.

Maybe if the residents have egress or at least pedestrian access to the residential areas on the Forest St then it won't be so isolated.
 
tangent said:
Ya sort of. But those apartments out back remind me a bit too much of the apartment building that was stuck in the middle of the Kowloon parking lot that they finally got rid off. I like mixed use as much as the next guy, but that doesn't mean just slapping apartment buildings wherever they fit.

Maybe if the residents have egress or at least pedestrian access to the residential areas on the Forest St then it won't be so isolated.
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I had forgotten about that old house! I just looked at historic aerials and sometime between 1978 and 1995 it was MOVED to that location from the front corner of the lot along the highway (replacing a long L-shaped building).
 
I just hope hockey town isin't torn down. I have good momories playing there as a child.
 
sm89 said:
I had forgotten about that old house! I just looked at historic aerials and sometime between 1978 and 1995 it was MOVED to that location from the front corner of the lot along the highway (replacing a long L-shaped building).
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Nice find. I was wondering how it had gotten there.

Even more amusing that someone figured that the parking lot of a restaurant was a good spot to just drop some apartment house out back. I assume there was a shrug and a head shake involved. Or maybe they just ran out of gas and left it there. A bit sad it is gone... as I can no longer readily point to it as the ready example of badly done "mixed use".
 
It'd be nice to see dedicated merging lanes planned as part of this development, and throughout the Route 1 corridor in the longer-term. I love Route 1 for all the reasons mentioned, but it's such a chaotic roadway (at least that is what my grandmother says :rolleyes:). It's good for seeing how fast your car can accelerate from 0 to 60 at least.

Solution - Make the first three lanes normal highway lanes, then create a separate merging lane on the far right for traffic pulling off and pulling on at lowers speed. That way people passing by and commuting would have a smoother ride, and those shopping can safely hop on an off.
 
Riverworks said:
Solution - Make the first three lanes normal highway lanes, then create a separate merging lane on the far right for traffic pulling off and pulling on at lowers speed. That way people passing by and commuting would have a smoother ride, and those shopping can safely hop on an off.
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Most of the newer complexes accommodate this already (Walmart, Trader Joes/Border Cafe, and Home Depot even though its older). A lot of times I will use the breakdown lane to some extent.

I actually think the interim should be to just stripe the rightmost lane with a dashed line (closer spacing) indicating that it's not a general travel lane.
 
Ha! Let's not also forget that Saugus was once either the car theft or car break-in capitol of the US back in the day, too.

fattony said:
Oh the good old days! Times were great back when people were maimed and killed on that on-ramp.

Are you a socialpath? What is the matter with you?
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