Roxbury Infill and Small Developments

Clearing/excavation has begun on Parcel 25 across from Roxbury Crossing (and has been underway for at least a week; it just clicked in my head what development the site was)
 
Downburst said:
Clearing/excavation has begun on Parcel 25 across from Roxbury Crossing (and has been underway for at least a week; it just clicked in my head what development the site was)
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Which parcel is this?

Don't leave us hanging.
 
reverend_paco said:
From Bay State Banner, via Universalhub... It looks like the funding for the Whittier St. Apts has been submitted to HUD about two weeks ago.

This project has a good chance of landing this money.

This plot of land is the one right next to the proposed Tremont Crossing development (the P3 parcel).

http://www.universalhub.com/2016/city-seeks-30-million-grant-re-do-whittier-street
http://baystatebanner.com/news/2016/jul/06/hopes-pinned-fed-grant-whittier-choice-plans/
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Someone on UHub asked about the $1B, so I'll ask that here as well. Why does the Bay State Banner say this is a $1B project?

The previously linked BBJ article said $300 million for 550 units, which is at least somewhat in line with Boston construction costs, but the Bay State Banner reads like $1 billion for 427 units + commercial space, which just seems crazy to me. So, what's the deal? Where is that extra $700 million being spent?
 
Scipio said:
A 39 unit row house development on Fort Hill is kicking up controversy: http://baystatebanner.com/news/2016/aug/17/controversial-project-raises-abutters-ire/

A block of row houses fits with a lot of Fort Hill's existing mix of row houses and freestanding buildings, so that objection seems like NIMBYism to me. But the architect has blood ties to Inspectional Services and so some scrutiny is deserved.
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I actually dont blame them. The image shows horrid, cheap-type rowhouses (the type on, eg, Forbes St in JP) that plunk down right at the sidewalk. True, there are a few handsome row houses on Fort Hill but these has at least a small yard in front and dont hulk onto the street. There's something yucky about flat, three story facades with no birm between sidewalk and facade. If I lived in that neighborhood, I'd oppose this too.
 
I love the style of the 2101 Washington st project. I realize this is just a renovation of an existing structure but I wish more architects today would design buildings like this. The differing window treatments, the pronounced cornices, the granite window borders, AND retail. It just looks like something that rightfully belongs in New England IMO
 
Plans have been filed for a mixed use Dudley Square development at 280-290 Warren Street. It will include 95 mixed-income apartments and 11,000 square feet of office/retail.

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http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/getattachment/d79ca7ae-fcab-4f32-a911-dc8c3e29be1e

From google maps it looks like they are knocking down an ugly church and other run down buildings that currently sit on the site.
 
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tysmith95 said:
Plans have been filed for a mixed use Dudley Square development at 280-290 Warren Street. It will include 95 mixed-income apartments and 11,000 square feet of office/retail.

2lm8enr.png


24q8e8j.png


http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/getattachment/d79ca7ae-fcab-4f32-a911-dc8c3e29be1e

From google maps it looks like they are knocking down an ugly church and other run down buildings that currently sit on the site.
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I LOVE IT! It almost looks Parisian! Imagine if the rest of the neighborhood and city were built to this density, and programmed in this way (elderly, inclusionary zoning, on-site retail/office space). Solid proposal for Roxbury!
 
dshoost88 said:
I LOVE IT! It almost looks Parisian! Imagine if the rest of the neighborhood and city were built to this density, and programmed in this way (elderly, inclusionary zoning, on-site retail/office space). Solid proposal for Roxbury!
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Dshoost -- The first view does look Parisian -- I stayed for a while working on a project in the 13th Arrondissement near to the Place d'italie

this view
place-d-Italie-Paris-installation-ephemere-art-urbain-rubalise-aeration-metro.jpg
is fairly representative and yes looks a bit like Future Roxbury [minus the tour d'eiffel huh huh huh]

By the way we should begin to practice our French the rumors are that the IOC since it couldn't have Boston is going for Paris in 2024
 
This looks mostly fantastic. Good scale for the neighborhood, upgrades some obsolete looking retail space, gets a bunch of housing into some of the currently dead space above the existing retail, has an architectural look that for me ranges from very good to great (in its context).

I wish there was less parking tucked under it, for the same reasons I wish developers were not being pushed to provide so much parking everywhere (that is, I think the blame on the amount of parking lies elsewhere than the developer). With less parking on the first floor, there could be more retail in the space they now allocate to Cruz Management. That’s property management firm affiliated with the developer – looks like they’re relocating HQ. That’s not a bad use to have go in that location, so this is not some huge loss, but a bit more retail would have been nice. Also the north façade ends up with a gaping garage opening.

All this is mostly quibbling. Overall, in its context, and how it alters that context, this is a giant improvement. I agree with fattony, I’d like to see lots of things like this going up, and not just in Boston and surrounding towns.
 
i'd like to see maybe an extra floor (or 2) on one or two of 'em to break it up. Faux Victorian for 1/2 of Roxbury i say. Faux, Goth, Tudor Revival in Newton and Brookline if we can get them to play. But, no more Queen Anne anywhere ever again by God.
 
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