South End Infill and Small Developments

The "1850" is putting the remainder of their units up for auction:

http://www.boston.com/realestate/news/blogs/renow/2009/06/south_end_condo.html
South End condo auction another sign of the times
Posted by Scott Van Voorhis June 3, 2009 09:00 AM
The idea of buying into the South End for less than $200,000 back during the boom would have seemed unthinkable.

But in another example of how the real estate downturn is now starting to hit even the top tier neighborhoods and towns, the developers of the 1850, a loft complex in the South End, plan to put more than half their units up for auction on June 28.

And yes, the minimum bid for some units will start below $200,000, actually $175,000 to be exact.

The auction phenomenon has been sweeping the country, with developers using these one-day sales extravaganzas to unload big blocks of unsold units in new condo projects.

Ironically, the trend got its start with the auction of dozens of units at the Folio complex in downtown Boston nearly three years ago.

But after that big splash, the auction concept never caught fire here, even as developers in cities across the country latched onto the idea to cut their losses and move unsold units.
Still, a lot has happened during those years, with even the seemingly once impregnable downtown Boston luxury condo market finally seeing both prices and sales fall.

Anyway, here?s the scoop. Thirty-five of the 60 units of the 1850, a piano warehouse converted into lofts by the Cresset Group, will hit the auction block on the 28th, a Sunday.

Minimum bids range from $175,000 for units that were once listed for more than $300,000, up to just under $800,000 for the top units. The units range in size from 679 square feet to more than 1,500.

Cresset has teamed up with Wells Fargo to offer mortgages for qualified buyers with FICO scores of more than 700. The loans are 90 percent, requiring 10 percent down.

Velocity Marketing Services, a local firm that has carved out a big niche in the auction field, will oversee the one-day sale.

It will be very interesting to see how the 1850 auction goes ? and whether this marketing tactic finally catches on among Boston condo developers.
 
took this ,this morning did'nt know where to put it! Nice building!
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What's strange is that despite current market conditions, a luxury condo building is going up directly across from the NEIDL bldg on Albany. Crazy location in a crazy market.
 
that's okay. But shouldn't we be done building glass buildings?
 
that's okay. But shouldn't we be done building glass buildings?

Why do you say that? Tenants love them because they have better views. Remember, glass wall buildings haven't even been around 100 years yet. There is much potential there.
 
That is the new home of Hope House, "an 80-bed non-profit residential treatment program for male alcoholics and substance abusers in need of help and willing to commit to recovery."

Hope House moved from Upton Street in the South End to the other side of Melnea Cass Blvd, on Harrison Ave / Farnham Street. It's a great facility - short- and long-term tenancy (I think) with a kitchen / dining room and activity / community rooms.

Hope House moved out of its 50-year home in the South End, selling its three buildings to Pine Street Inn, which hopes to move recently-homeless men into apartments on the site, once renovations have been completed.

Many of the neighbors on Upton Street are vehemently opposed to Pine Street's plans, wishing instead that one or all of the buildings were turned into market-rate housing.

http://www.hopehouseboston.org/
 
I think the building's material palette is hideous, but the overall gist of the design is fairly solid. If there had been a larger budget for materials and to refine the design to be a little less grunty, it could have been a very nice building. I could see a lovely reclad 30 years down the road when someone is smart enough to rezone the light industrial area along Melena Cass Blvd back to residential.
 
It looks like a self storage facility. Quite a downgrade from their previous building and neighborhood.
 
Well in that way the design is contextual....
 
The building is at Hampden St and Farnham St in Roxbury. It replaced a smaller one story structure and empty lots. Relative to it's surroundings, it's actually quite a nice building and while it's not obvious in this picture, the awnings over the doors really make the thing. Not sure the use, but it's definitely not storage.
 
New infill going up on the corner of Clarendon and Lawrence in the South End. It's going to be a contemporary brick row house, built for and designed by a local architect. This was a surface parking lot.

4008145039_81fdd41a68_o.jpg
 
I wonder what "contemporary" means in the South End these days?
 
I wonder what "contemporary" means in the South End these days?

I saw some drawings of the design a few months ago, and it looked unapologetically contemporary. Nothing crazy, but I dont think anyone will mistake it for it's Victorian neighbors.
 

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