The Abbot Building | 1-30 Brattle St | Harvard Square | Cambridge

I got the impression when I talked with a staff member today that the store wouldn't survive the downtime for construction.

My reaction, having witnessed the Tasty block's evolution is heck no.
 
Ehh, the existing building is 2 stories adjacent to a shitload of pure residential (Harvard campus) and a heavy rail stop. My complaint is it isn't high enough- why fight the war over a zoning variance only to add a few extra stories?
 
Harvard Square could use a 425' mixed use spire w/ skylobby & brewhouse.

the possibilities give me chills.
 
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Harvard Square itself will never get that.
 
The project in question:

The Harvard Collection

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For the most part, it maintains the urban fabric and storefronts at street level. Which I appreciate. But the major exception is the corner itself, where Curious George would become an escalator. To me, that unique retailer adds a lot of interest and vitality to what is otherwise the blah-corner of an iconic intersection.

Also, a weird downside to maintaining the urban fabric at street level and capping everything off with glass is the resulting insipidness of the design. It looks dated, boring, stodgy, insecure, a if it knows its a travesty and so just wants to "blend in" as if everyone would forget it's there.
 
Yeah.

Good news is at least there are no new curb-cuts.

But makes me wonder if it woudn't be better to scrape the anonymous two-story mid-block building (Urban Outfitters) and add some meaningful density, with a general upgrade to the architecture and especially a more engaging streetwall - e.g. a couple floors of retail with a half dozen floors of hotel or residential on top like the peets coffee / grendles building or the brand-new one where chili's used to be.....maybe that's the long game anyway, we'll see.

Above Curious George is Dewy-Cheetham & Howe, of course.

To paraphrase something more eloquent: If every generation gets the Harvard Square it deserves, then this was probably inevitable...
 
According to Curbed the Curious George Store in Harvard Square will remain for the foreseeable future:

The Curious George store in Harvard Square—the only one of its kind in the world—is staying in the area under what’s apparently a long-term lease with its landlord.
Click to expand...
 
dirtywater said:
According to Curbed the Curious George Store in Harvard Square will remain for the foreseeable future:
Click to expand...

The mall is still getting built though, as of now. They've just committed to let Curious George have a new space in the development, both interim during construction and then a final space.
 
WTF has happened to Harvard Square?? I admit it has been several years since I have been there, but it looks like the place is being ripped apart.

Am I over-reacting like my dad, who used to grumble about the Hayes-Bickford cafeteria not being around how hippies ruined everything?
 
Dewey, Cheatham & Howe is still there. The window has a white panel behind it.

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