Re: The Apartments at 525 Huntington Ave (Wentworth)
So a friend from school (who also lurks on this board) went to the project review meeting last night.
Everything is still the same as what the PNF says except for a larger setback of 18' on Louis Prang.
Allegedly they are going for extremely luxurious dorms - granite countertops, dishwashers, and IN-UNIT WASHERS AND DRYERS (you can actually see them in the plans!) are all included as of now. We'll see what happens with these amenities as time goes on. I personally think this is crazy, but hey, the lack of laundry facilities in the basement allows for that "bike maintenance and storage" facility.
Project cost is currently projected at $43 million.
Comments were as follows:
1. Mission Hill/Fenway Residents are in support of this project, as it will help move students back onto campus and out of their neighborhoods and help alleviate the housing crunch in the area. Many longtime residents have seen their working class neighborhoods transform into “ghettos” with disruptive, transitive, students. They are excited that the local institutions are taking an initiative to move them back to campus. They also like the design of the building and its placement on Huntington Ave; they think it fits nicely. Councilman Ross also supports this project.
2. Owners of 11 & 17-19 (private owners and a fraternity) are fiercely against the building. They fear the building is Wentworth increasingly encroaching on their neighborhood and that the building is too tall and massive and does not fit with their neighborhood “dynamic”. The also fear for the structural stability of their buildings as excavation begins. They wanted the building to be three floors max or the park space kept. They feel like they are being pushed off and will have to move somewhere else.
(Emphasis mine. These NIMBYs are just insane.)
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My take on this:
Given the luxury amenities, this dorm will undoubtedly be a senior and/or/only a graduate student dorm. WIT is rapidly expanding graduate programs. They currently have Arch and Management. For graduate housing, the amenities are appropriate.
