The Eddy | 6 New Street | East Boston

[JimboJones]

From today's Globe:

Residential projects on two prominent East Boston waterfront sites with postcard views of downtown have been stalled for years, but that's not stopping owners of an old industrial complex on New Street from moving forward.

The Ohanian family, which has owned the four underused commercial buildings near Maverick Square for four decades, have filed plans with the city to spend about $90 million to turn the four-acre site into about 150 residences, with a hotel or additional living units in a second phase.

The owners have hired Ed Nardi and Cresset Development, which is redeveloping the old Jimmy's Harborside site on the South Boston Waterfront, to help them through the cumbersome permit process for turning industrial locations into residential neighborhoods.

Bruce Ohanian said the family hopes to complete permitting with the city and state this year and then decide whether to build condominiums or rental apartments. "The market is in such turmoil right now, all we can say is it's going to be residential," he said yesterday. The project wouldn't open until at least 2010.

Nearby, East Pier, along Marginal Street, has been planned for years as a four-building luxury complex on the water. But building costs skyrocketed, the residential market went soft, and the developers have scaled back.

Between East Pier and New Street is Clippership Wharf, owned by Arthur Winn for several years but never developed. A sale of the property to an apartment developer fell through last year.

Saul Perlera, a real estate broker, said the East Boston condo market is reasonably healthy, though nothing like it was in 2005. Prices for any newly constructed units on the water, like New Street, would be considerably higher than in existing buildings.

"It will probably be trend-setting for the pricing," Perlera said. "By the time they finish, the market will be back."

The buildings along little New Street, most dating from about 1900, were used for cold storage of fish and later supported the Ohanian family candy business, Deran Confectionery Co. of East Cambridge, which made Haviland Thin Mints. Since about the 1980s some have been vacant and some have had a mix of industrial uses.

The site has buildings of nine, five, three, and one stories. The plan is to redevelop the tallest one, adding three floors and yielding 148 one- and two-bedroom units.

The other three buildings would be demolished, with a new six-floor structure to include either 62 more residences or a 106-room hotel, plus a restaurant, public areas, and parking.

Several thousand cubic yards of soil would be dredged from the harbor to create a recreational and commercial marina, and the new buildings would be edged by a new 500-foot stretch of the Harborwalk.

The owners have hired Steffian Bradley Architects of Boston for the project.

The Boston Harbor Association, while supporting waterfront residences, pushes hard for retention of maritime industrial use around the harbor - including along New Street, which will have new piers and truck access from local streets. "We believe the New Street development project has the potential of being a model for combined usage of the waterfront by maritime industrial and nonmaritime industrial uses," the association wrote to state environmental officials, commenting on the project.

"Clearly the East Boston waterfront is changing," association executive director Vivien Li said yesterday. "We want to make sure future residents are aware of the fact that it is an industrial area."

In her letter assessing the project, Li proposed that the deeds for condos sold there include language making owners with East Boston's phenomenal views of downtown aware that "the operation of water-dependent facilities . . . adjacent to this site will generate noise," as well as emissions from trucks and vessels.

Ohanian said that won't be a problem. "There really is no more heavy industry in Boston," he said, adding, "It's nice to have the tugboats."

Source: http://www.boston.com/realestate/ne...dences_planned_at_new_street_industrial_site/ - By Thomas C Palmer, Jr., The Boston Globe

 

[nico]

Re: New Street, East Boston multi-use project

This is my favorite site in East Boston and I would be heart broken if they didn't include both buildings on the corner of Maverick and New St. in their development. These two red brick industrial buildings that meet to form a 90 degree angle on the right hand side w/no alley seperating them. This creates a real closed in feel; an industrial-urban gorge.
If you're on Maverick looking towards New St. there is a steel door w/an archway over it. The brick archway is outlines the door, painted black w/white lettering "Boston Fuel Trans" and arrows pointing to an office. The first time I saw it I was like "wow, whatever happens over here, this has to stay."
For years now I've invisioned a hotel on the water facing downtown. There are many tugboats that are docked behind the building and I always thought it would be great to convert them into passenger boats for transport to and from the proper, cambridge, etc.

 

[belmont square]

Re: New Street, East Boston multi-use project

Love the Boston Fuel Trans building as well, but I don't think its part of this development parcel. In the rendering (which I hadn't seen before today) I believe that building is the long shed-like structure all the way to the left edge. The nine story building (which looks like it's being reclad) has a terrific location at a corner of the Eastie waterfront with views across to downtown in one direction and Charlestown/Tobin Bridge in the other. The site has the added benefit of being about as far removed from a flight path as is possible in Eastie.

 

[whighlander]

Re: New Street, East Boston multi-use project

Never, quite understood why Eastie along about Maverick didn't get seriously developed in the last boom.

Look at its features:
1) Short walk to Maverick T -- then 1 /2 stops to the to Financial District
2) spectacular year round view of the inner harbor and skyline
3) easy access to waterfront for marinas, tourist boats, commuter boats
4) and the added bonus you can walk to Logan.
5) Now you can add in the direct access to I-90 and via Ted Williams to the rest of the Northeast of the US.
6) Via Logan you have access to a one-seat ride to South Station and Amtrack and bus service in the NE corridor

You could develop it as a unified district {Euro-district} focusing on the needs of the International crowd -- providing the ultimate Euro-style old city ethos {London, Paris, Krakow, etc.}, just across the harbor from downtown Boston and a five minute walk from Logan. I would envision, consultants and companies with Euro Offices or Euro Companies with smallish presence here -- would flock to a mixed use development with relatively low street walls {FAA restrictions} providing offices, residences, perhaps a short-term suite-style hotel and specialized retail.

Closer to Logan proper the Euro-district could seamlessly blend into a site designed for businesses that benefit from their close contact with air freight forwarding and FEDEX / UPS package shipments.

This would be a much more valuable use of the Eastie area than the low income housing and abandoned piers that dominate the area today.

Westy

 

[justin]

Re: New Street, East Boston multi-use project

Noise.

 

[belmont square]

Re: New Street, East Boston multi-use project

Hasn't held back City Point. Or for that matter the Seaport District/Fort Point (or at least it hasn't been cited as the reason for slower development there).

 

[bdurden]

Re: New Street, East Boston multi-use project

Perceived accessibility?

 

[Ron Newman]

Re: New Street, East Boston multi-use project

This area is easier to reach than City Point -- just hop on the Blue Line.

 

[bdurden]

Re: New Street, East Boston multi-use project

^Perceived being the key word.

 

[ckb]

Re: New Street, East Boston multi-use project

A couple years ago I had a friend who lived in East Boston. During the day, his place was as easy to get to from Boston and Cambridge as anywhere in Allston/Brighton/JP. But once the T stops running, you have little alternative to get to or from East Boston but an expensive and often hard-to-find cab ride (plus tolls) -- no walking or biking through the tunnels. Even though my friend liked the place, the neighborhood, and the rent, he moved back to Cambridge -- the inaccessibility of the place - both perceived and real, was too big a stumbling block.

FWIW, airport noise wasn't an issue for him at all ... the orientation of the runways keeps the planes from flying directly overhead most parts of East Boston.

 

[nico]

Re: New Street, East Boston multi-use project

Are there any tunnels equal in size to the Callahan/Sumner that accommodate pedestrians and or bicyclists?

 

[belmont square]

Re: New Street, East Boston multi-use project

Changing the taxi fare policy would go along way in improving Eastie's accessibility (real or perceived). Taxis are not allowed to charge passengers the inbound toll when taking them through the tunnels in the free (to Eastie) direction, but since they are very unlikely to get a return fare they tend to either add the $4.50 toll illegally, or deny trips to the Eastie-bound passengers (also illegal). A solution that allows deadheading taxis to use the tunnels for free would seem to be the answer.

As for walking/bicycling access after the subways close, I've certainly walked distances of 4 or 5 miles after the bars closed in my younger years, but are there that many people walking to JP or Allston from downtown on foot after 1am?

 

[Ron Newman]

Re: New Street, East Boston multi-use project

Are there any tunnels equal in size to the Callahan/Sumner that accommodate pedestrians and or bicyclists?

Yes, there are a couple connecting Alameda to Oakland, California.

 

[cden4]

Re: New Street, East Boston multi-use project

Here's a pie-in-the-sky idea. After the T stops running for the evening, make one lane in the Sumner and Callahan a bicycles-only lane. Put free or cheap self-service rental bicycles at each end.

 

[nico]

Re: New Street, East Boston multi-use project

The tunnels are old and in need of repair; thought adding room for bicycles on the elevated walkway would be enough of a pipe dream...no pun intended.

 

[ckb]

Re: New Street, East Boston multi-use project

When I mentioned that you can't walk or bike to/from East Boston, I wasn't really suggesting that we should find a way to make it walkable or bikeable. I was just pointing out a way in which the area is (and is perceived to be) far from the rest of the city.

The only real way to make East Boston closer to the rest of Boston is to continue to improve the subway access ... later hours, extending to Charles/MGH, if not beyond in some direction, etc.

 

[cden4]

Re: New Street, East Boston multi-use project

In all seriousness, it would be nice if there were a cantilevered multiuse path on the Tobin, so that people COULD walk or bike to and from East Boston easily.

 

[philip]

Re: New Street, East Boston multi-use project

I grew up on New St. We lived there for a while after my dad left. I remember this area before the city built Lopresti Park. I still visit friend there. It was quite the mess of dilapidated old piers.

I am so happy this is finally happening. The wave, hopefully, will continue even though the Border St. area is designated a port area. Who knows maybe Massport can be convinced to free it up. And as someone pointed out these are the best views of downtown hands down!! Also the Central Sq area is ripe also. These areas of East Boston have enormous potential, but development will be slow and dependent on getting these proposals done first.

I grew up watching town get built up from the best seat in the house, and its happening all over again in the Seaport. Piers park is a great place to see this and a very nice destination itself.

To answer a few things:

There is really no airport noise here, most of the noise comes from the harbor, tankers, tugs and sometimes cruise boats playing music really loud.

There had been some increase in demand for higher end housing in Eastie and its easy access to Town and lower cost of housing is appealing to some but, Eastie is not a desirable place to live even now. It will take these development proposals and more public and private investment for a lot of people to seriously think about it.

There were jokes that we'd pay @$200 in rent for our view and they would pay much much more for a view of the projects in Maverick, old warehouses and run-down piers.

I live in Medford now, when I tell people where I grew up they seem to cringe and guard what the say. It was home to me!!

As far as walking to East Boston you can thorough Charlestown and into Chelsea then over the Meridien St Bridge but it would be quite silly. i doubt anyone will build a walkway anytime soon. (though its great idea!!) There was a time you could walk from Charlestown to Chelsea I hear.

When I was kid we would hang around town and walk the tracks from Aquarium to Maverick after the trains had stop running, partly for the fun and partly to save the money. You could exit through Old Maverick with its ornamental tile walls and turn around. It was a very, very cool and spooky place. We'd come out through a passage in the Clippership Lane elderly development.


I think the best and maybe most feasible plan to increase access to East Boston is to:

*Continue developing the waterfront and adjoining areas

*I recall plans to build a museum focusing on the shipbuilding history of East Boston. This and other cultural destinations would give people to visit more often (you don't hear about to many people visiting East Boston for the day)

*Also with these destinations and built up and attractive waterfront, I think increasing water taxi and other boat transportation to get people around may be the best and most feasible way to link Eastie to the rest of Boston. I think all area town and cities should have encourage their waterfront developments to link to the water. (Chelsea, Everett, Medford, Malden) as well as towns connected to the other rivers in the area (Charles, Neponset). We could have ourselves a healthy and active network of water transprtation to all these areas.

*Some new bus routes through the tunnels, if justified, would also be good)

As it is the T service works well for what?s there now. I think any changes will depend on development and demand.

any ?'s get lemme know

 

[PaulC]

New Street - East Boston

Please be advised that are two upcoming meetings regarding the proposed New Street Development located at 6-26 New Street in East Boston. All members of the public and press are welcome to attend both meetings.

1. New Street Development Impact Advisory Group (?IAG?) Meeting: Wednesday, April 14, 6:30-8:00PM, at the Maverick Landing Community Center, 31 Liverpool Street, East Boston.
? The purpose of the meeting is for the development team to update the IAG on the project and to present the Planned Development Area Development Plan that was submitted to the BRA on March 31, 2010.

2. Article 80 Community Meeting: Wednesday, April 21, 6:30-8:00PM, at the Maverick Landing Community Center, 31 Liverpool Street, East Boston.
? The purpose of the meeting is for the development team to update the community on the New Street Development and to present the Planned Development Area Development Plan.

Project Proponent/Developer: New Street Realty Trust

Project Description: The Proponent filed a Planned Development Area Development Plan relating to the New Street Development, which includes the redevelopment of an existing nine-story building that will include an addition with a maximum building height of 199 feet, the construction of a new six-story building, and the construction of a three-level parking structure. The project site contains four existing concrete buildings, three of which will be removed. The proposed project contains a mix of uses including up to 224 residential units, possibly a hotel, facilities of public accommodation on the ground floor, including a restaurant, a recreational marina, access for Designated Port Area uses, and up to 193 parking spaces.

Close of Comment Period regarding the Planned Development Area Development Plan: Friday, May 14, 2010.

PLEASE SEND COMMENTS TO: KRISTIN KARA
BOSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
ONE CITY HALL SQUARE, 9TH FLOOR
BOSTON, MA 02201

FAX TO: 617-742-7783
PHONE: 617-918-4263
EMAIL TO: kristin.kara.bra@cityofboston.gov

Project Notification Form
http://www.bostonredevelopmentautho...evelopment/PNF/New Street Development_PNF.pdf

Planned Development Area
http://www.bostonredevelopmentautho...evelopment/PDA/New Street Development_PDA.pdf

Draft Project
http://www.bostonredevelopmentautho...elopment/DPIR/New Street Development_DPIR.pdf

Impact Report
http://www.bostonredevelopmentautho...elopment/DPIR/New Street Development_DPIR.pdf

 

[Ron Newman]

Re: New Street - East Boston

What is now in the building that they propose to keep? Is it the one that now contains Atlantic Works ?