The Marc (former Our Lady of Victories Church) | 25-29 Isabella Street | Bay Villiage

[Vivanna]

I like the project. Seeing this rendering, I have two questions:

What's the story behind this parking lot? Why has it never been developed?

What happened to the restaurant space formerly occupied by Smith and Wolensky? That was a very nice space within the Castle.

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S&W's space in the castle was nice but they never performed very well there. They decided to open up at Atlantic Wharf, which is doing well, and let the lease expire at the castle.

 

[itchy]

Another grotesque-ification of a church, the buildings that had the most architectural effort and pride (of regular citizens, versus the mega rich of the time) put into them.

Good that they retained something.

Pathetic that they had to make it look so freakish, like the former Holy Trinity German Church ("the Lucas") or the poor church along the Mass Pike in Newton whose spire looks like a Third World country's air defense network. A self-respecting city would have a historic preservation culture and legal framework that would save the building without turning it into an unwanted cartoon.

Meanwhile the jerk*** developer keeps the freaking parking lot perfectly intact while mutilating the historic church. There should be laws requiring corporal punishment for this sort of thing.

 

[stick n move]

Another grotesque-ification of a church, the buildings that had the most architectural effort and pride (of regular citizens, versus the mega rich of the time) put into them.

Good that they retained something.

Pathetic that they had to make it look so freakish, like the former Holy Trinity German Church ("the Lucas") or the poor church along the Mass Pike in Newton whose spire looks like a Third World country's air defense network. A self-respecting city would have a historic preservation culture and legal framework that would save the building without turning it into an unwanted cartoon.

Meanwhile the jerk*** developer keeps the freaking parking lot perfectly intact while mutilating the historic church. There should be laws requiring corporal punishment for this sort of thing.

I actually think it looks fine, much better than this abomination imo.

 

[stellarfun]

I like the project. Seeing this rendering, I have two questions:

What's the story behind this parking lot? Why has it never been developed?

What happened to the restaurant space formerly occupied by Smith and Wolensky? That was a very nice space within the Castle.

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View attachment 38704

I think the parking lot and the brick building to its image left may be associated with this.

https://www.bostonmagazine.com/2010/12/26/what-happened-w-hotel/4/

Different entity than the owner/developer of the church.

 

[Java King]

I think the parking lot and the brick building to its image left may be associated with this.

https://www.bostonmagazine.com/2010/12/26/what-happened-w-hotel/4/

Different entity than the owner/developer of the church.

Interesting article, but that was 13 years ago!

 

[stellarfun]

Interesting article, but that was 13 years ago!

The parking lot may be a collaterized asset, underpinning other properties.

See also:
https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/t...ank-sawyer-heirs-not-liable-in-tax-court.html

^^^where one or more family trusts may still be in play.

 

[mssrro]

6/10:

 

[RandomWalk]

Dresden calling…

 

[taketern]

 

[mssrro]

As of 9/4...not much of the original church left at this point.

 

[DAVE]

Maybe I'm crazy, but I don't feel like the facade of this church was worthy of preserving...

 

[JeffDowntown]

Maybe I'm crazy, but I don't feel like the facade of this church was worthy of preserving...

I suspect that they had to preserve the façade to get to build on the footprint. Bay Village is a protected historic neighborhood.

 

[DominusNovus]

My wife used to go to that church any time she had a reason to go to Mass during the work week. I never had the chance to go myself, but its sad to see it gutted.

 

[king_vibe]

My wife used to go to that church any time she had a reason to go to Mass during the work week. I never had the chance to go myself, but its sad to see it gutted.

Sad, but not as sad as seeing it in a landfill.