The New Retail Thread

Some good news re: Downtown Crossing for a change - I just noticed Commonwealth Books opened another location at 9 Spring Lane (behind the "Pink" store). They have another DTX location under the old south church.
 
But to open that store, they closed the one on Boylston Street near Emerson College.
 
I didn't even know that one existed, so probably a good move.

The "for rent" signs were finally taken off the old Alpha Omega store in Harvard Square today...possibly portending something moving in?
 
Boston Globe - October 21, 2009
Cafe OK?d as 1st step of Hancock Tower plan

By Casey Ross, Globe Staff | October 21, 2009

Boston officials last night approved a plan to open an 8,000-square-foot restaurant in the John Hancock Tower, part of an effort by new owner Normandy Real Estate Partners to increase public traffic and attract tenants in this sluggish office market.

The restaurant will likely be a cafe-style eatery with a casual atmosphere, according to an executive familiar with the plan. Normandy, part of a joint venture that bought the Hancock at an auction last spring, also won approval to build a 120-space parking garage under the building.

Normandy?s renovation plan is more modest than one the previous owners proposed that would have expanded the tower?s ground floor with a glass-enclosed ?winter garden?? and added restaurants and a cafe. That plan drew objections from neighbors and ultimately died when the prior owner, Broadway Partners of New York, defaulted on its debt and lost the building to foreclosure.

Normandy?s proposal will only renovate the interior of the building, and not add to its footprint, according to plans filed with the BRA. The 8,000-square-foot cafe will be built on the ground-floor and mezzanine levels on the Stuart Street side of the building. The project, expected to begin early next year, will also include substantial renovations to the lobby.

The plan filed with the city also calls for a 2,000-square-foot restaurant or cafe on the St. James Street side, but Normandy does not expect to build that in the immediate future, a spokeswoman for the BRA said.

The changes to the 34-year-old tower are intended to provide more modern amenities to help compete with newer office buildings in the city. Normandy is trying to attract new office-users after several marquee tenants, including the advertising firm Hill Holliday, left during Broadway?s tenure as owner.

The planned parking garage would add 120 spaces to a below-ground level of the tower, enough to add premium parking for some executives, although many employees would still have to park at the nearby garage on Clarendon Street. A new access ramp to the garage will be added by removing 60 linear feet of glass along the Trinity Place side of the tower. The garage will also include spaces for 100 bicycles.
 
Why is there always bad news hidden amongst the good news?


"The planned parking garage would add 120 spaces to a below-ground level of the tower, enough to add premium parking for some executives, although many employees would still have to park at the nearby garage on Clarendon Street. A new access ramp to the garage will be added by removing 60 linear feet of glass along the Trinity Place side of the tower. The garage will also include spaces for 100 bicycles."

Sigh.


Im also assuming this new cafe will be open from 9-5 and closed on weekends.
 
The Design Research exhibit:

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Colorful!

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I've been looking for info about Design Research, what the history of the building is and what it's all about. Anyone want to direct me somewhere? I tried Wikipedia.
 
I've been looking for info about Design Research, what the history of the building is and what it's all about. Anyone want to direct me somewhere? I tried Wikipedia.

Dig around for Ben Thompson, the Architects Collaborative, Walter Gropius, iittala, Marimekko, Didriks (current retailer of product on display).

I'm looking at the architects here for affirmation, but to my best recollection the Cambridge building was the first of 10 or 11 stores, and a revolution in displaying furniture and household items, the design of which was considered exotic (NOrdic influence).

That's why it was surreal to shop at the Crate & Barrel. Even though it was "just" a Crate & Barrel, DR's legacy made places like C&B possible.
 
I hope this sends a very strong message to any potential future tenant -- use those display windows for their intended purpose!
 
One of the signs in the window read:

D/R

A General Store of Good Design
- That best describes the variety of furnishings and accessories gathered in D/R room settings. Considered modern classics now, these designs were not widely available to the public in the 1950s until imported by Design Research. Furniture designed by Aalto, Breuer, Mathsson, Wegner, Jacobsen, Bertoia, Mies van der Rohe and Saarinen, brought modern living to American homes.

Added to the mix were classic American ladderback chairs by E. A. Clore, bentwood furniture by Thonet and textured pieces made of willow and rush.

Ben Thompson and his design associates also created and produced exclusive furniture pieces for the store, including the classic D/R sofa, the TAC daybed, the Brandeis bench, and Butcher-block tables.

This display of vintage pieces represents the furniture and accessories for seating and dining areas that were sold at D/R from 1953 through 1978. Some of these furniture designs are still manufactured today.
 
Link doesn't work. What were you looking for?

That sucks -- I didn't check if it worked.

I did an advanced post by post search for "ablarc" and "Ben Thompson."

The results make for some of the most interesting discussions we've had. I was up reading some of it 'til all hours...
 
Hynes is taking for ever
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The old city convenience store on mass ave/comm ave is becoming....
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Hurray. We needed more of those.
 
What is going on here? They are gutting the useless but attractive archway for some retail? Are they extending the sidewalk outside?
 
I think restaurant rather than retail. Don't we have a Hynes thread somewhere where this was discussed (though not for quite a while)?
 
jass, good photos. I tried to take a couple of the Hynes the other day but couldn't get them above the fenced-in area.
 
Three or four new restaurants at Hynes. Patrick Lyons is doing one of them. Should liven up the Prudential plaza a bit.
 

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