The New Retail Thread

Hey, lookin' good! FYI that's where the old Berklee Books was.

Can't believe it's only been two-ish years since I lived there... I hardly recognize the ground level experience any more.
 
kz1000ps said:
Hey, lookin' good! FYI that's where the old Berklee Books was.

Can't believe it's only been two-ish years since I lived there... I hardly recognize the ground level experience any more.
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The new bookstore put up their sign this weekend. Electric blue neon! I don't do pictures, but was shocked the BRA approved it!
 
Petco was always supposed to be the lead tenant at 226 Harvard. The lease was the original means to finance the project. They got cold feet and pulled out in the construction phase. Guess they figured out that the world is not ending and people will buy overpriced pet items.
 
I wonder how long that other small pet store will last now that petco is moving in right down the street.

I have only been in there twice, but both times it was way to crowded, looked dirty, and the animals looks very sickly.
 
JoeGallows said:
The ugly-ass green and white brick arches at 58 Summer Street (where the McDonalds used to be a few years ago) have finally come down. A company bought the retail condo and seems to be renovating the unit to attract a tenant.

Some info about the space.

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They finished the exterior, it appears... now just waiting for a tenant.

Also the Eagles Deli in Cleveland Circle is finished inside and appears to be open for business (haven't had my camera with me yet).
 
can someone tell me why they board up the windows when they renovate,makes it look like an eyesore imo
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AdamBC said:
Also the Eagles Deli in Cleveland Circle is finished inside and appears to be open for business (haven't had my camera with me yet).
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I went there today. I am amazed at how different it is. It is like they completely razed the building and started from scratch. The food is the same but better quality though :)

UniversalHub is reporting a new restaurant is trying to open at 61 Mass. Ave., but unsurprisingly the NABB are opposed. (Ok ok opposed to the liquor license.)

http://www.universalhub.com/2010/only_back_bay_neighborhood_group_opposes_new_resta
 
Storefront at 667-669 Boylston St, Boston, is scheduled to become an ice-cream parlor, if the building's owner gets ZBA approval. (Based on the map, this appears to be the site that currently has the "Sweets" sign in the window; was previously an "Aveda" salon? - Next to Marathon Sports.)
 
Urban Meritage LLC has petitioned the ZBA to rehab the building at 236 Newbury Street, changing it from 19 apartments and retail to eleven apartments and retail, plus add a two-story addition.

I'm not sure the locale of this. The CVS at that corner, Newbury and Fairfield streets, is listed as 240 Newbury Street. That building is shorter than those next door. From the Google Maps, however, 236 Newbury is as tall as the other buildings on the block, so I don't see how the owner would ever get approval for twenty+/- feet in additional height.
 
The refurbished Eagles Deli:

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Doesn't have the same vibe as before.

edit: changing image host
 
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I don't know what it was like before, but I think it looks pretty good now.
 
wtf? Did they really take down the polaroids? That was half the fun!

I do think Eagle's kinda jumped the shark with the five pound "challenge" burger. It's just wrong in so many ways.
 
The new building is almost identical looking to the chipotle 3 stores down.

they put some of the photos back up on the doorway of the new place, but it will never be as fun as the old joint.

I agree with the five pounder. I once finished the two pounder and that was a struggle. I don't know if its just the newness, but the burgers kind of tasted better and the fries were crispier.

Also, they bring the food to your table now, instead of calling your number.
 
It is funny how much Cleveland circle has changed in the past two/three years.

New Chipotle
New Citibank
New Sushi place (well, kind of older by now)
New Icecream place in the old BOA Atm's
New Cityside bar and grill
Bangkok bistro painted
Hardware store redone
Eagles redone
Laundromat semi-redone with a bubbletea place added.

Now we need to get rid of that empty blockbuster storefront and tear down appleabeas and the old showcase.
 
http://www.boston.com/business/arti...new_balance_also_has_plans_for_brighton_site/

Lowe?s to try again on Hub store
But New Balance also has plans for Brighton site
By Casey Ross
Globe Staff / February 16, 2010

After stalling out last year, the home improvement giant Lowe?s is again trying to build its first store in Boston, on property along the Massachusetts Turnpike in Brighton, aiming to preempt a competing plan for a larger mixed-use development by shoemaker New Balance.

A Lowe?s executive said the company will file a new development plan with the city in the next few weeks for a 145,000-square-foot store between the turnpike and Guest Street, just below the major crossroad of Market Street. The home improvement company hopes to begin construction later this year.

?We?re ready and eager to start building,?? said a Lowe?s spokeswoman, Maureen Rich.

The company signed a development agreement with the property owner in 2007 but was unable to win city approvals because of residents? concerns about traffic and other issues.

Meanwhile, New Balance, whose headquarters is next to the proposed Lowe?s, is floating plans for a larger development on the property that would include an expansion of its offices, a park, housing, and additional commercial space. New Balance built a corporate headquarters on Guest Street in December 2000.

A New Balance spokeswoman declined to comment in detail, saying the company plans to offer its development plan during a Feb. 24 community meeting.

?We have a broad vision for the future of the Guest Street area that includes transit-oriented, phased, and sustainable development,?? said the spokeswoman, Amy Dow. ?We look forward to engaging in dialogue with the residents of Allston-Brighton.??

The parcel is about 10 acres, and Lowe?s would use of about 8. The property owner, David Wanger, said he is trying to interest New Balance in using 2 acres.

?There could be a mixed-use project here where all three of us are involved, and we hope there will still be an opportunity to pursue that vision,?? said Wanger, president of Marathon Realty Corp., of Newton.

Although it?s unclear how much land New Balance needs, it appears to be far more than the 2 acres Wanger is offering. The property owner said his agreement with Lowe?s remains intact, and he expects the retailer to move forward with building its store.

State Representative Michael Moran, a Democrat, said New Balance has outlined a 20-year plan to add another office building, a large park, housing, and commercial space.

Executives have also talked about building an outdoor skating rink and a movie theater in the area.

The plan depends in part on whether the state builds a commuter rail station that New Balance and others are seeking for the neighborhood. Moran said transportation officials are reviewing possible locations but have not said when they will decide.

As for the Lowe?s, Moran said he opposes construction of the store, citing continued concerns about traffic. ?It wasn?t a good idea in 2008, and it?s not a good idea now,?? he said.

Lowe?s said it will spend $1.7 million to upgrade traffic signals and intersections and will improve pedestrian access.

?We?re heard the residents loud and clear that traffic is the primary concern,?? said Rich, the company?s spokeswoman. She added that details about its plan to improve transportation will be released in coming weeks.

Rich said Lowe?s, which opened its first Massachusetts store in 2000 and has 27 locations statewide, wants to start construction this year, creating about 200 construction jobs and 175 permanent positions when it opens.

Casey Ross can be reached at cross@globe.com.
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With the Watertown Home Depot half a mile away, I think the choice between mixed use development and big box retail here is obvious.
 
palindrome said:
It is funny how much Cleveland circle has changed in the past two/three years.

New Chipotle
New Citibank
New Sushi place (well, kind of older by now)
New Icecream place in the old BOA Atm's
New Cityside bar and grill
Bangkok bistro painted
Hardware store redone
Eagles redone
Laundromat semi-redone with a bubbletea place added.

Now we need to get rid of that empty blockbuster storefront and tear down appleabeas and the old showcase.
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Applebees fits the are perfectly. It is cheap.

Shepard said:
With the Watertown Home Depot half a mile away, I think the choice between mixed use development and big box retail here is obvious.
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The only thing I can see that would push this through is that Lowe's is ready to build this year.
 
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