Union Square Somerville Infill and Small Developments

Equilibria said:
Nice contextual infill replacing a Subway:


Huh - I guess we can still build stuff like this. We just choose not to.

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I love that. I also love what seems to be a mural that will be on the sidewall there as a backing to a potential rooftop (bar/patio???) for The Independent next door. THAT would be beneficial "spacemaking". What a great bonus to enhance the neighbor's space!
 
This feels like it's stretching a bit calling this Union Square, but its definitely adjacent. Yesterday night there was the first community meeting about the former La Ronga Bakery site at 599 Somerville Ave. Only a few massing diagrams at this point, but they did include some "look and feel" images of what they're aiming for. For reference, Rafi Properties are the same folks that own the Somernova complex (Aeronaut, Brooklyn Boulders, Harvard Bookstore Warehouse). More deets in a twitter thread covering the meeting here.
599 Somerville Ave Massing.jpeg
 
Texasian said:
This feels like it's stretching a bit calling this Union Square, but its definitely adjacent. Yesterday night there was the first community meeting about the former La Ronga Bakery site at 599 Somerville Ave. Only a few massing diagrams at this point, but they did include some "look and feel" images of what they're aiming for. For reference, Rafi Properties are the same folks that own the Somernova complex (Aeronaut, Brooklyn Boulders, Harvard Bookstore Warehouse). More deets in a twitter thread covering the meeting here. View attachment 11999
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We need a decent neighborhood name for this strip of development along Somerville Ave between Wilson Square and Union Square. Maybe, Central Somerville Ave., Wil-U district (Wilson-Union)?

That being said, this makes me recall so much the La Ronga baked goods. :\
 
ra84970 said:
We need a decent neighborhood name for this strip of development along Somerville Ave between Wilson Square and Union Square.
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Neighborhood is right about where a future GLX-Alewife/Porter infill station goes. Easiest space taking (and station naming) is probably at Conway Park.

3 stories seems right here for the neighborhood context- the 6 story Cambria feels large already only 2 blocks away.
 
Vagabond said:
Neighborhood is right about where a future GLX-Alewife/Porter infill station goes. Easiest space taking (and station naming) is probably at Conway Park.
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I'd suppose that the T's not going to name a future station there after the street crossing/potential overpass - Park St, Part Deux? :p It also feels like the T's new GLX stations are being named after the neighborhood rather than streets or other features, keeping in line with that, it brings me back to what's an appropriate neighborhood name for this corner of the 'ville.
 
Out of curiosity I looked up Bostonography's crowd sourced map from 2017, and that area just appears as a no man's land between Spring Hill, Porter, Union, and Duck Village. Assuming GLX-Porter ever happens the area will probably just be called whatever the station there is.
 
Texasian said:
This feels like it's stretching a bit calling this Union Square, but its definitely adjacent. Yesterday night there was the first community meeting about the former La Ronga Bakery site at 599 Somerville Ave. Only a few massing diagrams at this point, but they did include some "look and feel" images of what they're aiming for. For reference, Rafi Properties are the same folks that own the Somernova complex (Aeronaut, Brooklyn Boulders, Harvard Bookstore Warehouse). More deets in a twitter thread covering the meeting here. View attachment 11999
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Were that a render, I'd rate it five or six grades above Kenmore North.
 
sun said:
Just unique enough to blend into all the boxes built in the past 10ish years. Looking at the plans, I don't understand how they get away with such tight parking spots. They have cars parallel parked in the garage to the point where I can't imagine how you'd even navigate in there.
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A 12' aisle where there's parallel parking? That's like a slightly overlywide regular lane of traffic.

And a 20' aisle where there's row parking? That actually just seems like a rightly right parking lot?
 
sun said:
Just unique enough to blend into all the boxes built in the past 10ish years.
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Its a Peter Quinn building... feels like they've had a hand in like 75% of new 5+ unit buildings in Somerville and Cambridge.
 
ra84970 said:
A 12' aisle where there's parallel parking? That's like a slightly overlywide regular lane of traffic.

And a 20' aisle where there's row parking? That actually just seems like a rightly right parking lot?
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Heh, you're right; by the numbers it makes sense. But in practice, it feels like it would be a bit stressful down there -- the intended spots are only 16' long, where a single SUV or minivan would easily overflow. (alas, dont have a big car in the city! 😄 )
 
Texasian said:
Its a Peter Quinn building... feels like they've had a hand in like 75% of new 5+ unit buildings in Somerville and Cambridge.
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They know how to get stuff past the Planning Board. That counts for a lot when you're trying to develop efficiently.
 
sun said:
Heh, you're right; by the numbers it makes sense. But in practice, it feels like it would be a bit stressful down there -- the intended spots are only 16' long, where a single SUV or minivan would easily overflow. (alas, dont have a big car in the city! 😄 )
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16' while shorter than a "typical" 20' parking spot - seems like all of the area's street parking to me. :D
 
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What's there now. Another auto body shop down. By my count there were 18 automotive businesses between Wilson Square and Union Square when Google started doing street view shots in 2007. Eleven have since closed.
 
Peter Quinn and Khalsa Design are the two architectural firms that know Somerville best.
 
ra84970 said:
16' while shorter than a "typical" 20' parking spot - seems like all of the area's street parking to me. :D
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16ft is the "natural" length of a parking space when you have vehicles of multiple lengths along a block face. It evens out that way. It will not work if the spaces are individually marked. Marking spaces removes all the benefit of picking up space from short vehicles and giving it to longer vehicles.
 
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