Union Square Somerville Infill and Small Developments

Dr. Rosen Rosen · Mar 4, 2023

Three condos from this project are now listed on Zillow. Average is $900/sqft. Crazy. Some unique lofted rooms on the upper levels.

#bancars · Mar 6, 2023

Dr. Rosen Rosen said:
Three condos from this project are now listed on Zillow. Average is $900/sqft. Crazy. Some unique lofted rooms on the upper levels.

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Brand new residential construction in 2023 and they go with a gas stove...? Has Somerville not banned gas hookups in new buildings like Brookline? Seems like a no brainer.

as02143 · Mar 8, 2023

#bancars said:
Brand new residential construction in 2023 and they go with a gas stove...? Has Somerville not banned gas hookups in new buildings like Brookline? Seems like a no brainer.

This construction started a while ago. I think Somerville (and Brookline) just got on the state's waitlist to allow the ban on gas hookups late last year after the Legislature allowed municipalities to ban new gas hook-ups?

EDIT: found an article on the "Municipal Fossil Fuel Free Building Construction and Renovation Demonstration Project" Which lists the 10 munis as: Acton, Aquinnah, Arlington, Brookline, Cambridge, Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, Newton and West Tisbury. So I guess Somerville was a bit too slow?

SeamusMcFly · Mar 8, 2023

Yes. Gas stoves. Those that have always been a staple of "luxury" condos and apartments. Where people would squeal if anyone suggested electric stoves.

While mine is propane... Long live gas stoves.
Also, short live knee jerk reactionism.

Dr. Rosen Rosen · Mar 12, 2023

Varying quality of brickwork in and around the square - but I think trending in the right direction. It really goes a long way to add some nice texture and dark earthy tones. I’ve wide sidewalk will be great for outdoor cafe seating. I’m particularly excited about the brick pathway leading from the avenue into the pocket park on Lake.

Dr. Rosen Rosen · Apr 16, 2023

Lots of progress around the square

Dr. Rosen Rosen · Apr 16, 2023

This has always been a pet peeve of mi e. Why is the inscription facing the street? So that cars can read it as they drive by? Should be so that pedestrians can easily read it.

Morifen · Apr 25, 2023

Dr. Rosen Rosen said:
Is this Union Sq? I think before the T I would have said no. But now it is right?

Either way, good news - finally a tenant! A bakery going in. That being said, can I rail on the building for a bit?? Marketing a luxury condos…what a disaster of detailing and materials. Not to mention the ground floor height that is about 6ft too short? And the overall bldg height?? So many things this building got wrong. Hopefully the bakery makes up for it!

Good news, there's movement on this one. The city permitting office approved "wire the bakery store" on 04/05/2023!

Equilibria · Apr 28, 2023

Whole package of renderings are up for the substation screen: https://s3.amazonaws.com/somervillema.gov.if-us-east-1/s3fs-public/2023-04/Prospect Street 51, P&Z 21-181 - Renderings Package 4-26-23.pdf

The mesh fence was a neighborhood request. I guess they need to look at it all the time, so they should get their say...

Badusername · Apr 28, 2023

Equilibria said:
Whole package of renderings are up for the substation screen: https://s3.amazonaws.com/somervillema.gov.if-us-east-1/s3fs-public/2023-04/Prospect Street 51, P&Z 21-181 - Renderings Package 4-26-23.pdf

The mesh fence was a neighborhood request. I guess they need to look at it all the time, so they should get their say...

Truly insane that they can’t get the economics to work out to have an air rights development above this. Such prime real estate that the city and direct abutters are begging to have a building on instead of this plan.

Equilibria · Apr 28, 2023

Badusername said:
Truly insane that they can’t get the economics to work out to have an air rights development above this. Such prime real estate that the city and direct abutters are begging to have a building on instead of this plan.

There's lots of sites to build on around Union and Boynton right now - why would you take on the hassles of building above a substation?

Badusername · Apr 28, 2023

Equilibria said:
There's lots of sites to build on around Union and Boynton right now - why would you take on the hassles of building above a substation?

I think many of the industrial parcels are spoken for in the USQ and Boynton Yards plans. Given that Eversource has already done air rights above a substation in Kendall, I expected they could do the same here. It seems rare that the city and neighbors are asking for a development to happen and the landowner’s response is “no”. Eversource could have leveraged that position to get the parcel up-zoned or exempt from some affordability restrictions etc.

RandomWalk · Apr 28, 2023

Frustrating that they don’t appear to be relocating transformers to clear the ROW for a GL extension. It’s a no-brainer if they are already doing a substantial rebuild of the substation.

Badusername · Apr 28, 2023

RandomWalk said:
Frustrating that they don’t appear to be relocating transformers to clear the ROW for a GL extension. It’s a no-brainer if they are already doing a substantial rebuild of the substation.

They did commit to keeping the potential GLX ROW clear in a public meeting in December:

We heard your concerns about the potential for a future expansion of the MBTA rail line, and while we received assurance from the MBTA that this project will not impede any potential future work, we too wanted no hint of a hindrance for the MBTA.

REDESIGNING UNION SQUARE’S SUBSTATION

Eversource hears from neighbors on future of electrical infrastructure within a changing urban landscape (Somerville Wire) – With its dazzling array of commercial and residential buildings currently under construction or in the pipeline, and its cutting-edge plans to rapidly decarbonize to...

binjonline.com

However I wouldn’t put it past the MBTA to say that they don’t need the ROW only to use that as an excuse in the future to not build an extension.

Ruairi · Apr 28, 2023

Equilibria said:
There's lots of sites to build on around Union and Boynton right now - why would you take on the hassles of building above a substation?

because, given it's location, It's probably the most valuable site in the whole area.
I would have thought it would make commercial sense to build over at least part of this

RandomWalk · Apr 28, 2023

The T should grab the necessary ROW land by eminent domain now, to protect its options.

SomervilleRed · May 1, 2023

Vagabond · May 1, 2023

Great catch @SomervilleRed . I love comparing the apparent attention to detail and tighter build in the old Leins autobody shop (Passiv Haus goal) vs its neighbor at the old Thunder road.

Which do you think will match the render better? Any bets that the rent will be the same, but drastically different utility bills?

chrisbrat · May 1, 2023

Vagabond said:
Great catch @SomervilleRed . I love comparing the apparent attention to detail and tighter build in the old Leins autobody shop (Passiv Haus goal) vs its neighbor at the old Radio.

RIP Radio. Thunder Road sucked shit.