West Roxbury Infill and Small Developments

[stick n move]

Long dormant West Roxbury apartment project revived, now with far less parking

“The Zoning Board of Appeal yesterday re-approved plans for construction of an 18-unit apartment building on a vacant triangle where a Texaco station used to sit at the intersection of Belgrade Avenue and Beech Street in West Roxbury.

Both the BPDA and the zoning board approved the proposal in 2016, but back in those days, boards were more likely to require lots of parking, especially in leafy areas such as West Roxbury, and so approved 33 parking spaces in an underground garage.

And then, nothing much happened. The remains of the gas station were torn down and a fence erected around the 10,221-square-foot parcel but no actual construction began. Last fall, developer John Douros, who had worked at the gas station as a teenager, told the BPDA he was finally ready to actually begin work. The board approved his request to reduce the number of spaces to 18, now that the agency has seen the virtue of trying to discourage parking, especially for parcels on or near several bus routes and a short walk from a commuter-rail station.”

https://www.universalhub.com/2023/long-dormant-west-roxbury-apartment-project

 

[Equilibria]

PNF for 1208C VFW Parkway (how is this address on VFW Parkway?): https://bpda.app.box.com/s/nmlr99w5ffi9z8zcjfksu3i8vwt7ls8j

Would be great to see this whole area become TOD with an Orange Line extension - let's get some platforms on that straightaway!

 

[HenryAlan]

PNF for 1208C VFW Parkway (how is this address on VFW Parkway?)

It has to be a VFW PKY address because there is no other street that provides access to the location. Baker St. is elevated here to cross the Needham Line tracks, and the tracks themselves block access to the overall street grid.

 

[stick n move]

PNF for 1208C VFW Parkway (how is this address on VFW Parkway?): https://bpda.app.box.com/s/nmlr99w5ffi9z8zcjfksu3i8vwt7ls8j

Would be great to see this whole area become TOD with an Orange Line extension - let's get some platforms on that straightaway!

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Another render

Looks like a solid addition.

 

[stick n move]

RODE Architects Completes Boston’s First Internationally Certified Passive House Single-Family Homes



“The Brucewood Homes project, a series of three single-family structures developed in collaboration with Passive House Construction LLC, reflects Passive House design techniques previously unproven in Boston along with sustainability-focused concepts that require minimal energy consumption and resilient construction.

“Brucewood Homes demonstrates our commitment to collaboration, craftsmanship, and pushing the boundaries to design buildings that address the issues of climate change,” said Kevin Deabler, principal and co-founder of RODE Architects. “This project celebrates what we believe in: that our work enhances a sense of place, and often the simplest forms can make the biggest statements. We’re now exploring ways to bring this more into the mainstream in Greater Boston and beyond, including single-family, multi-family and commercial developments.”

https://bostonrealestatetimes.com/r...-certified-passive-house-single-family-homes/

https://passivehouseaccelerator.com...omes-are-showcased-in-the-wall-street-journal

 

[North Street]

RODE Architects Completes Boston’s First Internationally Certified Passive House Single-Family Homes



“The Brucewood Homes project, a series of three single-family structures developed in collaboration with Passive House Construction LLC, reflects Passive House design techniques previously unproven in Boston along with sustainability-focused concepts that require minimal energy consumption and resilient construction.

“Brucewood Homes demonstrates our commitment to collaboration, craftsmanship, and pushing the boundaries to design buildings that address the issues of climate change,” said Kevin Deabler, principal and co-founder of RODE Architects. “This project celebrates what we believe in: that our work enhances a sense of place, and often the simplest forms can make the biggest statements. We’re now exploring ways to bring this more into the mainstream in Greater Boston and beyond, including single-family, multi-family and commercial developments.”

https://bostonrealestatetimes.com/r...-certified-passive-house-single-family-homes/

https://passivehouseaccelerator.com...omes-are-showcased-in-the-wall-street-journal

This kind of architecture belongs out in the woods somewhere, not in the city of Boston. Also, I don’t think that it will age well.

 

[BronsonShore]

This kind of architecture belongs out in the woods somewhere, not in the city of Boston. Also, I don’t think that it will age well.

It was, quite literally, built in the woods:

 

[DZH22]

It was, quite literally, built in the woods:

Not even close. I checked that address (74 Brucewood Street) on the map and then dropped in on streetview. It was built in the area called "Brucewood Street Park."

It's literally directly adjacent to the VFW Parkway in the middle of a dense neighborhood.

 

[Plen-T-Pak]

The development matches surrounding density levels just fine. This area isn't on the list of places that will become less auto oriented anytime soon.

 

[stick n move]

Owner of convenience store on Baker Street in West Roxbury wants to replace it with condos and a smaller store

By adamg on Tue, 08/15/2023 - 9:21pm

“Baker Street Market owner Louis Dakoyannis tonight showed neighbors his proposal to replace the store at the corner of Baker and Vermont streets in West Roxbury with a four-story, 14-unit condo building that would also have ground-floor space for a new convenience store - but one about a third the size of his current market.

In 2020, just as the pandemic was hitting, Dakoyannis, who grew up on Baker Street, had proposed a five-story, 24-unit apartment building at the site. Neighbor concerns - and the pandemic - put the end to that, his attorney, Nick Zozula, said.

On a Zoom call with abutters, Dakoyannis, Zozula and the proposal's architect, Lucio Trabucco, said the new proposal calls for 14 parking spaces for residents and 9 spaces for market customers. The ground-level parking would mostly mirror the current store's parking, with the car entrance remaining on Baker Street.

Most of the units would be roughly 1,100 square feet with two bedrooms, with two of the condos 800-square-foot single-bedroom units.

Two of the condos would be sold as affordable…”

https://www.universalhub.com/2023/owner-convenience-store-baker-street-west-roxbury

 

[stick n move]

THE ELLERY
189 -199 Gardner Street

“The project consists of four (4)-story building with 70 residential rental units that include a mix of one bedroom, one bedroom plus, and two-bedroom units and 70 off-street parking spaces. The project includes a variety of on-site amenities such as bicycle storage, a fitness room, work from home offices/pods, a common lounge, and outdoor gathering areas.”

http://www.bostonplans.org/projects/development-projects/180-199-gardner-street

https://www.rise.boston/projects/the-ellery

 

[stick n move]

Affordable apartment building opens in West Roxbury

“B’nai B’rith Housing, joined by city and state officials, today officially opened its 1208 Parkway complex of 60 income-restricted apartments off Baker Street in West Roxbury- with its entrance on VFW Parkway.

Some 45 of the apartments will be rented to people making no more than 60% of the Boston area median income - and some will be dedicated to people transitioning out of homelessness - with the other 15 rented to people making no more than 90% of that level.

Officials say it's the first large-scale set of affordable apartments built since 2013 in West Roxbury, where currently 10% of all housing is income restricted, compared to 19% citywide - and where 38% of total housing units are apartments, compared to 65% across the city…”

https://www.universalhub.com/2023/affordable-housing-complex-opens-west-roxbury

 

[stick n move]

A couple more pics from MassHousing

https://www.facebook.com/1000648393...snhYnuWwkPaa82UpWebUMEmJVpKl/?mibextid=cr9u03

 

[stick n move]

Exploring the growing trend of passive homes

Building more energy-efficient homes can limit costs and play a role in saving the planet.

www.nbcboston.com

 

[mssrro]

As of 11/5:

5205 Washington Street (17 units)




4945 Washington Street (47 units - completed in 2021)






400 Belgrade Avenue (18 units, as approved)

 

[HenryAlan]

I really want to see 400 Belgrade happen, but there has been worryingly little activity on that parcel.

 

[BMW]

Also directly behind 4945 Washington you can see the start of I think 17 single family homes going up on a new street. There may be a few complete already

 

[stick n move]

Approved

1208C VFW Parkway​

“705 Plantation Street Realty, LLC is proposing to construct a five-story, 62,140 sq. ft. rental building with approximately 55 units and 55 surface parking spaces. The building will also have 55 resident bicycle spaces as well as visitor bicycle spaces.”

https://www.bostonplans.org/projects/development-projects/1208c-vfw-parkway

 

[stick n move]

Approved

100 Charles Park Road​

“The Proponent is proposing to raze the existing structures and erect two (2) five (5) story residential buildings comprising a total of 123,905 square feet. The two (2) buildings together will contain one hundred twenty-one (121) units. The Project will also contain one subsurface parking garage containing ninety-one (91) parking spaces and one hundred twenty-four (124) bike spaces.”

https://www.bostonplans.org/projects/development-projects/100-charles-park-road

 

[stick n move]

-Approved

Baker Street Market in West Roxbury to be replaced with 14 condos and a smaller store​

By adamg on Tue, 12/12/2023 - 12:50pm

“The Zoning Board of Appeal today approved plans by the owner of the Baker Street Market at Baker and Vermont street in West Roxbury to replace his store and parking lot with a four-story, 14-unit condo building with 23 parking spaces - and a smaller space for him to keep operating the market.

Two of the units - a one-bedroom condo and a two-bedroom one - would be sold affordable - to people making no more than 80% to 120% of the Boston area median income.

Owner Louis Dakoyannis, who grew up on Baker Street, says he would fill in the curb cut on Vermont Street.

Several nearby residents spoke against the plan, saying that the building was out of character with the surrounding one- and two-family houses and would lead to parking problems on nearby streets, even with 23 parking spaces, in part because customers of the hair salon across the street, which Dakoyannis also owns, would have nowhere to park.

They also said it would contribute to further congestion on Baker Street. One resident of nearby Chesbrough Street said it already takes her a half hour to drive the roughly half-mile to Spring Street in the morning.
The proposal needed board approval for reasons that included the building being taller than allowed under the site's zoning and because of issues related to traffic visibility at the intersection. Dakoyannis's attorney, Joseph Hanley, said the new building would actually increase visibility at the intersection.”

https://www.universalhub.com/2023/baker-street-market-west-roxbury-be-replaced-14