Whats left to build on?

[Charlie_mta]

I think it's also important to remember that industrial/commercial zones along train tracks isn't surprising because presumably some of the original tenants were freight serviced. It's like the industrial zone along the Medford Branch past Ball Square. It historically made sense to plan it that way; not that we necessarily need to continue with that zoning (although provisioning for a short-haul freight-capable future is something to consider).

North Cambridge along Pemberton St and Richdale Ave has some nice high density housing built along the Fitchburg Div RR, where it used to be light industrial back in the 50s and 60s. Time to do this type of development Belmont.

 

[stefal]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1611064531983208484

Healey has approached A+F Secretary to identify unused state land that can be developed into housing within one year.

 

[stick n move]

It seems like union point in weymouth has an enormous amount of untapped potential being squandered right now. They already built some apartments and housing, but the whole site is essentially sitting dormant. Its a wide open former air base, close to the city, with a commuter rail stop, and some existing development. They really need to figure out a way to get this thing going again with a new plan. I dont know why they cant just lay down a street grid and sell off each parcel to developers to build out vs that ridiculous masterplan they had before that inevitably failed.

Since nobody wants any large scale developments in their neighborhood, then this should be able to take a lot of the pressure off. If they just laid down a street grid and tied it in to the existing streets nearby, sold all the lots off to developers, built a nice little mashpee commons downtown area, and then threw up 50 3-5 over 1’s they could build a nice new little city with lots of new apartments/condos. Theres soo much room there and they dont need to do anything fancy at all to make it viable and nice to live in. With a shit ton of 5 over 1’s they could fit thousands of new units in here easy and finally put this land to good use.

 

[Aprehensive_Words]

Union Point's biggest problem right now, IIRC, is the precarious state of the sewage system. Based on info from a judge's decision in a lawsuit settled last summer, the old master developer left things in a right state.

From a B&T writeup:

“That left us with a sewer and water system that was, if I put it politely, in precarious danger of failing,” SRA counsel Robert Galvin told Cannone at a damages hearing over Zoom on Aug. 26. “I know the damages ($63 million) sound like a tremendous amount of money in this case, your honor, but there’s a tremendous amount of damage.”

I guess because the old developer tried to ghost them, the surrounding towns that were providing a sewer hook-up shut off access to try and compel payments. I'm not sure if there's more recent info out there, though.

 

[greenbeans]

Has anything ever been tossed out regarding the unused land north of the 95 interchange in Canton? The reconstruction project seems long since dormant, and if it could act as a connector between all of the development over on University Ave with Royall St in Canton it would open the area up tremendously.