archBOSTON ARCHIVE

[dudeursistershot]

There is a new section on the MBTA's "T Projects" section outlining the concept of Transit-Oriented development.

http://www.mbta.com/projects_underway/tod.asp

[Vanshnookenraggen]

I thought that that pic was of the new development that someone wanted to build in the South End over the Pike?

[dudeursistershot]

[justin]

The only such development could be Columbus Center, and that won't have a prominent T entrance like the one in the picture -- it could only be the Back Bay station which is accross the street and not within the new development. It's probably just a fantasy rendering for Assembly Sq. -- nothing this detailed has been planned for it yet.

justin

[user_48]

Its Assembly Square. It says "Draw 7" next to the T logo, which is the name of the park along the MBTA tracks just outside of Assembly Square.

[Vanshnookenraggen]

^^^ That makes sense but,

[Ron Newman]

Also wrong. This is indeed a concept for Assembly Square. The giveaway is the sign reading "Draw 7 Park Arcade", above the T symbol. Draw 7 is the name of a former railroad drawbridge, and a current DCR park, on the Mystic River next to Assembly Square.

(I just noticed that Belmont Square posted the same information.)

[Vanshnookenraggen]

Ok, let me make myself clear. 1) Ok, that is Assembly Sq, my bad 2) The project over the Pike Im talking about isnt the Columbus Center, it's another one.

[Merper]

i think maybe you're referring to the competition for a redisign of herald square, next to chinatown in downtown boston...

there was a thread about it in the old ssg forum i think.

anyone care to look it up?

[Vanshnookenraggen]

No, I am talking about the development over the Pike, air rights. Unless that is Hearald Sq. I saw this is an architectural mag a while back and may have just been an idea.

[Merper]

yes, herald square would be built over the pike if i'm not mistaken... its the only recent conceptual urban plan competition that I can think of...

[ablarc]

They ought to upzone all properties one tenth of a mile or less from a heavy rail transit station to the same standard as downtown Boston.

That would simultaneously provide much-needed housing and put people on the T.

[dudeursistershot]

[budman3]

Well the Braintree stops are already a little more Urban at the Stations than the rest of the surrounding area. I dont think that this idea would completely ruin the area either, a crappy mall-thing at Braintree and a huge garage and Home Depot at Quincy Adams and pretty much nothing else.

[dudeursistershot]

[Roxxma]

I remember, one time while at the Transportation Library, coming across a plan from the Seventies or Eighties for a mall, office and housing development to be built on top of Wellington Station. It was way ahead of its time. I wonder if this, with the developments going on at the moment in that area, will ever happen.

[DarkFenX]

T station plan may end fight over mall
$25m in bill could boost development at Assembly Square

By Thomas C. Palmer Jr., Globe Staff | August 5, 2005

Twenty-five million dollars set aside for a new MBTA Orange Line station at Assembly Square in Somerville, tucked into the latest transportation funding bill in Washington, could resolve one of Massachusetts' longest-running development battles.

Somerville's political squabbles over redevelopment of the nearly defunct Assembly Square Mall and the rest of a 140-acre site -- bounded by Interstate 93, the Mystic River, and a rail corridor -- have been going on for years.

But a large chunk of the location changed hands last spring, and the new owner's plans for a mix of uses got a big potential boost this week, when prospects improved for the creation of an adjacent MBTA stop, halfway between Sullivan Square and Wellington Station.

''We're very excited," said Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. ''A T stop is the most critical piece to unlocking the full potential of that site."

Earlier this year, Federal Realty Investment Trust of Rockville, Md., bought the mall, as well as rights to develop adjacent underused land, for about $64 million.

Taurus New England Investments Corp. of Boston and Gravestar Inc. of Cambridge had spent six years working with city officials to get the site rezoned and permitted for retail, office, and residential use.

Now, Federal Realty is refurbishing the mall, bringing in tenants like Christmas Tree Shops. But longtime critics of proposals for retail use of the rest of the area -- especially by big-box stores like Ikea, which controls a block adjacent to the mall -- say more shoppers would just bring more cars and congestion to already stuffed roads like Route 28.

In 2004, the City of Somerville signed an agreement with the land's owners requiring them to build a mixed-used neighborhood near the mall. But Bill Shelton, former president of the activist Mystic Valley Task Force, and others fear what is built on a former MBTA site nearest the new station will be too heavily weighted with retail use.

The task force supports transit-related urban development and has filed suits against plans for suburban-style retail uses. Shelton and others want residences and a large dose of office space at Assembly Square, even though today's commercial leasing market is ailing and showing no signs of quick recovery. Without that, they say, there won't be enough foot traffic to support a T stop.

Even US Representative Michael E. Capuano, the Democratic congressman who along with the Commonwealth's US senators was responsible for getting Congress to earmark the funds for a T station, was cautious yesterday.

''This does not guarantee funding," said Capuano, a former Somerville mayor. ''If the players muddle along as they've done for years now, this money will be lost." Congress would have to take further action before the authorized money could actually be spent.

Curtatone said the total cost for the station would be $40 million to $50 million.

[garbribre]

[justin]

Ashmont work is inching forward. According to the most recent update at http://ashmont.typepad.com, demolition on Ashmont station is supposed to start in Feb., with the work to continue for 41 (!) months. The question of the station's roof is still up in the air, so to speak.

Here are some renderings of the proposed TOD, whose fate also depends on a state handout due to be decided on in December.



(the station is the origami thing).

justin

[garbribre]

Actually, not a bad start--brick-like and all--even if it's in a mostly wood-frame neighborhood, if my memory serves me correctly. Is this the only planned development for that transit area?

Coincidentally, I borrowed a friend's camera and, as promised, took a few shots of TOD's in Oakland this weekend--the good, the bad, and the ugly. Will post in 'other cities' once I upload them.

[ablarc]

Graceless blockbuster. Fat thing with unbroken roofline that sprawls all over block. Doesn't even seem to have stores on ground floor.

Better than a parking lot.

[justin]

There will be stores on the ground floor.

justin

[ablarc]

[ckb]

I just discovered a webpage listing the properties (and air rights) the MBTA is putting up for sale (mostly around its stations).

http://www.traboston.com/featured_properties/FeaturedProperties7-19.htm

[BOSDevelopment]

[quadratdackel]

From the Mission Hill Gazette (paper version):

Parcel 25 Community Planning Workshop, Mission Hill Neighborhood Housing Services meeting to discuss possibilities for MBTA parcel across from Roxbury Crossing T Station, Sat., Feb 4, 9:30am, Tobin Community Center (1481 Tremont St). Info: 566-6565.

[quadratdackel]

[garbribre]

That's what I'm talking about!

Go nip at their ankles, wiener-dog.

[quadratdackel]

Well that was a nice little charette. Or not so little: about 50 people showed. While there is some interest in building a parking garage for the Regie Lewis Athletic Center, the consensus seems to be for ground level retail with housing or possibly office space above it. They even have an active "TOD" committee. Wentworth is interested in more office space, and the residents want more affordable housing. Everyone hopes the site will be a gateway to Mission Hill from Columbus Ave, and for Tremont to be a continuous commercial corridor from there to Brigham Circle. (This is the 66 bus route.)

Not discussed was how high to build, although someone hinted that 12 stories would be too tall. Also, building a deck over the train tracks is either not on their minds or assumed (perhaps rightfully so) to be prohibitively expensive, especially if they plan affordable housing.

We'll see what happens as the process matures, but they seem to be headed in good directions. Note this is the same cast that brought us the Brigham Circle development, which was cited as a great success story.

Here's their website.

[Roxxma]

It would be good to see that parcel developed, along with the parcels in the Prentiss, Halleck and Mindoro Sts. area. Are there any plans in the works for the old brewery over there?

[quadratdackel]

[PaulC]

is this you brewery:

http://www.historicboston.org/99cb/h-vbrewery.htm

[quadratdackel]

[justin]

[Scott]

If they thinks this station is an eyesore they should have seen the old one.

This is a small but not insignificant project in Ashmont that will fill a long time vacant lot:
http://www.dotnews.com/bantonstreetdevelopment.html

[ablarc]

[quadratdackel]

Metro Amsterdam is about 1.5 million. Metro Boston is about 6 million. That's a pretty big difference, so the comparison's not fair. However, the Toronto comparison is right on point, and those images are great. We should get some similar aerial photos up showing underdevelopment near Boston's transit stations.

Question: Would you guys be OK with development like this (i.e., high density, near transit, moderately priced, but lousy architecture) in Boston? I'm not that picky about the architecture so I'd be all for it.

[Scott]

Boston will never annex every suburb within 50 miles like Toronto and Montreal. Bostons suburbs are too independent and wealthy.

Would anyone here really wish to live in that place? It`s awful, I`d rather live in a suburb. (EDIT: the development in Toronto)

There are transit related or just plain developments in Boston on literally every station along the Red Line the big ones are near near Broadway, JFK/UMASS, Ashmont (mentioned above), Milton Station, Mattapan Station, North Quincy, Quincy Center... most of these aren`t completely hideous.

[Ron Newman]

Unless I can see the street level of that development, it's hard for me to tell whether I'd like living there. It depends completely on the commercial character of the ground floors of all those new buildings.

I'd like to see Alewife developed in this manner.

[ablarc]

[LeTaureau]

[justin]

Those apartment high-rises at Revere Beach station a pretty good TOD as far as density goes.

Check out http://www.arborpoint.com: they're doing a TOD at Woodland station on the D line, on the site of a former T lot which has been replaced by a parking garage. Blah architecture, but sizeable.

They're also building Station Landing at Wellington Station, which looks rather more urban (I think it's been discussed here before). The website announces the grand opening for spring '06, so it should be pretty much done by now. Maybe someone with a camera can go on a field trip.

justin

[ablarc]

Pretty decent. Much of Dorchester should look like that. Indigo Line offers golden opportunities for this kind of thing, but it needs to be converted.

[ckb]

I really hope that Station Landing works out. It looks like they had pretty much the right idea in going about things, but the location is still a bit awkward. The Fellsway (Rt. 28) and Revere Beach Parkway (Rt. 16), which meet at a corner of the site, are both relatively major roads. That intersection is a zoo and will discourage foot traffic too and from Station Landing. A side side of the site faces the Orange Line yard and shops -- neat for railfans, probably annoying and unsightly for much of the population. Take a look at the Google Maps of this place and you'll get a feeling for the kind of obstacles I'm describing.

My guess is that the apartments will be successful, the storefronts will sit mostly vacant (except for something like a convenience store) after a little while, and everyone who lives there will end up driving to the Target a half mile away.

All this isn't to say that the development was a bad idea -- far from it! But the existing infrastructure will limit its success. I just hope that similar projects will not be discouraged based on the failure/success of this one. I'm thinking of Assembly Square in particular (which certainly has its own problems).

edited to disable smilies

[Scott]

This is what they are building in Ashmont;


And about a mile away near North Quincy Station:

[ablarc]

All these projects are better than parking lots.

[ZenZen]

[ckb]

[Scott]

http://www.architecturalteam.com/whatsnew/pdf/NeponsetLanding.pdf

Neponset Landing will be 12 floors, 280 units on the Quincy side of the mouth of the Neponset River Estuary, across from Port Norfolk. The building is sandwiched between the Neponset River Bridge/ rt 3A and the Braintree arm of the Red Line. The site was formally occupied by two old commercial structures housing a gym and the Neponset Flea Market. It`s near North Quincy Station and Pope John Paul Park over on the Dorchester side and Wollaston Beach.
Pedestrian wise, it should be pretty good with access to the Norfolk Downs neighborhood, State Street South, Marina Bay, the station, the park and the Neponset River bike trails/ Harbor Walk.

[ablarc]

So how did they get the graffiti on that transit bridge? Surely they didn't rappel off the bridge?