Geneva Ave Housing Proposal Draws Praise, Ire

An affordable housing development that is planned at Geneva Avenue and Bloomfield Street near Fields Corner near Dorchester is drawing criticism from some and praise from just as many others.
Immediate abutters of the project claim that the 4-story, 44 foot tall will be too tall, block the sun, is too dense, and provides too little [...]

BTD, Public Meets to Discuss Sullivan Square, Rutherford Ave

Knights of Columbus Hall in Charlestown played host to the Boston Transportation Department, several local activist groups, and a handful of other residents to discuss proposed changes to Sullivan Square and Rutherford Avenue on July 24th.
Between the city and federal government, nearly $14 million have been set aside for the project, one that is aimed [...]

BC Jesuit Housing Community Rendering Released

The following is a site plan rendering for the new Boston College Jesuit Housing Community  that is planned in Brighton:
The plan moving forward was contingent on the Landmarks Commission approving the demolition of three Victorian era homes that were located on land that would be used for the new community. You can read an article [...]

Noteworthy News: July 30, 2008

N. Providence Public Works Garage gets Makeover: Eighteen months ago, North Providence officials were ready to sell the land that the current public work garage sits on to a developer to be turned into housing. However, after a closer examination, it was determined that the city could save more money be renovating the garage rather [...]

Vertex Signs on with Fan Pier

Fan Pier, the large development currently underway down on the South Boston waterfront, has finally secured an anchor tenant for the controversial project.
Cambridge based Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. recently signed a letter of intent to occupy 500,000 square feet at the new Fan Pier development. The LOI also says that there is the potential for Vertex [...]

Rendering for 45 Stuart Street Proposal

You can see the story regarding the proposal here. This is a rendering released later on:
Source: Boston Herald

Newsworthy Notes: July 29, 2008

OHIC Leaves Providence: The Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner has announced that they will be leaving downtown Providence for the state-owned John O. Pastore Complex off of Route 2 in Cranston. The OHIC was located at 233 Richmond St. in downtown. Source: Providence Business News
CambridgeSide Galleria gets Two New Stores: Sephora and Aeropostale will [...]

24-Story Tower Proposed Next to Jacob Wirth Co.

After a plan to develop a 28-story residential/hotel project ran amuck, a new developer has stepped up with a new plan for the parking lot next to the historic Jacob Wirth Co. building at 45 Stuart Street.
The proposal calls for a 24-story office and retail tower with as many as 174 parking spaces. The breakdown [...]

Green Line Station Improvements Delayed and Overbudget

Work on the Green Line stations began in some instances as many as three years ago. They were supposed to be done by now, unveiling a new, sleek modern string of green line subway stations. But they aren’t, and they are all over budget and behind schedule, leading to many complaints regarding the state of [...]

City Restricted from Developing Land in Burlington, Woburn

Eighty years ago, the City of Boston received a gift from Mary Cummings of 210 acres of peaceful parkland in Burlington and Woburn, right along what is now I-95. The city could govern as it saw fit – on one condition: that it remain a “public pleasure ground” where local residents could go and enjoy [...]

New Condo Project in N. End Heavily Opposed

An overview of Boston’s North End neighborhood.

Thirty North Margin Sreet Development has plans to build a 55-foot tall condo and underground parking garage in the North End. Sounds great on paper, but it the locals have their way, this project will never get off the ground.
The proposal calls for a 55-foot high building with 61 [...]

Newsworthy Notes: July 26, 2008

Hartford to Dedicate Site of Historic Field: A plaque to commemorate the site of one of the original eight National League baseball playing fields will take place today in Hartford. The Hartford Dark Blues played at the current site of the Church of the Good Shepherd from 1874-1876. The field was simply called the Baseball [...]

More Issues than Answers Arise at Recent FHII Meeting

It is a project that the Boston Redevelopment Authority director John Palmeri claims is the most important in the city. More important than the stagnant Columbus Center, infamous Tommy’s Tower, and the long delayed South Station Tower project.
Palmeri is talking about the development of six parcels in Jamaica Plain near the Forest Hills MBTA Orange [...]

Home for Little Wanderers Looks to Revamp JP Campus

The Home for Little Wanderers, a non-profit organization, has plans to demolish there Jamaica Plain campus and replace it with several smaller buildings. The organization has sent a letter of intent to the Boston Redevelopment Authority.
The home, called the Knight Children’s Center, is dedicated to children ages 5-13 with serious emotional, behavioral, and learning disabilities. [...]

Newsworthy Notes: July 25, 2008

1010 Mass. Ave Gets New Manager: NAI Hunneman Management & Development Co. has announced that the City of Boston has hired them to manage 1010 Mass. Ave, the second most visited building for city services after Boston City Hall. Financial details have not been disclosed. Source: Boston Globe
New Expansion for Tangierino Moves Closer to Opening: [...]

Developer Plans to Redevelop Two Fort Point Warehouses

When it comes to the Fort Point district in downtown Boston, it’s out with the old and in with the new, right?
Not so fast. Real estate developer Commonwealth Ventures is looking at preserving a pair of Fort Point warehouses and converting them into rental units. The buildings at 5 Channel Center have 200,000 square feet [...]

Logan International to Try New Environmentally Friendly Asphalt

Logan International Airport has plans to repave portions of runway 22L with a new type of environmentally friendly asphalt, making them the first airport in the nation to do so.
The plan is to repave the 37.5 outer feet on each side of the runway. It is 150 feet wide from edge to edge.
Costing $6.3 million, [...]

Law Firm May Sign on with Filene’s Project

It’s always a good feeling when one of the last pieces finally falls into place.
That’s what happened earlier this week to John Hynes of Gale International, developer of the new Filene’s tower in Downtown Crossing (shown at left). It is being reported that a letter of intent between Hynes and the law firm Fish & [...]

Public Input Requested for Christian Science Plaza

Located on what is considered a first class tract of land in the Back Bay adjacent to the Prudential Center, the Christian Science Center has a prominent spot in the heart of downtown Boston.
For this reason, the city is branching out to its residents to help them with this latest project.
The First Church of Christ, [...]

Morton-Gallivan Intersection Targeted for Overhaul

The state senate of Massachusetts recently approved a $1.3 billion borrowing bill that would be dedicated to transportation improvements. While the bill has not yet become law, a committee is currently dividing up the bill for various projects around the state.
Boston and Dorchester officials are pushing hard for the intersection at Morton Street and Gallivan [...]

Second Bayside Redevelopment Meeting Planned after Dissapointing Turnout

At a Boston Redevelopment Authority Article 80 meeting on Monday, a presentation by Corcoran Jennison Cos. took place offering more details about the project.
Unfortunately, not even 50 people were there to offer their own opinions and impressions of the proposal.
No one is certain why there was such a low turnout. The summer months could be [...]

Red Line Sees Problems Increasing; New Trains May be on the Way

A ten mile per hour speed limit for MBTA Red Line trains over the Longfellow Bridge are causing riders headaches. But those aren’t the only problems facing the MBTA.
Despite what the MBTA claims, it seems like the number of delays and issues with Red Line are increasing. Disabled trains, broken repair equipment, a fire, and [...]

Allston-Brighton Community Stresses Parks and Unity

The Boston Redevelopment Authority recently sponsored a North Allston-Brighton Community Wide Planning meeting, and the residents that attended the meeting stressed concerns over a lack of open green space and a lack of connection amongst the community.
To open the meeting, the BRA introduced the principal from the Cecil Group (Steve Cecil), a planning and design [...]

BC Jesuit Housing Plan Approved

Three Victorian homes (built between 1870 and 1880) will be demolished by Boston College and replaced by a plan that calls for a five building complex designed for Jesuit student housing.
The three homes, located at 188, 192, and 196 Foster Street in Brighton, were at one point seen as having potential historical value to the [...]

Alexandria’s Biotech Campus Faces Stiff Opposition

Plans by California-based Alexandria Real Estate Equities to build a new biotech campus in East Cambridge are facing stiff opposition from neighbors in the area who would rather see that land used for additional housing.
Alexandria owns seven parcels in East Cambridge, and the company would like to build lab buildings on six of them, mostly [...]