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Formal community review of large proposed apartment complex in Readville begins tonight
By adamg on Tue, 06/27/2017 - 9:38am
Architect's rendering.
A resident advisory group appointed by the BPDA sits down with the developer who wants to turn a warehouse and industrial area south of the Sprague Street bridge into a 521-unit apartment complex aimed at the middle class.
The "impact advisory group" meets at 6 p.m. at St. Ann's School Building, 90 W Milton St. Although open to the public, the session is not a formal public hearing at which residents can give testimony - those have yet to be held. Instead, the group is supposed to hold detailed discussions on the project and make recommendations to the BPDA.
Developer Jordan Warshaw recently filed detailed plans for his 36-70 Sprague St. proposal, which he says would give the middle class a rare chance to move into new housing in Boston.
He's pledged to work with the city and state on Readville's already intractable traffic problems and says he is trying to convince the MBTA to increase the frequency of train stops at Readville and to lower its fares to that of the other stations on the Fairmount Line. Warshaw has also promised to work on making his side of Sprague Pond into a park open to the public.
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Comments
Wow
In related news, the wolves have carefully selected and appointed a group of sheep to provide input into the wolves' decision on what to eat for dinner.
Eh
They do this with every large project.
Yes, they do, indeed.
Yes. Wouldn't it be nice if, instead of a quasi-governmental agency entirely funded by and beholden to the developers, the city had an actual planning agency accountable to the citizens? And wouldn't it be nice if said planning agency, rather than what is, in effect, a developers' club, were responsible for overseeing the citizens' advisory panels.
"accountable to citizens"
Putting a planning department's accountability in the hands of citizens is a terrible idea.
Based on the projects I have worked on, and the citizens encountered during public meetings and meetings with citizen groups, every project in this city would be slashed to 3-4 stories with 2+ parking spots per unit, and 100% affordable units. Every other development would be forced to pivot to a Whole Foods or a park. No developer would be allowed to make a profit (how dare they run their business successfully!) The only ones that wouldn't would spend half their budget paying off the extortionist citizen groups, who just want a handout half the time.
We must
go to different meetings.
Middle class oriented non
Middle class oriented non public housing in an area served by the commuter rail that will be filling underutilized industrial space? Sounds excellent.
Same spot as Rock Spot tho? :(
i believe Rock Spot is
i believe Rock Spot is accross the street.
I think this looks like a great idea.... cue the NIMBY's!!!!
Sprague Street development
Marty Walsh has no problem whining about the impact a casino in Everett will cause residents in Boston...well..I live in the Manor and this project will be a nightmare traffic wise...just TRY to cross The Sprague Street Bridge at 5PM... between the trucks of workers for the duration of the project and THEN...500 plus residents trying to get in and out after completion..it will make a mess of traffic and add to noise and pollution for Dedham residents....so ya...here's on NIMBY against it...
.
"member when the middle class could afford homes?
I 'MEMBER!
Now the middle class can shoot for an apartment in a 500+unit complex (cough-future ghetto-cough) at the very outer limit of the city of Boston where transit of any kind to where the jobs are is abysmal.
Is America great again yet?
Well,
it all depends on what those "middle-class" rents are going for. And how does he, the developer, define middle class? What criteria is he using? Is anyone asking him these questions? And as I have said many times in different UHUB posts, a rent over 25-30 percent of one's monthly income is truly not affordable.
In regards to your transit comment. I live near Readville and transit is not "abysmal". Yes, inconvenient and/or frustrating at times but to say "abysmal" is not a truth.
To drive/ bus
from Readville to South Station takes no less than an hour. Within city limits that is pretty abysmal. There are no good routes or expressways/parkways/etc.
I lived in Watertown for many years and between Soldiers Field, Memorial Drive, and the pike I could get anywhere in Metro Boston (including Camberville) in about 30-45 mins...except probably Readville...lol
I am in Mattapan now and work in Charlestown. That's all within City Limits and it is just about end to end as far as you can go....takes 45 mins, and I consider that pretty bad. Though the T is actually worse, when it works.
Driving <> Transit
Franklin line says Readville to Ruggles is ten minutes. South Station, ten more.
This is not abysmal transit. Might be bad driving, but transit is another story.
yes, and with a super convienent
schedule and at a mere $6+ one way ride on a train within the city....who can argue with Readville's supreme accessibility to the city!
(eye roll)
Yeah. MIDDLE CLASS people likely cannot afford $60 per week to commute to work in the city. you might as well drive at that point, it costs less, but takes more time obviously.
It depends on your definition of "abysmal" and
I was referring to living at this new development and implying that taking the commuter rail into South Station (which I do every morning) from Readville would not be "abysmal", or extremely bad, in my opinion.
These won't sell
Developers in Boston are getting carried away....too many hundred + unit developments are popping up (that not to mention don't fit in with Boston themed architecture) & they're not selling. What makes anyone think even half of these units will sell in Readville....
The formula is
you make the rent high enough and the finish cheap enough that you can break even or even turn a profit at 50% occupancy rate. Ink Block, Troy, and all the other bland developments dotting 93 that have FOR LEASE signs on them for years and years are all on this tactic. Then to lure people in you don't lower the rent, but you offer them a month or 2 of free rent to get them in the door. Once their money is made then it no longer matters, the place can fall to hell and within a decade or so the units will be "affordable" by virtue of no one wanting to live in a half empty, dated, hellhole.
Give it 15-20 years all these new developments will be garbage, and on the "cheaper" side of rents. People will clamor for the luxury and class of triple decker living.
You do realize
That those "For Lease" signs will forever be on those buildings simply because at any point there will be at least a handful of units turning over. When you have over 100 units you're gonna have turnover built in. I agree on your points about finishes, however.
I hope the developer
can convince the MBTA to have the 5:45pm train out of South Station to once again stop at Readville.
The greater Boston area needs
The greater Boston area needs a hell of a lot more housing and a hell of a lot more transit. This seems like a good step in one of those, and a nod toward the other. Once 500 people move in, they'll have 500 more people to advocate for Readville transit frequency as well.
I'd love to see a lot more 4-10 unit buildings, but given how freaking hard permitting is, you're only going to see these huge projects that can justify the hoops.
God is that ugly. Looks like
God is that ugly. Looks like the Bronx in the 70s.
Readville Deveopment
Read his proposal full ol holes. This will turn out like lhe development like Dedham near Legacy Place. I live in an apartment in Readville making less than $60000.00 between my husband and I and can barely pay my $1300.00 a month not to mention a rent increase. This proposed muddle class development will be turned into a project when they can't people to rent. Why not build what the now call tiny homes that people can afford. A pit stop apartment complex with people living in them on a temporary basis is a detriment to Readville and Boston. A person who buys a home in this area what to make it a better neighors oodles because they have made an investment in this area
Single family homes
Why not build more single family homes or at least condos? People want to own something. HP is already in the sticks of boston and there aren't a whole lot of attractions. One thing about it that is attractive is that you can get a nice 3 bedroom home in the 400 to 450k range. Build more of these. There are lots of places people can choose to rent. They arent coming to GO to rent unless they're section 8 unfortunately.
Single family or condos
I agree we need more affordable homes or condos. This is just screaming section 8. Like what as happened at Geraghty Apts near Wolcott Square such a shame to build such a monstrosity in Readville
I meant TO not GO up above
And yes these apartments are a bad idea.
Readville Debelopment
Is this going to be built the same way as the one at Ashmount. A fire trap for tenants and surrounding neighborhood this should be addressed by BPHD and the appt IAG.