Arsenal Mall

LETTER: Tower at Arsenal Mall Too Tall, Will Loom Over Charles River

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To the citizens of Watertown, regarding the Arsenal Project MP/SP proposal,

As I sat in the audience of the Planning Board meeting of Dec. 14, 2016, I was again disappointed. In over a year of meetings the issue which I thought would have been a major concern to both the citizens of Watertown, the city councilors and the city planning department employees was rarely discussed. The issue I am referring to is the development of a 12 story building (building “G”) approximately 100 feet from Greenough Boulevard. Now the reason the developer wants to build this building is obvious.

Development

Approval of Arsenal Mall Renovation Delayed, Planning Board Wants More Info on Traffic

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The redesign of the Arsenal Mall will have to wait until next month for approval after the Planning Board told developers they wanted results of the traffic study to be approved by the town’s consultants. Representatives for Boylston Properties and The Wilder Cos. appeared before the Planning Board for the second time Wednesday night, focusing on the traffic impact of the project. The proposal includes removing some portions of the current mall, leaving the historic buildings and adding new buildings. The project calls for 503 units of housing, some of which would be in a 12-story residential building.

Arsenal Mall

Developers Reveal the Arsenal Mall’s New Name, Coming Before Town Soon

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The Arsenal Mall will not only be renovated and redeveloped, but owners Boylston Properties will also rename it Arsenal Yards. Bill McQuillan, principal of Boylston Properties, revealed the new name in an article in the Boston Globe. The project has been presented to the Planning Board once, but developers will be back in Town Hall on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. to discuss traffic and transportation. The board may vote on the project that night.

Business

Golfsmith Closing its Watertown Store, Holding Big Sale

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Watertown’s Golfsmith store will be closing its doors and currently has a big sale going on. According to the Golfsmith website merchandise is being discounted up to 30 percent. The Watertown store is located in the Arsenal Project, 615 Arsenal St. Fifty-nine of the Golfsmith locations across the country will be closing. One Massachusetts location, in Reading, will be among the 30 to remain open.

Arsenal Mall

Developers Show Plans for Renovating Arsenal Mall, Residents Say Project is Too Big

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After more than a year of planning developers presented their vision for the renovation of the Arsenal Mall to the Planning Board, but some residents said the proposal would be too big for Watertown. The major overhaul of the mall would remove some portions of the current mall, leave the historic buildings and adds new buildings. The project calls for 503 units of housing, some of which would be in a 12-story residential building. Three of the new buildings planned to go in the current front parking lot would have retail on the bottom floor and four or five stories of housing on top. Some of the new features include a movie theater and possibly a bowling alley.

Development

Planning Board Will Hear Arsenal Mall Renovation Plans Thursday

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The long awaited plans for the renovation of the Arsenal Mall will be presented to the Watertown Planning Board on Thursday night at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. 

While the master plan will be presented by developers from Boyslton Properties, Planning Board Chairman John Hawes said the staff report will not be completed by Thursday. The Planning Department’s report will presented at a future Planning Board meeting and a vote can happen then. There will be opportunity for the public to comment on the plans, said Assistant Town Manager Steve Magoon. Because the project sits in the recently created Regional Mixed Use District (RMUD) the Planning Board gives the final approval for the master pan. Most projects need approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Arsenal Mall Renovation

Changes to Arsenal Park Could Result from Renovation of Arsenal Mall

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Boylston Properties Principal Bill McQuillan had an urgent message for residents and town officials Wednesday night. If they want to improve Arsenal Park, now is the time to start figuring out how. 

“We knew this was going to come up,” McQuillan said “It’s August 17, we need that park figured out, because we’re not going to do this plan without that park, or without that park we’re going to do a different plan.”

Arsenal Project developers held their fourth community meeting, at the Innovation Space at the Arsenal Mall Wednesday, where they updated residents and town officials on the project’s design direction and presented their latest building and site renderings. The presentation included preliminary plans to create pathways through the park that would connect directly to the property. Arsenal Park is run and maintained by the Conservation Commission, which would have to approve any proposed changes. Though the upgrades to the park were included in the presentation, Design Architect Christopher Jones said there’s still a lot of work to be done with the town and community.