Arsenal on the Charles

Branch Line Restaurant Brings Together Best of Watertown Food Scene

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As a child growing up in Watertown, Andrew Holden saw the Arsenal complex as a forbidding place behind a big fence. Now, he has helped open up a new restaurant, Branch Line, which he hopes to bring many people to the Arsenal on the Charles to enjoy some food and drink – some of it from sources right in town. Holden, the owner of Branch Line, has worked with the owner of the restaurant at Eastern Standard in Kenmore Square. It offers the style of food found in places like Italy, France and Greece, featuring dished prepared on a rotisserie as well as in a wood-fired grill. To begin with, the rotisserie will be used to make chicken, but the menu will evolve over time, Holden said.

Entertainment

Arsenal on the Charles Summer Concert Series Starts This Week!

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Head down to the Arsenal on the Charles to hear some music and grab a bite to eat during the Summer Concert Series. 

The Arsenal Center for the Arts announced this year’s lineup for Live at Lunch at the Arsenal on the Charles in Watertown. The performances take place each Wednesday at noon – with a Thursday rain date – on the lawn adjacent to 400 Wooley Ave. Some of New England’s best talent takes the stage for free hour-long outdoor performances!  Scheduled concerts include:

July 9, Nemes (moved to Thurs. 7/9 due to possible rain)  Nemesband.com

July 15, Will Dailey Willdailey.com

July 22, Double D and the Haymakers Fb.com/doubledandhaymakers

July 29, Ben Knight Benknightlife.com

Aug. 5, STL GLD Fb.com/stlgld

Aug.

Arsenal on the Charles

Athenahealth Gets OK to Start Master Plan, With Some Alterations

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Many neighbors and other residents  are worried about what the new Arsenal on the Charles complex will look like, and the owners – athenahealth – will now be able to make give a more detailed presentation after the Town Council approved a master plan process. Athenahealth purchased the former U.S. Army complex from Harvard University, and plans to make a corporate headquarters with a retail section. The company wants to know they will be able to do the whole project, and seeks to get a master plan approved to layout the changes. Monday night the Town Council approved changing in the town zoning that will allow for a master plan to be proposed, and added some limits to what can be built at the Arsenal. New buildings, a parking garage and glassing in the space between the set of long buildings on the eastside of the Arsenal are proposed.

Business

Boston Restauranteur Bringing New Eatery to Arsenal on the Charles

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The man behind Kenmore Square’s Eastern Standard will be opening a new restaurant in Watertown’s Arsenal on the Charles this fall. The spot in the rear of the building which is home to the Arsenal Center for the Arts will be the new location of Garrett Harker’s new eatery, which will be called Branch Line. It will have an “urban rotisserie with a focused wine and beer program,” BostonInno reported. The restaurant will feature an outdoor seating area. Watertown native Andrew Holden, Eastern Standard’s general manager, will also be a partner in the new restaurant, according to Larry Beals, an architect working with Arsenal on the Charles-owner athenahealth’s redevelopment of the complex.

Food

Find Out When the Watertown Farmers Market Will Open

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Get ready to purchase farm fresh vegetables and fruits, meat and seafood, flowers, preserves and cider, and many other products as the Watertown Farmers Market returns for its second season. The season opens on June 4, and the market will be held weekly on Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. according to an announcement from the Farmers Market. The market showcases a wide variety of Massachusetts grown produce, greens, fruits, eggs and meat, as well as local seafood and specialty foods. Last year, the market made its debut, with the help of athenahealth, the owner of the Arsenal on the Charles complex. “We’re excited to welcome back the Watertown Farmers Market for another great season at Arsenal on the Charles.

Development

Town Council to Consider Special Zoning for Arsenal on the Charles

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On Monday June 8, the Town Council will hold a special meeting to discuss zoning changes proposed for the Arsenal on the Charles complex, owned by athenahealth. The company seeks to make changes to the Arsenal Overlay Development District, which covers the complex. The changes would allow the creation of a master plan to redevelop the Arsenal on the Charles. Among other things it would allow an increase of height of new construction, change parking requirements and modify retail categories to allow limited retail uses within the complex. A more detailed list of the changes proposed to the Arsenal Overlay Development District can be seen on the town website (click here).

Development

LETTER: Neighbors Respond to Athenahealth’s Proposal for Arsenal Complex

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An open letter from the North Beacon Street Neighbors to Athenahealth and the Town Council:

Thank you for the meeting last Tuesday night. The attendees have had further discussions and we have reached a consensus on what we’d like to see happen next. We appreciate your hard work on reducing the footprint and height of the garage. However, the only way to seriously gauge the effects of this garage on our neighborhood and town is to see how it fits in with an official Master Plan for the whole property. In detail:

1.