Arsenal Mall Renovation

Changes to Arsenal Park Could Result from Renovation of Arsenal Mall

By |

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.

Business

Workers at New Office Building Will Enjoy Meals Prepared by Strip T’s

By |

One of Watertown’s newest developments, LINX, will feature prime office space and gourmet food options as Watertown favorite Strip T’s will provide grab-and-go fare. LINX is located at 490 Arsenal Street – the former Verizon facility – and will be have a rear entrance onto Nichols Avenue. While workers can go out to eat at restaurants in Coolidge Square or Arsenal Street, they will have an in-house option, said Jeffrey Heidelberg, project manager for Boylston Properties. “We’ve been working with Paul (Maslow) for a grab-and-go type of eatery,” Heidelberg said. “He does a great job at Strop T’s and I expect he’ll do a great job at LINX.

Boylston Properties

Subcommittee Supports Tall Building at End of Arsenal Street in RMUD

By |

The details of the proposed Regional Mixed Use District, or RMUD, were hashed out by a Town Council subcommittee, and councilors voted to allow the possibility of a tall building being built on top of what is now the Miller’s Ale House. The vote came from the Economic Development and Planning Committee, which met Thursday to continue to make their recommendations for possible amendments to the proposed major zoning change. The full Town Council will discuss and vote on the RMUD at a meeting scheduled for Monday, Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. in Town Hall. The possibility of building a building of 10 stories or even higher is one of the most controversial parts of the zoning proposal.

Arsenal Project

Arsenal Mall Owners Reveal Some Visions for Revamping Their Property

By |

Residents got a clearer picture of what to expect if the owners of the former Arsenal Mall get the OK to redevelop their property at a meeting Saturday where there were also some mending of fences that were damaged during previous meetings. A complex of smaller buildings with shops and residences would replace the open parking lot currently in front of the Arsenal Project. In addition the newer section of the mall linking the two long historic buildings would be taken down and the historic buildings would be made more inviting. The development could be made if and when the Regional Mixed Use District zoning is approved, which includes not on the Arsenal Project, but the Watertown Mall, other properties east of the mall on Arsenal Street and sections of Elm Street and Coolidge Avenue. The RMUD is currently being considered for approval by the Town Council.

Arsenal Project

Impact on River by Arsenal Mall Rebuild, Height of Buildings Worry Residents

By |

The Planning Board gave their OK to changes to zoning in the area of the Arsenal Project and Watertown Mall which could lead to a major project with commercial, residential and/or office elements including taller buildings. The issue is now in the hands of the Town Council. Residents at last week’s Planning Board meeting about the Regional Mixed Use District (RMUD) brought up several concerns about how a new complex at the Arsenal Mall site could impact the town and the nearby Charles River, and said the taller buildings would be too big for Watertown. The RMUD impacts a much larger area than just the Arsenal Project. It also includes the area on the other side of Arsenal Street where the Watertown Mall and Target are located, most of Elm Street and about half of Coolidge Avenue.

Development

Arsenal St. Office Project Approved Despite Concerns About New Entrance

By |

The Linx office complex which has an Arsenal Street address but backs onto the streets of Coolidge Square received approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals. As part of the project, which will turn the underused Verizon building into a 185,000-square foot office building, a new entrance will be added on the north side of the site onto Nichols Avenue. This feature was a plus for some and a minus for others. Architect John Sullivan said the new entrance will help the office be part of the area. “It will reunite the site back into Watertown and tie it into Coolidge Square and Arsenal Street,” Sullivan said.

Development

Planning Board Approves Office Complex, Worries About New Entrance

By |

The renovation of the Verizon facility on Arsenal Street received approval from the Planning Board, but not without concerns for how the project would impact the nearby neighborhood of Coolidge Square. The proposed project, called Linx Watertown, would have 185,000 square feet of office space, featuring a two-story atrium lobby with a cafe. It would have a significant amount of green space and would be located along the Watertown Community Path so developers hope it some employees will ride their bicycles to work. Developer Boylston Properties also believes the location close to Coolidge Square will help attract companies, which they believe will relocate from areas such as Kendall Square in Cambridge and Rte. 128.

Development

Arsenal Street Hotel Gets Final Approval from Zoning Board

By |

Watertown will be getting a six-story hotel on Arsenal Street after the Zoning Board of Appeals approved the project Wednesday night. The 148-room hotel will be a Residence Inn by Marriott, said Bill McQuillan, the principal of developer Boylston Properties. Rooms in the hotel, which is aimed at business travelers, will cost about $175 a night, but prices fluctuate higher or lower depending on demand, McQuillan said. A number of Town Councilors applauded the project. “Some of us, including myself,  have been anxiously looking to bring a hotel to the Watertown community for the number of benefits it could bring,” said Town Council President Mark Sideris.