Development

Planning Board Scrutinizes Pleasant Street Project, Sends it Back for Redesign

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The proposed project on a thin strip of land at 385-393 Pleasant Street ran into problems at the Watertown Planning Board, when board members had problems with the density of the project and particularly with how close some of the new buildings would be to houses behind the project. 

The Planning Board voted last week to continue the discussion of the project at the intersection of Pleasant and Rosedale Road, which proposes to have 58 apartments, townhouses and 11,500 sq. ft. of commercial space. The design team for the developers – Amstel Heritage Watertown LLC – already appeared before the Planning Board in November and brought back an altered plan that removed one of the townhouse buildings on the east end of the site. The unites were moved on top of the existing warehouse building on the west side of the project.

Development

Phase 3 of Arsenal Yards, with 7 Story Building, Approved by Planning Board

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The third phase of the Arsenal Yards project got the go ahead from members of the Planning Board on Thursday night. 

The latest portion of the former Arsenal Mall to be approved is Building F (see plans here), a seven story structure with ground floor retail, multiple levels of parking and topped by three stories of apartments. This is the building where a grocery store may be built, according to the design team, and will be located in the space where the bridge goes over the underpass in the Arsenal Mall parking lot. The size of the building was increased from what was proposed in the Master Plan, which required the Planning Board to approve an amendment to the Master Plan along with approving the site plan. The Board approved both unanimously. Originally the building was planned to have six stories, and be 83-feet, 6-inches tall, but the new height is 89 feet, 4 inches.

Development

Planning Board Approves Hotel and Garage at Arsenal Yards

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After hearing complaints about the design of the proposed Hampton Inn & Suites hotel at Arsenal Yards, designers simplified the look and reduced the number of colors to be used. The Planning Board approved of the changes and voted to approve Phase 2 of the renovation of the former Arsenal Mall on Wednesday night. Phase 2 includes Building B which has retail space on the ground floor and above it a hotel on Arsenal Street with a garage as you go back from the street. When the drawings were first presented at a community meeting in May, people complained materials used were not the red brick of the historic Watertown Arsenal, and that too many colors and materials were used on the outside. Planning Board member Janet Buck said that she did not like the first rendering of the hotel.

Development

New Hotel Proposed for Arsenal Mall to be Discussed by Planning Board

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The Planning Board will discuss the second phase of the Arsenal Yards project, which includes a hotel to be added in a new building planned for what is now the parking lot of the Arsenal Mall. 

Phase 2 focuses on Building B, which is on the west sided of the site, next to the Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates offices. Along with the retail space on the ground floor there will be a hotel and a parking structure (see architectural drawings here). Developers Boyslton Properties announced they plan to build a Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton with 150 rooms. The six-story hotel replaces the 79-unit residential building originally planned for Building B. It will have a garage with six levels, including an underground level. The plans got mixed reviews from the public during a community meeting held in May. See the documents submitted to the Town can be seen here (click on Phase Two Building B in the left column).

Arsenal Mall

Planning Board Approves Master Plan for Renovating Arsenal Mall

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The new look for the Arsenal Mall, which includes added retail and hundreds of residential units, received the approval from the Planning Board Wednesday night. 

The Arsenal Yards, as the mall will be known, was in front of the Planning Board for the third time, and the board voted unanimously to approve the master plan. Many supported the plan, but some had questions about the traffic and the size of the building in the project. The project adds more than 100,000 sq. ft. of commercial or retail space, and 503 apartments or condos, some of which will be in a 12-story building.

Development

LETTER: Town Councilor Worries Mall Will Change Character of East End

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Dear Chairman Hawes and Members of the Planning Board,

To put this quite simply, Watertown has not seen a development of this magnitude in recent history; a city within a city with amenities galore for its prospective residents. The urban sprawl associated with this development will change the character of the East End of Watertown and community-at-large for generations to come. Due to a prior commitment, I will be unable to attend the Planning Board Hearing on Dec. 14, 2016, rescheduled from Nov. 29, 2016.  For numerous months, many residents and I have been sharing our thoughts, comments and many concerns at neighborhood meetings and at the Special Planning Board Hearing on Oct.

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.