Name that building

[soundlab1.livejournal.com]

I have lived here for two years and have always wondered, what is that brick monstrosity abutting Willow Avenue and Whipple Street, across from Charles Rose Architects and next to the bikepath?

It appears to be some kind of telecom building?  It is a total eyesore and a complete waste of prime real estate.  Whoever owns it is dropping the ball bigtime.  Is Wonka in there making chocolate or what?

Comments

[ron_newman]

That's an NStar Electric facility. It's been mentioned here before, so I may come back here with a link in a few minutes. The last time it was discussed, people said that RCN uses the property as well.

[soundlab1.livejournal.com]

Thanks Ron, I wanted to search, but had no idea what terms to use, since I don't know what it is. Any info would be great. The place is shady to say the least.

[ron_newman]

Here's the old post on this subject. It would be nice to have the grounds landscaped or converted to gardens, though the building obviously has to remain where it is.

Edit re 'prime real estate' -- it is now, but it certainly wasn't when it was built, next to noisy railroad tracks with sooty steam engines.

[jcconnor1.livejournal.com]

I have often wondered what this building was as well. I did a little digging (prompted by your post).

I found the property in the Somerville Appraiser's database (http://data.visionappraisal.com/SomervilleMA/findpid.asp?iTable=pid&pid=219/) by digging around using Willow as a search term. Apparently it is 110 Willow. As you will see from the link, the land and building are valued at over $1,000,000.

Here is an interesting article on the company that once owned the building. Apparently, as far as standards of the late 1800's go, this building once housed a high tech "start-up" (http://www.ci.somerville.ma.us/CoS_Content/documents/Somerville's%20first%20high-tech%20startup.pdf/). The technology: street level electricity.

Seems like this is silly placement for an industrial building. The City should offer the Owner a land-swap to move elsewhere so this building can realize its full potential, both from a neighborhood beauty standpoint and from a fiscal standpoint. Surely the City has an abandoned lot somewhere that could house the substation.

Perhaps I am overlooking something - does the substation need to be this close?

Link

[soundlab1.livejournal.com]

I'd love to see the 'high tech startup' link, but it appears to be dead?

I think it would be great to turn the building and parcel around and bring it back to its high tech roots.

DS could use a Cambridge Innovation Center type of building where entrepreneurs and startups can rent collaborative spaces. These are much cheaper than typical long term office leases and allow greater flexibility, which new businesses need.

These types of places are on the rise in Boston and Cambridge, see http://workbarboston.com/ or http://www.cambridgecoworking.com/ and could bring in more daily commuters to DS businesses.

However I think it would take a small miracle and a ton of resources to get something like an electrical substation moved. I wonder if it could be housed underground onsite or otherwise confined so the space could be put to better use for the community. Do you think it takes up the whole building??

The Somerville Electric Light Company

[soundlab1.livejournal.com]

http://bit.ly/9fXdD0

Re: The Somerville Electric Light Company

[jcconnor1.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting the correct link. I am new to LJ and thought the only way it could be done was with HTML. An errant backslash ruined the link.

[ron_newman]

I'd like to see that property improved, but I don't think it's the proper role of city government to try to strong-arm the electric company into abandoning an asset that it has been actively using for 121 years. The cost to taxpayers and ratepayers would be considerable, with an uncertain future return.

What the city should do, however, is encourage the utility to beautify the façade, landscape the property, and cooperate with volunteers and community groups who could help the utility do these things.

[soundlab1.livejournal.com]

I don't think the city should strong arm anybody here, but I'd argue that the utility isn't even doing the bare minimum to maintain the property. In it's current state, it might pass in an industrial zone under I-93, but not in its current surroundings. 121 years of ownership or not, it looks like a creepy crack den. I bet the city would step in if it were a residential property, or at least it would be bought, reno'd, and flipped by developers, given its location.

I will search for an appropriate community relations contact at the utility and report back!

Thanks for all the info Ron et al