Condos / Summer Street MBTA Shaft Site

[buckturgidsen.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen anyone post anything about the MBTA Shaft Site on Summer Street for a while, so here's an update. The developer was unable to build their previous concept -- a 14-unit condo building on the shaft site -- due to problems meeting conditions of their special permit. After suing the mayor and ward alderman in a last-ditch effort to meet the conditions of the permit, they disappeared for a few years only to come back with a new and much larger plan: a 31-unit building on the VFW parking lot. They're also building a new lodge for the VFW as part of a land swap.

The plans are here on the city's website, and apparently they'll be going in front of the Zoning Board in April. It looks like the city is rolling out the red carpet for them.

The people behind this proposal are the Dakota Partners guys, who own the shaft site and who I think have built 5 other buildings in Somerville: Belmont Terrace, Osgood Lofts, 23(?) Park Ave, a row of townhouses on Weston Ave, and 1188 Broadway. Some were built under the previous name of the firm Emerald Development. I realize that none of these other buildings are in Davis Sq, but does anyone out there live in one of these buildings and can share anything about what they're like to live in, or their experiences dealing with this developer?

I certainly would like to see that shaft site finally developed, but 31 units seems ridiculous. And while I'm happy to see the veterans finally get a new post, I can't understand how this deal makes sense for them. The vets are giving the developer all of their best real estate: the developer gets the current VFW Post (their portion of the building they currently share with the Winter Hill Bank) AND over 80% of the current VFW parking lot which is a prime street-front parcel in the central biz district zoning. And in return the VFW only gets the undesirable MBTA shaft site and a new lodge. I can't see why the vets would go along with this.

Comments

[buckturgidsen.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the comments so far. I just wanted to point out that it's not 10 units per floor. The first floor has 5 units (the rest is parking) and the second and third are 13 units per floor.

One other thing to mention -- think about living on the ground floor in units 3, 4, and 5 where your view is the garage ramp (where cars are driving by at eye-level) and then the featureless side of the VFW post is 20' away. Same thing on the second floor in 16, 17, or 18. Or how about units 14 and 15 on the second floor where your window looks onto the backside of the VFW post just 10' away and you look right into the "card room" windows of the post. I think I would probably just keep the curtains closed.

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

Not every apartment has a nice view... presumably those will be cheaper.

and I think that 13 units on the upper 2 floors is perfectly reasonable... they might be a LITTLE small, but not too bad.

None of this answers the question of what the VFW gets out of it... Lower property taxes maybe? But the plan seems like not an unreasonable use of the space...

[ron_newman]

The VFW gets a larger and more modern facility.

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

We get a new Post. That's what we want most of all. And we get rid of the leaking, broken post we have now.

If you really want to know more, please see my comment above for phone, time, and contact number to answer questions like these.