The Somerville Esplanade

[heliopsis.livejournal.com]

I love the bike path, particularly the bit from Davis Square to Cedar Street. I walk from Willow to Davis several times a week on that path, and I love its green, quiet stretch through the bustling city. I have often thought, wouldn't it be great to have a café or a restaurant on the path, someplace with tables out on a patio opening onto the path. It would be the only place in metro Boston where you could have streetside service without having to compete with noise and fumes from cars and buses. It would be, dare I say it, positively Parisian, and I bet people would flock to it.

Well, the Carli Fence property is for sale, a long, thin stretch of land on the north side of the bike path, extending from Willow towards Davis Square almost to the artists' lofts. It's currently an industrial mess, all paved, a long, brick warehouse with its back to the bike path, and lots of chain link fence (after all, it was Carli Fence!) From Google Maps, it looks like the property is T-shaped, with the top of the T along the bike path and the leg of the T ending at Morrison Avenue.

I would love to see this property redeveloped as a cafe or restaurant which opens out onto the bike path, creating a destination on the path. It could have parking on the Morrison Avenue side. The north side of the path is residential, so I suppose there will be noise concerns, but with smart design that could be handled.

What I really don't want to see there is more luxury condos with a parking lot up against the bike path; or the brick back of a minimall. I'd like to see a development that takes the bike path seriously as a way to get around the city, and that celebrates the quiet, green space in the midst of a noisy, crowded city.

Comments

Re: 2,000,000

[turil.livejournal.com]

On it's own, yeah, that's too much, but that property is big enough for several complimentary businesses. Imagine a Yoga studio, the Someday Cafe, an art gallery, a small housewhere/kitchen supply shop, and maybe a dog sitting/grooming place... Not done in the style of a strip mall, but something funky that worked with the wharehouse building in a creative way.

Re: 2,000,000

[heliopsis.livejournal.com]

I was thinking of the Someday, and I agree with your assessment. A cafe alone is not enough business for the space; but a cafe, a couple interesting shops, and some housing might add up to a sensible business. Or a cafe that turns into a nice restaurant at night. I'm not keen on using the existing buildings--they're fifty years old and ugly as sin. My guess is that, by the time you fixed them up, you could start over for less.

Hmmm, I wonder if Gus Rancatore might be interested in a new ice cream factory?