The new "One Davis Square"

[billharnois.livejournal.com]

Here's what the new One Davis Square building will look like in Fall 2007.

Comments

[komos.livejournal.com]

'Course, you can't look into the second floor of the Hobbs building to see people running on treadmills.

I don't know... given this community's bias against large chains and creeping gentrification, it's a little surprising that there's not more of a reaction to another chain pharmacy with a chain gym going in a building that looks remarkably like the similar complex in Porter Square. Is the 'meh' based entirely around perceived convenience, or is it more because there aren't beloved businesses that are immediately threatened - as was the case with Chipotle?

[ron_newman]

At the Davis Square Task Force meetings I attended, people were lukewarm at best about CVS, but didn't strongly object to it -- as you point out, it isn't displacing something else people were attached to.

A number of us said "why not Trader Joe's instead?" The developer said he'd talked to TJ's and they weren't interested in a site with no parking (even though they do just fine on Boylston St. without parking).

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I go to that parking-less Trader Joe's on Boylston and it's always very busy. I don't think TJ's understands the population density in and around Davis, or the high population of car-free locals who don't give a hoot about parking. A bike rack would be enough as far as "parking" is concerned. But hey, if they're not interested, their loss.

[komos.livejournal.com]

I wonder, though, if CVS was just willing to pay a higher premium for a building with no parking...

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

We could call TJ's and pretend to be from the City of Somerville:

"Why you dis us? Why you dis our fine land?"

"No dis intended, there's just no parking."

"Somervillian have strong leather feet, no need car. Give us food!"

"Um...we'll consider it."

[spatch]

HELLO I AM HAVE FOOT TRAFFIC GIVE TO ME YOUR FOODS AND ATTRACTIVELY-PRICED LAMBICS

[ravenword.livejournal.com]

No lambics at a new TJ's unless they stop selling them at one of the other TJ'ses. :(

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I would imagine the TJs people have researched the issue more than any of us have. Davis is urban, but it's not city. I'd love to see a TJs here, too.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I don't know how they can turn their nose up at the 5th most densely populated community in America. The one in Cambridge is very inconvenient to get to for those without cars, so I go to the T-able one on Boylston. But if TJs didn't have that T-able location, they wouldn't get my business at all. That TJs is sort of a mini-TJs, very small. I'd be happy even if they gave us a wee little one.

Maybe that's the problem -- that space isn't wee little at all, and is too big for them to want to risk.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Well, Somerville's population density is misleading. The high number is due in part to the fact that we have just about the lowest percentage of green space of any city in MA. I'm not sure where we'd stand if zero-population areas (parks and such) were factored out. I mean, obviously Davis Square isn't nearly as densely populated as areas with high-rises and such.

A mini-TJs would be awesome. I mean, a full-sized one woudl be better, but I can understand why they wouldn't do it without parking. Hey, write them a letter and see what they say. :)