Harvard rents a building!

As reported by the BRA and Allston Brighton Community Blog Harvard has RENTED one of the many empty buildings it owns in Allston!

I believe the building in question had been used by the Harvard Police and some contractors.  It seemed to be one of least run down buildings in their inventory.  Although the Crimson reports that some build out will happen maybe this will prove to Harvard that it needs to up the maintance of its vacant buildings to make them more marketable.

Regardless great news.  1 done, many to go.

Charlesview approved

Although it isn’t all we wanted I’m somewhat glad its done.  Let’s demolish some empty buildings!  And actually replace them with new buildings!

Charlesview apartments approved

Boston Business Journal - by Mary Moore

The Boston Zoning Commission on Thursday approved a mixed-income development proposed by nonprofit builder The Community Builders and Charlesview Inc., the governing board of the Charlesview Apartments.

The new Charlesview Residences in Allston will includee 240 rental units and 100 owned units.

full story

Also mild kudos to Harvard for coming up with creatives uses for an empty VW dealership… time to go to Play It Again sports for some cheap skates since its BYO-skates.

Also also don’t forget to vote Tuesday.

Western Ave gets more art

I’d like to see a tenant there, but a little art in the windows is a step in the right direction.

Harvard cleans up for the BRA walking tour?

Harvard cleaning up for the tour tomorrow?

I noticed this at about noon today.  I hope Harvard cleans up before the walking tour (1).  For those that don’t drive by every day this is the empty building at 176 Lincoln St (2).

All teasing of Harvard and their empty properties aside vandalism and/or disrepair isn’t cool.   Since it was pushed toward the street either (1) someone pushed it over (vandalism) or (2) a Harvard contractor or employee with a key to the gate hit it backing out of the locked driveway (blatant disrepair).

In both cases this is what happens when properties are virtually abandoned.  I hope this starts and ends with an uprooted cosmetic post.  

“On Thursday, May 7, the BRA will lead a walking tour/site visit
of the Holton Street corridor.  We will meet at 4:00 p.m. at the
Allston-Brighton Resource Center, 367 Western Avenue. ”

(2) http://www.thisisharvard.org/3/harvards-empty-lincoln-st-in-allston/ 

Is this Lower Allston or Detroit?

Schools Out Forever from Vice Magazine BY JAMES GRIFFIOEN (external link)

Is this an empty Harvard property in Allston?  No.  Our diligence will prevent this from happening here.  It was left empty by a different set of problems with a different set of solutions, but led to the same outcome — or hopefully only a potential outcome in our case.

Remember to attend community meetings this Spring/Summer.  Its tough with the nice weather and competing interests, but its important.

On a sidenote after getting quite a few seemingly automated spam comments  (no, our readers don’t need Viagra from Russia) registration is required for commenting.  Its an easy, automated process and will be used for no other purpose than to stop bots.  As an added bonus your comments will no longer be held for moderation (unless they contain too many links) so you should see them post immediately.

New Use For Former Comcast Building

Travis St gate today

Comcast has since moved to the other side of the Pike… adding its foot traffic to the revitalized Cambridge St.  Given all the empty store fronts on Western Ave I think people would even welcome a tattoo parlor (no offense to Stingray Body Art) in North Allston.

Science center site map

Before the fence

Oldies, but goodies - Allston resists Harvard

Former Charlesbank Cleaners:

Former Citgo

 (1) http://groups.google.com/group/ABNNF/browse_thread/thread/38462be4dfe8e7bc

Dirty and empty at 168 Western Ave

Why can’t Allston be more like Beverly?

I’ve seen a number of comments defending the status of 176 Lincoln St status as not leasable.  The claim is even if it were fixed up no innovative company could rent that space in the current economic climate.

My questions is why can’t this building become another Cummings Park-like property?  In Beverly, Cummings (1) took a HUGE old factory and transformed it into 100s of small, medium and large office suites.  Small and start up businesses flocked to the complex.  Those who were successful moved into progressively larger offices or off campus to the local community.  Rents for small offices were reasonable.  Cummings made its money off many small tenants instead a small number of large tenants.  Locally a building on Braintree St is used for a similar purpose, but is more aimed at artists.

Some would claim that Harvard can’t afford to develop this property.  I would say how can they afford not to develop this property and others in Allston.  With minimal investment they could be revenue generating for the next 30 to 50 years until Harvard needs them back.  

No one expects Harvard to empty its endowment to rebuild Allston.  What people do expect is when you own that much property that you have a clear plan for it - both short and long term.  One would also expect some course correction due to changing circumstances.   There HAS to be a middle ground between doing NOTHING (the current short term plan) and building a $1 billion building (the old short term plan).

(1) http://www.cummings.com/

The Lights Are On But Nobody’s Home

3/24/2009 8:13 PM Open side door at Kmart

On Tuesday night, while walking by the abandoned Kmart (1) on Litchfield street I came upon an open door. Some of the lights were on inside, but there were no sounds of movement or people. With my girlfriend yelling “Oh my God, this how horror movies start!” I snapped a picture and we continued home with our cornopia from Big Daddy’s.

So Harvard can help the neighborhood… by supplying a huge location for squatters displaced by the housing crisis!  Maybe they’ll start a fire and the current blight will be replaced by a new uglier blight. We can only hope that if this were to happen no lives would be lost like in Worcester.

(1) http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=42.361549,-71.139269&spn=0.002442,0.005665&t=h&z=18