Two mixed-use buildings planned for 1690 Revere Beach Pkwy.
The Stop & Shop at 1690 Revere Beach Pkwy. could be razed to make way for two mixed-use buildings.
During the Planning Board’s February 7 meeting, architect Brian O’Connor of CUBE 3 presented his proposal to redevelop the 300,636-square-foot parcel. Each building would be seven stories tall and would have 741 residential units, 38 of which would be designated as affordable housing. The development would also include 875 parking spaces, 350 bike spaces and 9,500 square feet of commercial space. O’Connor also said the buildings would feature roof decks and elevated courtyards.
“We see an opportunity to really take advantage of this neighborhood,” said O’Connor, adding that the site would be a “gateway to the neighborhood.”
In addition, O’Connor said the development would be attractive for commuters as it would be less than 10 minutes from public transportation.
“We’re looking at this from a neighborhood standpoint,” he said.
Commercial Triangle Neighborhood Plan
In other news, the board approved a Neighborhood Plan intended to bolster the growth of the Commercial Triangle Economic Development District.
In designing the plan, Nels Nelson, a senior planner at Stantec, said, he and his colleagues studied Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood as well as Assembly Row in Somerville. During his presentation, Nelson called attention to the planned Silver Line station on Second Street. “This is really going to be the center spine,” he said.
Nelson also highlighted Garden Street as a quieter area of the Commercial Triangle that would be attractive to restaurant owners. “This would be like dining in the North End,” he said, adding that there is the potential for a park at the corner of Garden and Second Streets. “This is going to be a really key corner.”
However, Nelson said the Commercial Triangle is also prone to flooding. “These areas are all extremely low,” he said. Therefore, a series of culverts would be needed to divert stormwater runoff to the Island End River.
165-167 Bow St.
The Planning Board also revisited the project at 165-167 Bow St. Attorney Anthony Rossi, counsel for 165 Bow Street LLC, said the amount of parking for the development was reduced from 122 spaces to 93 spaces. However, the proposal still calls for 149 residential units between two buildings.
Planning Board Member Leo Pizzano told Rossi that reducing the number of parking spaces was a risky move. “Do you really think that the rest of those people aren’t going to have cars?” he asked. “Doesn’t anybody visit anybody anymore?”
Abutting resident Rosemary Lombardo said that, although she favors the development, she is concerned about adding another 93 vehicles to the neighborhood.
However, Rossi said the new residents would quickly learn where they could and could not park. “The way people learn is when they get tickets and when they get towed,” he said.