May 13, 2008
The Latest on 1501 Commonwealth
In case you missed the chatter, the Brighton-Allston Improvement Association announced its preference for the former Provident nursing home at 1501 Commonwealth Avenue. I’m thrilled with the choice because it’s the project I would have chosen — that of the Brighton Partnership for Community Reinvestment.
What makes this project superior to all the others is the emphasis on aesthetics and community involvement. For some reason, developers in Brighton never seemed to think the neighborhood deserved more than boring concrete blocks with cheap aluminum windows.
Merrill Diamond, one of the guys involved with Waterworks at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, proposed “Charing Cross”— 57 condos with a 1930’s feel. His project also provides funds to clean up the median strip in front of the building and improve a nearby park. About .33 percent of every sale will be set aside for community use.
Many people don’t like this plan because they think Brighton needs more affordable housing. In this plan, a mere 19 units would be set aside as “affordable.” I live in the neighborhood and I’m surrounded by affordable housing, so I’m not quite sure what they’re talking about. If anything, this neighborhood will benefit by attractive, market-rate housing that draws young professionals and persuades families to stick around.
Either way, the approval process promises to drag on for quite a while. The developers await analysis from the Department of Neighborhood Development, which will send its recommendation to the Public Facilities Commission. If everything goes smoothly, shovels could hit the ground next year.
If it works out, Brighton might get the quality housing it really needs.
More of Pam on Brookline and Brighton
