74 HIGHLAND COMMUNITY UPDATES

View of Highland and Dorr Street - Scenario with 7 Units of Townhouses
A study by MERGE Architects on preserving the Oak and Catalpa trees
Image Credit: MERGE Architects

For updates on the 74 Highland Townhouses, please check out the [SLIDES] that were presented on Thursday night (Dec 12, 2013).

MERGE Architects and Urbanica are studying on the possibility and feasibility of preserving the two trees located on Highland Street. We will update as soon as we find out.

URBANICA IS ON BOSTON BUSINESS JOURNAL

The Resnikoff family hanging out in their beautiful kitchen
Photo Credit: W.Marc Bernsau, Boston Business Journal

Mary Moore, reporter from the Boston Business Journal, wrote a fantastic analysis on the up and coming neighborhood of Roxbury. Mary wrote "that the area has witnessed significant resurgence as hundreds of millions of dollars in public and private sector projects come to fruition in the neighborhood's core and on its fringes". This has lead to the growth of median prices far exceeding the rise in values across Suffolk County and across the state. Two of our projects, 226-232 Highland Street E+ Townhouses and the Parcel 9 Melnea Hotel and Residences were featured in the article.

A couple of our home buyers at 226-232 Highland Street, Ted Resnikoff and his wife, Suleykan "discovered this hidden jewel" of a neighborhood that is mere minutes away from downtown Boston. The energy efficient project is slated to be LEED Platinum certified and the houses actually produces more energy than it consumes, hence the term "Energy Positive". The quality finishings, the modern contextual design and the sustainable aspects of the project helped in breaking new ground in sales prices. In return, the buyers were able to get more value for their money with new construction, more living space, lower comparative prices, room for future capital appreciation and most importantly, the opportunity to live in a strong historic Boston neighborhood.

While there are concerns that long term residents will be pushed out due to gentrification, the fact remains the as Roxbury progresses with new developments of market rate housing alongside other bigger institutional developments around Dudley Square and Northeastern University, the long term prospects of the residents will greatly improved with locally created jobs and wealth.

In fact, this is the driving principle for our development of Parcel 9 Melnea Hotel and Residences--a multi-million dollar mixed use complex that boast a 145-room hotel, 50 apartments, retail and community spaces. The hotel and retail components will help create local jobs while stimulating the surrounding micro-economy. In tandem with the developments at Dudley Square and Parcel 10, we believe that these projects will create the momentum in rejuvenating the area and help this amazing neighborhood reach greater heights.

For the full story, please visit this Boston Business Journal article, ["ROXBURY'S CHANGING FACE"].

74 HIGHLAND: COMMUNITY UPDATE

We are having a meeting for community updates on the 74 Highland Street project.

74 HIGHLAND COMMUNITY UPDATES

MEETING DATE: December 12, 2013

TIME: 6.30pm

LOCATION: Community Room at Shelburne Community Center, 2730 Washington St, Roxbury, MA 02119

Please help us spread the word to your neighbors and community members. Thank you! 

50 SYMPHONY ROAD: BRA BOARD APPROVAL

Perspective  View Down Symphony Road      
Credit: Urbanica Design

50 Symphony Road is now BRA Board Approved!

Urbanica is acting a development/design consultant for this fascinating project. The BRA Board voted to approve the $9 million residential project on November 14, 2013. The proposed project is located between the historic Fenway Emerald Necklace and the Back Bay neighborhood. The development, with 20 residential units and 11 onsite parking, has a double bowfront design as a contemporary interpretation to the traditional Boston architecture. 

For the full press release from the Boston Redevelopment Authority, please click [HERE]

HELPING HANDS: A SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT TO NEW ENGLAND REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS!

We would like to express our gratitude to the New England Regional Council of Carpenters for their assistance in the construction of the 226-232 Highland Street project. We are grateful for the cooperation and help from Mark Erlich, Lyell Hamm, Tom English as well as the US Framing crew. Union carpenters and apprentices had worked on Boston's first Energy Positive homes in various capacity.

We also would like to give a special shout out to the whole team of young and energetic apprentices who were able to apply their classroom knowledge in a real world setting for helping in the installation of the fiber cement siding, hardwood flooring and interior drywall. More than 125 of the Council's members worked on the Highland Park site, contributing their skills while gaining valuable training in the green building sector.

Working with the city of Boston and Urbanica, apprentices and instructors provided  union training and union skills while allowing carpenters to learn more about the latest ways to make building and living more energy efficiently. The skills and knowledge they learned and used will benefit them directly, as well as their future employers and the entire building industry.

Please enjoy the short film produced by the Council on their great contribution to this project.