The Globe, Herald, and Universal Hub have reported that apartment developer Avalon Properties has proposed building a 29-story residential tower on Stuart St. in Boston.
If approved, the 404-unit apartment tower, designed by Boston’s own CBT Architects, will take the place of a parking lot adjacent to the Jacob Wirth tavern. The building will feature “luxury studios renting for $1,800, one-bedrooms in the low- to mid-$2,000 range and two-bedrooms starting at $3,000 a month.”
While the image doesn’t show much detail, the building will be shaped like a T, with narrow street frontage. The design is generating split opinions on the ArchBoston forums, with some negatively comparing it to Vancouver’s residential towers, and others wishing it was an even stronger reflection of the West Coast Canadian city’s noted architectural style.
Personally, I think it’s a tasteful — if not terribly awe-inspiring — design, and it will be a good addition to the downtown landscape.
Mine is an opinion shared by some… and not by others. The Herald article quoted Ken Ham, president of the Bay Village Neighborhood Association: “It’s a great project,” he said. “It gets rid of another parking lot, puts another great building near us, and fills a void between Bay Village and Chinatown in a rundown area.”
Conversely, the Globe quoted Lydia Lowe, executive director of the Chinese Progressive Association, who said in response to the proposal, “It sounds like the same old kind of thing we’ve been seeing a lot of in Chinatown. I don’t see it adding to the community’s priorities.” This is similar to Chinatown’s response to another 29-story residential tower on the other side of Chinatown back in 2007.
What do you think? Do you like the look of the new tower? Do you hate it? Do you think a luxury apartment building is what Stuart Street needs?