30-unit residential building proposed for Saratoga Street in East Boston
MG2 has proposed another East Boston building, this time a 30-unit building at 656 Saratoga St., near Curtis Street - and Rte. 1A.
The building, which would be built atop what is now a vacant lot stretching from Saratoga to Chaucer Street, would have 30 spaces in a parking garage, with its entrance on Chaucer. Four of the units would be marked as affordable rates.
The proposal, filed with the BPDA, does not specify whether the units would be apartments or condos.
MG2 describes the proposal:
The Proposed Project would create a residential development combining market-rate and affordable housing opportunities in an aesthetic appropriate in scale, massing and design to the Orient Heights Neighborhood of East Boston. Further, located within 0.2 miles of public transportation with access to the MBTA’s Wood Island Line Rapid Transit station, the Proposed Project will provide an additional unique high density housing opportunity for the area.
665 Saratoga St. small-project review application (6.2M PDF).
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Comments
More Infill!
Bringing new homes to an area that witnessed the demolition of a great many so that route 1A could cleave the neighborhood
Isn't that the exact same building they're
already going to put in East Boston according to six posts earlier?
Vacant Lot
That lot, always overgrown with weeds, has been vacant for over 50 years. For a while it had a junked old trailer in it. it. For a while a Trump for President sign. I have never known who owns it.
Talk about timing. A week ago
A week ago I walked by and wondered why the hell it was just sitting empty. Something I've wondered each time walking past over the past 5+ years. Here is the street view of the site.
One cool thing about that stretch of Saratoga is the 2 story homes in the area, of which there are a handful more on Bennington Street. Saratoga Street itself has a lot of cool homes strewn about, especially this group of rowhouses across from newer wood buildings. Apparently they were all facing a since-removed park on the north side of Saratoga on Eagle Hill, from what I've gathered. Needless to say, I don't think these new boxes they're constructing will ever be on the list, but I digress.
History
The history I can tell you about that vacant Saratoga lot is that sometime in the early 50s, circa 1954 or so, several two and three story homes that were on the site burned down in a massive fire. It has been vacant ever since, if you can believe that. It's a mystery as to who owns it. Every once in a blue, blue moon some company would come and cut the grass, which often grew to forest proportions. In the past few years it has been kept up a slight bit more, obviously with an eye to sell and/or develop.
656 Saratoga
The properties burnt down around 1956. The vacant property was owned for many years by a local landlord whose development plans were rejected by the city. Sold around 10 years ago to a developer who put up the fence and cut the grass. Plans have been submitted several times in the last 3 years. Originally 60 units. The locals nixed the 6 storey plan, rightly so. Finally the empty lot will disappear. I have walked by it for 30 years on my way to work.