The Brookline Avenue Community Advisory Committee took its first look at the redevelopment of 109 Brookline Avenue this past Monday. The project was first announced in March.
The lot at 109 Brookline Avenue, adjacent to the Marriott Residence Inn, would be rebuilt into a 10-story lab and office space with ground floor retail and a building height of 150 feet. The adjacent building at 20 Overland Street would be kept at 78 feet tall.
Portions of a third, nearby parcel will be tied up in construction for “at least four years”, according to David Surette, senior vice president at IQHQ, a San Diego based life science real estate developer.
A new cycling and walking path would connect Maitland Street to the Muddy River and the rest of the Emerald Necklace.
Brookline Avenue itself would have its sidewalk widened and a bike lane installed, buffered from the main road by a row of trees.
But most prominent on the committee’s mind were the expected 220 underground parking spots the combined development would create. “It’s a lot of parking for an area that is in between a commuter rail, many bus lines, and two blocks away on either side from the T,” said Mia Jean Sicard.
“The Red Sox games are a constant thing for us to weigh,” said CAC member Alex Sawczynec. He asked project leaders, “Would you be willing to commit to not allowing the use of your underground spaces for Red Sox parking?” A noticeable pause followed, after which Surette said, “We’ll have to look at that.” Other members of the committee criticized the project’s “pocket park”, an area with chairs, benches, tables, and greenery situated on Brookline Avenue.
“Who are we trying to serve with this?” asked Mallory Rohig. “There doesn’t seem to be a lot here that strikes me as very welcoming for families.”
“Brookline Avenue is a very busy thoroughfare,” noted Dolores Boogdanian, who praised the inclusion of green space, but said, “A sitting area on Brookline with its busy, urban, noisy street is not a place to hang out stress free.”
Mia Jean Sicard suggested a dog park would better serve Fenway’s needs. But other members said attractive sidewalks and community spades could support additional pedestrian traffic on the street.
“We want to draw people down all these streets and connect them all. We need to start somewhere to create some nice sidewalks,” said Pam Beale.
The building at 109 Brookline Avenue would be certified “gold” by the US Green Building Council, meaning a roughly 28 percent reduction in energy use and 15 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
A community meeting is scheduled for May 25 from 6 to 8 pm, to be held virtually. The comment period for this project ends June 1.
