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Breakfast with Congressman Mike Capuano
In a talk that touched on Washington gridlock, the MBTA Green Line extension, and the Main Street Fairness Act, Congressman Michael Capuano spoke at the kick-off of the Somerville Chamber of Commerce’s new monthly “Government Affairs Breakfast Series”. The late January event was held in the Mount Vernon Restaurant, a short distance away from the new Assembly Row development and the future Orange Line T stop…
Nordica Theater Opens
After over a year of hard work, the Nordica Theater at Freeport Village recently opened. John, David Burn, and I were able to attend on Arrowstreet’s behalf, joining our friends Al Yebba and Mike Murphy of Berenson Associates and Mark Benvenuto from Belmont Capital. It’s always satisfying to see a building we designed in use, and this was no exception- though this was the first opening I’d been to that involved watching movie previews in 3-D! Nordica Theater is a success and a great addition to Freeport.
Finally Under Construction: Chestnut Hill
After more than a decade of work with New England Development to master plan, design, and permit the redevelopment of the former Omni Foods site on Route 9 in Chestnut Hill, MA, we can finally announce that the project is under construction. Demolition, blasting and removal of rock, and site excavation are well underway in preparation for the construction of this mixed-use development that includes retail, restaurants, a Wegman’s grocery store, health club, office, and a parking garage as part of the first phase. Stay tuned for more updates as the structures begin to take shape!
AFH Canopy Wins Best Installation Contest
Artists for Humanity has a new entry canopy, which has just won an award from 3-Form. The original design of the building included structural points of support, but at the time of its construction there was not enough funding to build a canopy. Now, just in time for their 20th anniversary, they’ve got one, funded by the Brown Fund and design/built by the AFH students, under guidance by a group of MassArt students taught by Sam Batchelor. Pat Cornelison and I helped in the design charrettes and supported the project in various other ways.
New Photography for Reykjavik Natura
We recently received new photos of the beautiful Reykjavik Natura hotel, which just re-opened this June after renovations…
Innovative Partnerships for Photovoltaic Installations
Jim Batchelor will be presenting work on Photovolatic Installations at the Brookline Climate Week 2012 in a panel on Saturday, January 28th. His focus will be on partnerships between non-profit and for-profit providers to accomplish PV installations. For more information on the conference, go to http://climatechangeactionbrookline.org/calendar.php.
Traveling in Jeddah
In December I went with Rasem Badran of Jordan to meet with a prospective client in Jeddah. The client, who is developing a new retail and mixed-use town center in Medinah, short-listed two finalists to come for an interview and charrette. Rasem has international stature for his work in restoring and building new construction in areas of Islamic heritage, and Arrowstreet has done several projects with his firm. While I was there, I snapped these photos of historic structures in old Jeddah.
Worcester CitySquare Building H Topping Off Ceremony
Arrowstreet recently celebrated a big moment with the City of Worcester, Unum, and many others when the steel frame was finally topped off at the CitySquare Development’s newest office highrise on January 4th. It was a brutally cold day, but a well-attended and warmly welcomed milestone for the many people involved. The patriotically painted beam was signed and hoisted 120 feet up into the air to be placed in its final home. What an impressive sight: an evergreen tree on one side and the American flag on the other, flying up in the sky marking the building’s official presence in Worcester’s skyline…
RetailGreen: Presentation and Debate
The International Council of Shopping Center’s (ICSC’s) annual “RetailGreen” Conference was recently held in Phoenix, Arizona. It’s the only green conference that exists primarily to serve the retail development industry. In planning meetings for the event, my colleagues and I on the Program Committee spent a lot of time conjuring up panel presentations and roundtable discussions on the sustainability topics most relevant to ICSC members…
Wonderland South Garage – Progress Update
Visible signs of progress are on display at the Wonderland South Garage project in Revere. The first in a series of stainless steel mesh panels have been installed at the south façade; these panels offer a nice play on opacity, especially given the nature of the precast structure. When complete, these panels will be illuminated with blue LED lighting, adding color and visual interest at night…