The 44-unit apartment building with ground-floor storefronts, proposed for Boston’s Allston neighborhood, is a fairly bold and modern design under development by the studio of Sebastian Mariscal, the architect. But the most radical thing about it is what is missing — parking.
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The building, which would be completed in late 2014 if the necessary permits were obtained, sits on an 18,000-square-foot lot currently occupied by — as it happens — a parking lot and a used-car dealer. “If we do the building the traditional way, the entire footprint would be devoted to parking,” said Mauricio De la Peña, the managing director of the Sebastian Mariscal Studio and the project manager for the Allston building. “We’re trying to avoid that by creating green space on every level.”
Plans include a 4,000-square-foot community garden and social area accessible to residents on the roof, and bicycle racks on the lowest level. There will be six spaces for the car-sharing vehicles that are popular in Boston.
Who will live in the building? Mr. De la Peña said in an interview that Boston “like New York, has many residents who don’t own a car and rely on public transportation.” The proposed building is close to the Green Line of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and also to a proposed commuter rail station, he said.
An apartment building without parking is a challenge, because city regulations overseen by the Boston Redevelopment Authority specify the number of parking spaces per dwelling unit. “We’re working with the authorities and the community,” Mr. De la Peña said. “We need to get the concept approved.”
Read More at: http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/04/a-boston-building-for-people-not-cars/?ref=realestate
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