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Post by breezy on Mar 3, 2022 18:04:03 GMT -5
Telegram article this afternoon states that Holy Cross will be building 2 new dorms.
Article is behind paywall, so I cannot access it.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Mar 3, 2022 19:02:28 GMT -5
Looking forward to seeing the new campus map. I hope the design fits in with the campus rather than just creating an entry for an architectural competition
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Post by breezy on Mar 3, 2022 19:12:10 GMT -5
From the little bit I was able to see before the paywall blocked it, it seems that the new dorms will be on City View Street. Existing homes on that street will be demolished to make way for the new dorms.
I hope someone can either post the article or provide a more precise summary.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Mar 3, 2022 19:16:32 GMT -5
Pak Phreek will likely get us the drawings and blueprints as soon as they are in draft form
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Post by HCFC45 on Mar 4, 2022 8:02:57 GMT -5
Holy Cross plans to raze 4 College Hill buildings, build 2 new dorms
Jeff A. Chamer
Telegram & Gazette
1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 City View St. runs parallel to the upper campus entrance at Holy Cross on Thursday. The end of this road ends with a gate onto the campus.
WORCESTER — The College of the Holy Cross plans to raze and remove four buildings near the main campus to make room for two three-story townhouse-style dormitory buildings. The buildings on the site include single-family and multifamily homes and are all owned by the college, according to an application submitted by the Trustees of the College of the Holy Cross with the Worcester Planning Board. "It's townhouse style, so in most of the units on the first floor, it's a full kitchen and a living area," said Paul Irish, associate dean of students at the college. "There's also in-suite laundry facilities and then the traditional bedrooms — doubles and a few single-occupancy bedrooms with bathrooms." Irish said that the buildings would be occupied almost entirely by senior students since they would be part of the housing lottery process, which gives priority to seniors. "I think it will give them a really desirable option. The last two residence halls that we've built here in 2003 and 2011 are apartment style and that's really desirable for upper-class students," he said. "I think it will give them the opportunity to really be at a place that they can kind of live independently, apartment style but also immediately next to campus." 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 City View St. runs parallel to the upper campus entrance at Holy Cross on Thursday. The end of this road ends with a gate onto the campus. The application also said that the plans include driveways, four accessible parking spaces, new curbing and walkways, landscaping and "other related facilities and improvements." The properties are located at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 City View St., "off the northerly side of City View," according to the application. "They directly abut other existing college buildings, as we mentioned in our application," said Joshua Lee Smith, an attorney at Bowditch & Dewey, the law firm representing the trustees. "In relatively close proximity to the new recreation field house as well as Ciampi Hall. All of this is just integrated within the main campus." According to property records, 1 City View St. is a 5,558-square-foot lot valued at $59,700. Records also show that 3 City View St. is a three-story multifamily home valued at $343,100. City View Street has homes on both sides of the road. 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 City View St. are the houses on the left side of the street. The entrance to the upper campus at Holy Cross is at left and below. Next door is 5 City View St., a two-family, two-story home valued at $333,600. Both 7 and 9 City View St. are single-family homes, valued at $188,600 and $254,900, respectively. "The internal campus, looking at the space that we have and what abuts the campus, this just seemed to make the most sense," Irish said. "We're a fairly compact campus, we're pretty hilly, so just trying to think about some space that makes sense, as well as kind of a residential area for the students." Some of the buildings are occupied by university employees and a faculty member but, Irish said, if the buildings are approved, the tenants would receive assistance relocating other university-owned properties. The college has been working with the city to receive and implement feedback in the building designs to ensure they meet certain requirements, such as suitable walkways as well as how far back the buildings are from the street, Smith said. He said that when they meet with officials March 16, one of three scenarios could play out. "One is that they approve it that night. The second is they deny it. And the third is a continuance," Smith said. However, he said he feels hopeful that the project will be approved. The college held a neighborhood meeting last week in which residents could come to weigh in on the project. George Russell, Worcester City Councilor for District 3, was in attendance. "They reviewed the plans, and I expressed concerns to them about the parking situation there," Russell said. "The more people you bring, whether they're students or other residents of the building, they're going to require parking and access." He said he is concerned with the negative impact that it could potentially have on neighbors. "I trust that the Planning Board and the planning staff will take all of this into consideration, as they do with any other site plan approval," Russell said. "That's basically the whole idea of site plan approval, is to make sure it doesn't have a negative impact on neighboring properties." Irish said that it has been discussed but that the campus should be able to accommodate the vehicles. "We have full on-campus parking; 30% of our seniors have a vehicle," Irish said. "This building is located right next to campus and right next to a very large parking lot. We know we have pretty ample parking fairly close to the site." He said that, if approved, the college would like to start construction early this summer and complete the buildings by fall 2023. "As a community, we're really excited about this and excited for our students," Irish said.
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Post by alum on Mar 4, 2022 8:44:49 GMT -5
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Mar 4, 2022 11:21:25 GMT -5
Rendering of one of the two buildings. This starts at the corner of City View and College, and looking west. Site plan. The rust-colored homes are privately owned. The one across the street from 1 City View has a College St. address. The other two on City View itself are (1)owned by a trust, next to Ciampi; (2) next the Hart parking lot, owned by an elderly couple.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Mar 4, 2022 11:57:11 GMT -5
Pak Phreek will likely get us the drawings and blueprints as soon as they are in draft form Thanks, Pak Phreek!
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Post by longsuffering on Mar 4, 2022 13:01:49 GMT -5
Will this be a sale/lease back with a developer? Possibly after the college has received the permits and built the buildings? I don't see the advantages long term of that. Imagine being complicated with a third-party if disputes with neighbors arise or a tragedy occurs. HC will be held responsible for everything so might as well control everything.
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Post by gks on Mar 4, 2022 13:05:57 GMT -5
Is this the first college project outside of the traditional campus boundary?
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Mar 4, 2022 13:12:42 GMT -5
North elevation, facing The Jo South elevation, facing City View St. 72 beds each, 144 total. Over 40,000 square feet in size. Units of either eight beds or four beds
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Post by longsuffering on Mar 4, 2022 13:15:47 GMT -5
No balconies. Safe.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Mar 4, 2022 13:16:19 GMT -5
To answer the questions.
The Joyce Center in West Boylston is outside the traditional gates.
The applicant (owner) is the College, not a developer. The architect is a firm in Albany which designs higher-ed buildings nation-wide.
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Post by Crucis#1 on Mar 4, 2022 13:44:11 GMT -5
Pak Phreek:
Do you know if there are plans for a phase 2, for the north side next to Ciampi, or phase 3, etc for the south side of City View for additional townhouses?
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Mar 4, 2022 13:52:01 GMT -5
93 College, across the street from One City View, consists of two buildings, and was owned by a widow who died in 2015 at age 90. She held a life estate. Her son subsequently sold the property in 2017 to Holy Chestnut LLC, probably a REIT, with an address in Newton MA., for $550,000. Holy Chestnut LLC owns a number of properties on College Hill which they rent to students. I do not know whether the College was either not offered this property, or passed on buying it. Google Streetview of 93 College. The accessory building, living space above a garage, is the white building to the left of the main house at the corner of College and City View goo.gl/maps/qqLQEyp1xexVfXhR7Rick Patterson (chair of the BoT) has stated that HC needs at least 250 new beds. If Ciampi with 75+ student beds is counted, then these two new residence halls with Ciampi would provide close to that total. (Renovation of Loyola requires 300 beds of swing space. Wheeler, if it is renovated, requires 270.) The Easy St. dorms can each be renovated with less than 200 new beds needed for 'swing space', unless two Easy St. dorm are renovated simultaneously.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Mar 4, 2022 14:13:13 GMT -5
Do we have an aerial view of this part pf the campus so we can get a look at city view street--maybe put a line around where these two new dorms will go??
EDIT--maybe I answered my own question by just going to the campus map--I'm guessing these will be right nexr to Ciampi...
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Mar 4, 2022 14:20:52 GMT -5
Pak Phreek: Do you know if there are plans for a phase 2, for the north side next to Ciampi, or phase 3, etc for the south side of City View for additional townhouses? The privately owned parcel on the north side, to the immediate west of Ciampi, is owned by a trust. The trust may be complicated by a diffuse 'ownership'; i.e., there could be numerous beneficiaries. The presumed trustor, who lived at 11 City View, died in 2000, at the age of 86. Or possibly, the trustee(s) sought a very high price for the property. In any event, the College is proceeding with these two new residence halls without acquiring title to 11 City View.
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Post by CHC8485 on Mar 4, 2022 14:23:32 GMT -5
KY - That rendering above that Phreek posted shows City View Street. Shoiung the new dorms (Yellow, the buildings HC owns (Gray) and the buildings owned by others (Red.
Gate from City view to the campus is just to the right of the end of the picture. You can see a small piece of the Jo at the top near the center of the picture.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Mar 4, 2022 14:24:27 GMT -5
Do we have an aerial view of this part pf the campus so we can get a look at city view street--maybe put a line around where these two new dorms will go?? EDIT--maybe I answered my own question by just going to the campus map--I'm guessing these will be right nexr to Ciampi... If you look up-thread to my post with the rendering and an overhead map, you will see the relationship to these two residence halls to all the other properties on City View.
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Post by Crucis#1 on Mar 4, 2022 14:47:50 GMT -5
Since new additional buildings are also being considered for teaching, I would like to see Wheeler converted to a office and classroom facility, thus having the west side of the campus concentration of departments and classrooms. It was done for Beaven as the Sociology and Psychology department are relocated. If there are departments still in Alumni and Carlin, they can be moved to Wheeler as well as a new College Admissions Center, that can also showcase the College’s history for prospective students and their parents.
Except for the new townhouse complex, now being planned, the east side of the campus should be the focus for residential development.
Maybe the new Sasaki master facility plan will provide that recommendation.
Also are their plans for the current Millard Arts Complex (the old AFROTC) building? Will Studio Arts be moved to Prior, or will that department remain in Millard.
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Post by Sons of Vaval on Mar 4, 2022 14:57:02 GMT -5
Pak Phreek will likely get us the drawings and blueprints as soon as they are in draft form Let's hope the parking spaces are big enough.
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Post by Crucis#1 on Mar 4, 2022 15:19:38 GMT -5
Hope that the College can secure the properties noted in rust in the near future, with development of the next phase on City View. It will provide a very nice residential living complex for seniors.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Mar 4, 2022 16:07:06 GMT -5
Do we have an aerial view of this part pf the campus so we can get a look at city view street--maybe put a line around where these two new dorms will go?? EDIT--maybe I answered my own question by just going to the campus map--I'm guessing these will be right nexr to Ciampi... If you look up-thread to my post with the rendering and an overhead map, you will see the relationship to these two residence halls to all the other properties on City View. Yes-- I wasn't sure, until I looked at the campus map, that the cutoff grey rectangle at the top of your post was the JO and that the large building in the upper right was Ciampi. I have not been on campus in the last decade and needed to get reoriented. Thanks for all your input on this exciting new project
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Mar 4, 2022 16:44:50 GMT -5
Answering several comments supra.
The college in its submission to the Planning Board states that the total number of parking spaces on campus exceeds by 370 spaces (I can't recall the exact number) what is required by the city. The proposed residence halls require seven parking spaces, the college is providing four, new spaces, with the other three covered by the parking space 'surplus'. ---- 20 City View is owned by a couple in their mid 70s.
---------------------------------------------------------- Madison Properties acquired two more parcels on Kendig St. next to the campus, in Dec 2021. The prices was either $300,000 or $600,000. When added to a third parcel acquired in August 2020, the total land area now owned by Madison Properties on Kendig is a bit more than 25,000 square feet.
These properties, all vacant land, back on to HC properties on City View and the afore-mentioned 20 City View.
Madison Properties is the developer of properties around Polar Park.
Fr. B., in a communication to the HC community in late 2019 said that HC intended to build the new Jesuit residence on Kendig St. With the COVID outbreak in 2020, and the hit on the college's financial bottom line, construction was apparently deferred. The college already owns property on the south side of Kendig, sufficient for a new Jesuit residence.
HC's two properties on Kendig, both with homes, have a total land area of 0.61 acres. These properties back on to HC properties on Avon St. HC's two properties on Avon, both vacant land, total about 75,000 sq. ft.
Methinks that City Manager Ed Augustus has his fingers in this.
--------------------------------- Edited to add. From the timing of the review by the Planning Board, this probably indicates a summer 2022 construction start. if so, the new residence halls could be ready for occupancy by fall semester 2023.
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Post by hcgrad94 on Mar 4, 2022 19:20:54 GMT -5
Answering several comments supra. The college in its submission to the Planning Board states that the total number of parking spaces on campus exceeds by 370 spaces (I can't recall the exact number) what is required by the city. The proposed residence halls require seven parking spaces, the college is providing four, new spaces, with the other three covered by the parking space 'surplus'. ---- 20 City View is owned by a couple in their mid 70s. ---------------------------------------------------------- Madison Properties acquired two more parcels on Kendig St. next to the campus, in Dec 2021. The prices was either $300,000 or $600,000. When added to a third parcel acquired in August 2020, the total land area now owned by Madison Properties on Kendig is a bit more than 25,000 square feet. These properties, all vacant land, back on to HC properties on City View and the afore-mentioned 20 City View. Madison Properties is the developer of properties around Polar Park. Fr. B., in a communication to the HC community in late 2019 said that HC intended to build the new Jesuit residence on Kendig St. With the COVID outbreak in 2020, and the hit on the college's financial bottom line, construction was apparently deferred. The college already owns property on the south side of Kendig, sufficient for a new Jesuit residence. HC's two properties on Kendig, both with homes, have a total land area of 0.61 acres. These properties back on to HC properties on Avon St. HC's two properties on Avon, both vacant land, total about 75,000 sq. ft. Methinks that City Manager Ed Augustus has his fingers in this. --------------------------------- Edited to add. From the timing of the review by the Planning Board, this probably indicates a summer 2022 construction start. if so, the new residence halls could be ready for occupancy by fall semester 2023. What do youthinks Ed Augustus did here exactly?
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