By Seth Daniel
As the large apartment building towers begin to come out of the ground this summer on the 345 Harrison Ave. project by developer UDR, representatives from the project said it’s time to give it a name.
The developers launched a Facebook naming contest two weeks ago, with the winner going to those who vote the most often. Some of the early ideas included Triton Towers, The Pen, Skye at 345, Home at Harrison, Sloan Park, South Fusion and The Colony.
Voting was to come to a close this week.
Site work began on the project, which is across from the Ink Block, last October and the ground work has been underway all winter and spring. Now, it’s time to get the building out of the ground.
“Piles will be done in one month and concrete work on the foundation will begin in July and the cores and superstructure will continue to the end of the year,” said Elizabeth Likovich during the New York Streets Neighborhood Association meeting on Monday, June 27.
The project and the retail component are expected to be delivered in 2018.
The project includes two 14-story towers containing 585 apartments. There will be 273 parking spaces with an entrance on Mullins Way, and 325 bike parking spaces. The two buildings will be in stark contrast to one another. The Harrison Avenue tower will be more of an industrial, raw, newer looking building similar to the Ink Block apartments – targeting a demographic more on the millennial side of things. Meanwhile, the Washington Street tower will feature more traditional architecture to pay homage to the Back Bay brownstones with lighter colored brick. The project features 30 percent open space, including a large courtyard with pedestrian walk-through for passage between blocks.
There will be 40,000 sq. ft. of retail, and at the moment a pharmacy is confirmed for the Harrison Avenue side. Two restaurants that are casual with a non-white tablecloth feel are also being contemplated.
One unique aspect that is nearly confirmed, but requires a tremendous amount of approvals, is a brewery with tastings and a small amount of brewing taking place. The existing brewery that is being sought would need permits from the City and support from New York Streets NA.
Likovich said they hoped to add a yoga studio and a coffee bar as well. However, members of the Association, including President Kristin Phelan, said it would be wise to pursue businesses that aren’t repetitive of what is already available in the Ink Block.
“We want to work in tandem with one another and not in competition with the same kinds of businesses,” she said.
It was pointed out that there are already a total of three coffee bars located in the Ink Block and the Troy developments.