St Brigid's Church, UMass Library looking northwest from Boltwood Place
Boltwood Place tweeted yesterday that the elevator was fully operational, so I couldn't resist hitching a ride to the top floor and then climbing a very secure, ladder-like metal stairway up onto the roof for a breathtaking view on this most gorgeous day of the year. Amherst could not have looked better.
First Congregational Church, center, Amherst Police Department on right, southeast view
The all-steel frame building is mummified in insulation and heavily soundproofed, so late night downtown noise, or the fire station emergency sirens will not be a problem. The five story, mixed use building, expected to have full occupancy by September, will be LEED certified.
Amherst Fire Department on right, looking west
All 12 apartments have lots of glass for viewing pleasure. Exterior will be finished in red cedar
Boltwood Place sits on 3,500 square foot footprint, but upper floors are almost 4,000 square feet
Looking southwest Amherst town center
Like a brewery, Boltwood Place owners are proud enough of their intricate mechanicals to put them on ground floor display. Gas heated water boilers are 96% efficient. 650 square feet of commercial space also located on ground floor along with main entryway and storage area.
16 comments:
Wow! Thank you Larry. I have been wondering about that building ever since construction started.
So what is the parking plans for the residents of the 12 apts? 24 spaces in the Boltwood garage?
There is a shortage of parking spots already!
Frustrating to see all the empty reserved 24/7 spots at the garage-
can't they be utilized for 10 minutes for a quick errand to pick up a take out order?
Yeah. Thanks Larry. There's been a lot of talk on the town meeting listserv about how "out of place" the structure looks in the downtown. I haven't found that to be true at all and think it's a concept and structure to be proud of. So thanks for featuring it.
Do you kinda get the idea that Larry really loves Amherst?
That's ok.
People pay over $700 a year for those 24/7 parking spaces. Just think how frustrated they are when they get to their slot only to find it occupied.
Well it is just hurting Amherst businesses. I vowed to stop patronizing any downtown Amherst businesses ten years ago because it is so incredibly difficult to park and quickly get something that I need. It is actually faster for me to go to the mall or whole foods (for lunch for instance) than to try to park, scrounge up change (which I don't carry anymore) they wait on line at some crowded and understaffed food establishment. Except for occasionally Miss Saigon and the Thai restaurant, I have kept that vow.
Don't blame me, I supported the much larger garage. Blame the NIMBYs.
Who pays $700/year for those 24/7 parking spaces in the lower half of the garage?
Larry, wasn't the garage built with the potential of a "Phase II" with footings put in strong enough to hold another layer or something???
Well if they can get those reserved spaces to pay for it, along with all the other folk who would like a reserved space, thus might be the time to do the rest of it...
Yeah, that was the only provision made by the ARA when we donated the property to the town.
The second deck would be cost effective financially but no so much, politically.
I'd vote for a second deck in a heartbeat.
How is the BID going to get out of towners here if they can't park??
it seems like the town could take in a lot more than $700.00 per spot per year... less than $2.00 per day to park as long as you want in the best spaces in town? nice.
just think how frustrating that is to us "average" people who aren't benefiting (in fact maybe losing)from that deal.
It seems like the town could take in a lot more than $700.00 per spot per year... less than $2.00 per day to park as long as you want in the best spaces in town? nice
I agree -- and it is more than this. First, you have YOUR spot so you don't have to remember where you parked. Second, in the winter, you don't have to scrape the snow/ice/etc off your car because it is nicely parked down below under cover -- and in the summertime your car isn't an oven because, again, it is nicely parked under cover.
And third, $2/DAY is damn cheap when the UM Parking Garage is charging $1.50 an HOUR. Their price for just overnight (5 PM to 5AM) is 50% higher than this -- $3 and then it is $1.50/hour from 5AM onward.
Personally, I think they ought to put all those reserved spaces out to bid -- and when they find that folk are willing to pay 2/3/4 TIMES what the current folk are paying for them, you either charge what the market will bear or you build the 2nd deck. Right now, we are subsidizing the parking of the select few. For reasons that I truly can not understand....
Any average person in town can get on the waiting list for a reserve parking slot. You want one? Then get one. Fork over $700 and it's yours.
So you believe an "average" town resident can afford to pay $700.00 in one lump sum?
This average person will have to be content to pay a lot more than $700.00/year, slowly, in dimes and nickels.
As long as the subject as turned to parking, I'm very surprised that no one has brought up the fact that the boltwood parking lot signs all state that one must pay to park seven days a week.
Those are signs leftover from the old pay system. On the new pay machine, the sign, in much smaller print, states that one must pay six days per week, that Sunday is free.
I have informing parkers every Sunday when I see them trying to pay.
Wonder how long before anyone deals with the lousy signage?
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