Play Ball! Fenway Park Neighborhood Sees Changes

The Metro asked my thoughts on the retail and residential momentum in the Fenway area, here's the article:
 

A transformation has begun on the Fenway side of Boylston Street, and a proposed development that includes more residential and retail space at the old Howard Johnson Hotel site could make the area even more attractive to urban dwellers looking for a new spot in Boston to settle.

The proposal, which was submitted to the Boston Redevelopment Authority earlier this month, outlines the development of 1271 Boylston St., including 175,000 square feet of residential space, 170,000 square feet of hotel use and 4,000 square feet of retail space, according to a letter to the BRA from Weiner Ventures, the company planning the project. There would also be 280 underground parking spaces. Adam Weiner of Weiner Ventures could not be reached for comment on the project.

“When you have a ballpark of the home team actually in the city, as opposed to the suburbs, and you have as strong and die-hard a fan base as you can have with the Red Sox, the potential for a neighborhood to reinvent itself and build around the stadium is there,” says Paul Santucci, a real estate broker with Boston Lofts. “‘Great views of Fenway Park’ is a selling point and a viable marketing strategy here.” 
 

What else is new in the area?

The section of Boylston Street between Ipswich Street and Brookline Avenue has blossomed in recent years with the opening of Trilogy, a $225 million tower with more than 500 rental units and retail space, including West Elm, Starbucks and Burton’s Grill. A $125 million building at 1330 Boylston St. now housing Fenway Health Center, 215 apartments and additional retail space was also completed last year. And just around the corner is Landmark Center, with a movie theater, a health club and retail space. “We will see more residential momentum occur. There is a good amount of new construction, not just rehabbing of older buildings, so it gets a new, fresh look,” says Santucci.

 For More information about the residential real estate market near Fenway Park, contact me at paul@bostonlofts.com or 617-694-0004