News
Nordica Theater Opens
After over a year of hard work, the Nordica Theater at Freeport Village recently opened. John, David Burn, and I were able to attend on Arrowstreet’s behalf, joining our friends Al Yebba and Mike Murphy of Berenson Associates and Mark Benvenuto from Belmont Capital. It’s always satisfying to see a building we designed in use, and this was no exception- though this was the first opening I’d been to that involved watching movie previews in 3-D! Nordica Theater is a success and a great addition to Freeport.
Finally Under Construction: Chestnut Hill
After more than a decade of work with New England Development to master plan, design, and permit the redevelopment of the former Omni Foods site on Route 9 in Chestnut Hill, MA, we can finally announce that the project is under construction. Demolition, blasting and removal of rock, and site excavation are well underway in preparation for the construction of this mixed-use development that includes retail, restaurants, a Wegman’s grocery store, health club, office, and a parking garage as part of the first phase. Stay tuned for more updates as the structures begin to take shape!
AFH Canopy Wins Best Installation Contest
Artists for Humanity has a new entry canopy, which has just won an award from 3-Form. The original design of the building included structural points of support, but at the time of its construction there was not enough funding to build a canopy. Now, just in time for their 20th anniversary, they’ve got one, funded by the Brown Fund and design/built by the AFH students, under guidance by a group of MassArt students taught by Sam Batchelor. Pat Cornelison and I helped in the design charrettes and supported the project in various other ways.
New Photography for Reykjavik Natura
We recently received new photos of the beautiful Reykjavik Natura hotel, which just re-opened this June after renovations…
Traveling in Jeddah
In December I went with Rasem Badran of Jordan to meet with a prospective client in Jeddah. The client, who is developing a new retail and mixed-use town center in Medinah, short-listed two finalists to come for an interview and charrette. Rasem has international stature for his work in restoring and building new construction in areas of Islamic heritage, and Arrowstreet has done several projects with his firm. While I was there, I snapped these photos of historic structures in old Jeddah.
Worcester CitySquare Building H Topping Off Ceremony
Arrowstreet recently celebrated a big moment with the City of Worcester, Unum, and many others when the steel frame was finally topped off at the CitySquare Development’s newest office highrise on January 4th. It was a brutally cold day, but a well-attended and warmly welcomed milestone for the many people involved. The patriotically painted beam was signed and hoisted 120 feet up into the air to be placed in its final home. What an impressive sight: an evergreen tree on one side and the American flag on the other, flying up in the sky marking the building’s official presence in Worcester’s skyline…
RetailGreen: Presentation and Debate
The International Council of Shopping Center’s (ICSC’s) annual “RetailGreen” Conference was recently held in Phoenix, Arizona. It’s the only green conference that exists primarily to serve the retail development industry. In planning meetings for the event, my colleagues and I on the Program Committee spent a lot of time conjuring up panel presentations and roundtable discussions on the sustainability topics most relevant to ICSC members…
Wonderland South Garage – Progress Update
Visible signs of progress are on display at the Wonderland South Garage project in Revere. The first in a series of stainless steel mesh panels have been installed at the south façade; these panels offer a nice play on opacity, especially given the nature of the precast structure. When complete, these panels will be illuminated with blue LED lighting, adding color and visual interest at night…
L.L. Bean Openings
L.L. Bean had a busy fall opening three new stores, and at Arrowstreet we helped them develop some new store models along the way. King of Prussia Mall, just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was L.L. Bean’s first venture into a smaller (16,000 SF) in-line store, and opened on September 30th. On October 20th, they followed with a more typical stand-alone store (22,000 SF) in Westchester’s Ridge Hill in Yonkers, New York; L.L. Bean & Arrowstreet modified previous layouts to make this floor plan much more flexible for their various seasonal displays. Their last opening at Paramus Park Mall was a bit of a combination of the two models – a mall store with both a mall entrance and exterior face; the store (15,000 SF) opened on November 18th…
Giving Back
With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season in full swing, Arrowstreet always strives to make time to give back to our community. During the month of November we sponsor a Turkey Drive to benefit the students of The Next Wave / Full Circle and Argenziano Schools in Somerville. We love reading the thank-you letters sent to us by the students after Thanksgiving – they touch our hearts…