Arsenal Project

New Mall Entrance, Paths Could be Included in Arsenal Mall Renovation

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Some significant changes to the roadways around the Arsenal Mall could be in store as part of the major renovation project. The master plan for the Arsenal Project will soon be submitted to the town, and the architects and planners behind the project met with the public for the fifth time Wednesday night. Traffic and transportation was a major focus, along with some updated views of the mall. The plan for the mall includes a movie theater, a grocery store, a bowling alley, more restaurants and a few hundred housing units. The new development would add more than 6,300 trips (a car going to and leaving counts as two trips) during a typical weekday, according to Giles Ham, traffic engineer with Vanasse & Associates.

Development

See the Proposed Plans for the New Arsenal Mall Before the Meeting on Aug. 17

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Plans for the proposed new Arsenal Mall have been submitted to the Watertown Planning Department, and includes a 12-story residential building among the additions to the site.  

Developers have scheduled two community meeting to discuss the proposal before it goes before the Planning Board. The meetings will be held in the Innovation Space inside the mall on Wednesday, Aug. 17 and Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. each night.

Entertainment

Family Drive-In Movie Night Coming to the Arsenal Project

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Celebrate summer at the Arsenal Project with a free drive-in movie on Tuesday, July 26, 2016. Watch the big screen from the comfort of your own car! The movie will be “Inside Out” and the fun begins at 6:30 p.m. with free activities for kids. Food Trucks will be there too – The Bacon Truck and Frozen Hoagies. Plus there will be popcorn and music with a special performance by Bonaparte the Magician!

Arsenal Project

Future of Arsenal Mall Comes Into Focus on Tour of Site

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Interested residents got a firsthand look at where the buildings at the Arsenal Mall will be going in the newly renovated mall. Wednesday evening, the folks designing the mall led a walking tour of the area to try to give people a better idea of how the new project will look. There will be some major changes, including three buildings in what is now the main parking long in front of the mall. Also, a residential tower at least 12 stories high. Some familiar things will remain – the two long historic brick buildings that date back to the time when the property was part of the Watertown Arsenal.

Around Town

Tour the Arsenal Mall Property to See Where the New Buildings Would Go

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The owners of the Arsenal Mall invite the public to take a tour of the property to see exactly where the new buildings are proposed to go in the renovated mall. Picturing exactly what changes are being discussed for the Arsenal Project can be tough, with new buildings planned where parking lots, or even current buildings now sit. Also, some current buildings will remain. For instance, looking at the picture above, the old building on the right, where Marshalls is located, will stay, but the pedestrian area and the new building (in white) will sit in space now occupied by the section of the mall added to connect the two historic buildings. The owners and designers of the new mall will lead a tour on Wednesday, June 1 at 6 p.m. The group will meet at the Innovation Space, inside the mall, near the Old Navy entrance.

Arsenal Project

See Designers Vision of What the New Arsenal Mall Could Look Like

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Thursday night, the owners of the former Arsenal Mall showed their first drawings of their vision for the renovated mall, which will have buildings with retail and residential units and tall one large one with just residential units. Buildings along Arsenal Street would be close to the street with retail on the bottoom, and would be six stories and 70 feet tall. The taller buildings – a six story, 84 foot building and a 12 story 129 foot building – will be father off Arsenal Street. “As you step back from Arsenal Street that’s the appropriate place for a tall building,” said Mark Eclipse of PCA, one of the architects designing the project. Two of the buildings in the middle of the site will be “C” shaped, and will come together to form a central square area where people can gather and events can take place, Eclipse said.

Around Town

Mass Audubon Hosting Event on Pollinator Garden at Arsenal Project

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Celebrate the growing season with educators from Mass Audubon Habitat! Learn about the Arsenal Project’s Pollinator Garden planted and maintained by Mass Audubon Habitat staff with assistance from Watertown Community Gardens volunteers, the mall announced. The event will be held Saturday, June 4 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Pollinator Garden located near entrance by the Express store at the Arsenal Project, 485 Arsenal St. (if raining, event moves inside Innovation Space). Find out who are the pollinators – native bees, honey bees, birds, butterflies and other animals.

Arsenal Project

LETTER: Where Will Families, Seniors Go to Eat and Play in New Mall?

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Dear Editor:

One of the hallmarks of Watertown was that it was a sleepy, safe, family friendly place. I know that The Old Country Buffet went out of business due to bankruptcy and it looks like Friendly’s lease is about to expire soon but The Old Country Buffet was a place that working families could  take their kids out to dinner because it was affordable. There were plenty of choices and let’s just say it was far from swanky so working families could go in their sweats and their kids could be a bit noisy without too many people being offended. Senior Citizens on a fixed income used to take advantage of their all you could eat buffet and eat enough for lunch and dinner. I know The Old Country Buffet isn’t coming back and I’m not saying we should have something exactly like it but it would be nice if we did reserve some space for restaurants that don’t charge approximately $35 for a roasted chicken. While a nightclub like bowling alley may bring in more profit and tax revenue than a traditional bowling alley, its not family friendly nor is it family affordable.