Where Once A Dogwood Grew, A Building Nears Completion

The sweet little corner garden that once graced Smith Street at the corner of Warren
in May 2008, the day construction scaffolding went up.

And the same corner now!

Agreed! As far as new buildings go, 311 Warren/180 Smith is not as bad as some. The brick façade, though lacking any detail around the windows, looks all right. However, the set-backs make it tower over the much lower neighboring row houses on Smith.
Construction on the new building looks almost done. Yesterday, workers were balancing on the top level, working on the air conditioning units. It remains to be seen what exterior treatment the top floors will get.
For decades, that same corner was the home of a beautiful dogwood and of a red leaf maple, which grew there undisturbed for decades. It seemed like a little oasis on Smith Street, like a pleasant surprise, as one walked down the block, the sky opening wide above.

I miss that garden.




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New Building At 311 Warren Street Didn't Look So Bad, Until.....

Once Upon A Time at 311 Warren Street / 180 Smith Street

311 Warren today

Where once there was a sweet little garden with a lovely dogwood tree, there is now a new buildings.

I had high hopes for the new construction at 311 Warren Street, I really did. The brick clad building didn't seem too out of scale with the rest of Smith Street and I loved the number of windows facing Warren. With a cornice, it could have looked downright contextual.

And then it happened! More steal and cinder blocks were added for additional floors, which makes the building tower over its 'neighbors.'

Too bad. Without the extra height, it wouldn't have been half bad.

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