Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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REAL ESTATE NEWS A Real Estate Rebirth RUN-DOWN PARKING LOTS AND OPEN FIELDS ARE MAKING WAY FOR NEW LUXURY BUILDINGS. BY DEVAN NORMAN F raising his family, he decided the time was right to sell the Sturgis mansion and also develop the remaining acreage with four new luxury homes, each at nearly 6,700 square feet. "One of the beautiful things about the property is that it has exquisite mature landscaping, and we have preserved as much of that as possible," says Kobus. The new neighborhood is surrounded by Massachusetts Audubon Society property and is close to the Belmont Hill Club and the Belmont Country Club. He turned to Cindy Stumpo, of C. Stumpo Development (and HGTV's Tough as Nails), to do the construction. The five-bedroom homes have hardwood floors, marble in the foyer and six bathrooms, and wood paneling in the study and dining room. The homes range from $3.135 to $3.950 million. Michael Carucci, Group Boston Real Estate, 316 Newbury St., # 31, 617-901-7600; belmontestatehomes.com ABOVE: Fenway Park. RIGHT: Belmont Estate Homes are each roughly 6,700 square feet. Pining Away The Mirbeau Companies purchased a six-acre parcel of land overlooking the 18th fairway at The Pinehills in Plymouth and broke ground this past May to construct the company's second Mirbeau Inn & Spa. Inspired by the French countryside, the new retreat will have 50 rooms, a wine bar, a fitness center, wedding facilities, and 5,000 square feet of function space. Guests will enjoy cozy inroom fireplaces, golf course views and, of course, the 14,000-squarefeet spa. 35 Landmark Dr., Plymouth, 508-209-3000; pinehills.com A Second Chance What's old and beautiful is new again at Belmont Estate Homes as developer Rick Kobus, principal of Tsoi/Kobus & Associates, turns the estate of the former 1926 Atkins-Claflin House into an exclusive residential enclave. Twenty years ago, Kobus bought the six-acre estate and original redbrick Colonial Revival manse designed by architect R. Clipston Sturgis; the property was prime for subdivision. After LEFT: Developer Rick Kobus. BELOW: The model for Mirbeau Inn & Spa at The Pinehills. Hip to Be Square A new 240,000-square-foot openair lifestyle and retail complex in Chestnut Hill is set to open this fall. New England Development's Chestnut Hill Square will have a range of dining, shopping, and fitness tenants, including a massive 33,000-square-foot Equinox fitness center with five dedicated studios as well as Equinox's first studio for barre workouts. Brio Tuscan Grille will enter the region for the first time, along with Seasons 52, a grill and wine bar. Anth ropologie, Starbucks, and Paper Source have already signed leases, and more tenants will be added into the fall. Cult favorite grocer Wegmans will also open by spring 2014 chestnuthillsquare.com BC PHOTOGRAPHY BY SONGQUAN DENG/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (FENWAY) ollowing the trend of recent renovations on Boylston Street, local developer John Rosenthal gained full approval for the Fenway Center this past summer. An exciting new option for hopeful downtown residents, the $550 million development will offer 500 apartments including studios and one- and two-bedroom units, as well as 90,000 square feet of retail space, more than 30,000 square feet of green space, and a planned zero-net energy MBTA Yawkey commuter rail station. Rosenthal hopes to create a lively new neighborhood to complement the opposite side of the ballpark, with plans to keep the buildings even more "green" than is required by the Energy Stretch Code. Construction is set to begin in early 2014. fenwaycenter.com 136 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM 136_BC_BOB_RENews_Fall13.indd 136 8/2/13 2:32 PM