Located in a prime spot along the Charles River, the Arsenal Mall has been a popular retail destination for Watertown and area residents for over 30 years, yet has not lived up to its full potential. The site is defined by two historic brick arsenal buildings creating a memorable shopping experience. In transforming it into Arsenal Yards, we called upon our placemaking expertise to create a mixed-use environment with the capacity to be a destination for Watertown and the Boston metro area.
Working with Boylston Properties & The Wilder Companies, we masterplanned and permitted the entire site to encompass a variety of building types. By knitting historic buildings with new surroundings, we crafted a live, work, play environment that includes restaurants, retail, office and lab space. The addition of 300+ apartments creates space for people to put down roots in Watertown. Combined, Arsenal Yards becomes a new neighborhood within the Watertown, MA community.
Our design centers on generous pedestrian environments that make connections to the park and river via the River Green – a space that could be used as a place to recharge or for outdoor movie nights. A shared courtyard features seating and gathering spaces to host food vendors, outdoor markets and other events. With completed portions open today, Arsenal Yards has already begun to reinvigorate the former Arsenal Mall.
