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Planning board approves minor design modification for Dick’s House of Sport at 250 Granite St.
Summary
The Town of Braintree Planning Board approved a minor modification to the Dick’s House of Sport renovation that preserves and reuses large precast concrete panels, reduces some glazing and updates south‑side materials to meet energy‑code limits while limiting waste.
The Town of Braintree Planning Board voted April 14 to approve a minor modification to the approved special permit and site plan for Dick’s House of Sport at 250 Granite Street.
Attorney Frank Marinelli presented the revision on behalf of the applicant, saying the roughly $40 million renovation was reworked by the design team to retain and refurbish many existing precast concrete panels from the former Nordstrom structure instead of demolishing and disposing of them. Marinelli said preserved panels would be cleaned and stained to match the Dick’s copper and auburn palette; other areas would use forest‑green ACM panels and new brick veneer at the east main entry. He said some south‑side glazing tied to a former Nordstrom customer entrance was removed because the new store’s only customer entrance will face the easterly parking area.
The change, Marinelli said, reduces waste and helps the project stay within allowances of the state energy code so that the overall renovation remains feasible. He described the existing large skylight (the “clearstory”) as unchanged.
Board members asked technical questions about how the panels would be refurbished and whether they would remain in place; Marinelli said they would generally remain in place, be cleaned and stained and would require scaffolding or cranes for work. Members also confirmed that the revised northerly and southerly elevations remain within previously approved height limits and that the project team had provided renderings and a comparative overlay of the October design and the current proposal.
After discussion, Member Kaine moved to approve the minor modification and Member Connley seconded. The board took a voice vote in favor of the motion, and the chair announced the application approved.
The board’s file notes and the assistant planning director’s draft decision (provided to the board and posted online) document the exact elevation changes and the materials proposed; the decision includes standard planning conditions and requires the applicant to comply with building‑department review on structural and means‑of‑egress matters.
